The Los Dormis Monumental Nativity Scene opened its doors this weekend and will be open to visitors until January 6th. The opening ceremony, which was enlivened with Christmas carols by the Rociero Choir of Cieza, was attended by, among others, the president of the brotherhood, Antonio Gómez, as well as the Councilor for Education, Manuela Fernández; the president of the JHP, Joaquín Gómez; and the regional councilor, José Antonio García López.
Located for the second consecutive year in the chapel of the Colegio Madre del Divino Pastor, the nativity scene, whose installation was directed for another edition by the architect Abelardo Salmerón Pinar, increases its square meters as well as its scenes this year, thanks to the contribution of figures made by Juan Villalba and Bartolomé Herrera Valles, two brothers of 'Los Dormis' and directors of two important nativity scenes that were part of the Cieza nativity scene route for many years.
Particularly striking is the scene of the esparto grass growers, in which esparto grass rakers, spinners and picaoras appear with their respective mobile work machines as a tribute to the esparto grass industry that provided an economic boost to the municipality in the mid-20th century.
The mornings of this first week, until December 23, will be reserved for pre-arranged visits by groups and schools. Those interested should contact the organizers by phone at 616782340 or by email at losdormis@gmail.com. The Christmas opening hours will be from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The number of scenes in this enormous nativity scene also increased by approximately fifty last year, enriching one of the most emblematic nativity scenes of Cieza's Christmas, which has been in existence for almost a quarter of a century.
This nativity scene was founded at Christmas 1993 at the initiative of the board of directors of the Brotherhood of the Prayer of the Garden and the Holy Sepulchre, which sought, while promoting a new activity among its members, to rescue the nativity scene tradition of Cieza from oblivion. This initiative was subsequently joined by other associations, organizations, and individuals.
For its first installation, the renowned Murcian nativity scene artist José Griñán was commissioned to create the main groups and figures (around one hundred) in a notable Hebrew style, which gave the nativity scene its distinctive identity. These were later joined by works by such important nativity scene artists as José Alarcón, Miguel Amo, Viuda de Galán, Manuel Nicolás Almansa, Ramírez, and José Luis Mayo, as well as others by Griñán himself, until the current collection totals more than four hundred pieces. In addition, over the last three years, the "Mysteries" created and donated for this nativity scene by the renowned local sculptor and religious image-maker José Antonio Yuste Navarro were added. These pieces are original in their workmanship and composition, further enhancing the quality of this installation.
In its first two years of existence, the design and construction were the work of Cieza-born sculptor Carmen Carrillo. Three years later, the first buildings were added, the work of Abaranero artisan José Luis Molina; since then, the nativity scene has been continuously assembled by the association's members.
The negotiations carried out with the Madrid City Museum in 2009 resulted in a cooperation agreement between the museum and the Los Dormis Cultural Association, under which the nativity scene was set up at the museum in subsequent years (a circumstance that cannot be repeated this year as the museum recently closed its doors).
For this reason and together with a new financial investment, the dimensions of the nativity scene were expanded (currently around 90 m2) and all its decorative elements were renovated, constructing new sets and buildings, among which it is worth highlighting the recreation that was carried out each year of representative buildings of the city of Madrid - the Puerta de Alcalá, Las Ventas, the Congress of Deputies, etc. - along with others from the Region of Murcia - last year specifically, the castle of Lorca, in a tribute to this city devastated by the earthquakes of 2011.
The 'Los Dormis' nativity scene has been awarded three times by the Murcia Nativity Scene Association, which granted it first prize in 1997. Since its construction began in the Spanish capital, it has become the second most visited in the city, and is considered among the finest.
Photography by Hantonio Vb.
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