A terracotta face, glass eyes, a robe in San Leucio silk. At Ferrigno1836, Marco Ferrigno's workshop at Via San Gregorio Armeno 10, they belong to shepherd figures with a wire-and-hemp body and wooden limbs. Look at the whole figure first, then step closer: a fold in the fabric, the expression, the position of the hands.
Via San Gregorio Armeno, the street of nativity-scene workshops, is in the historic centre of Naples: it runs from Piazza San Gaetano, along Via dei Tribunali, to Via San Biagio dei Librai, linking the two decumani. From Follaky Secret Garden, in Chiaia, it's about a 32-minute walk along Via Toledo.
Via San Gregorio Armeno from October to December
The street is public and can be visited in October and November too. On its own website, Ferrigno1836 states that the craftsmen work all year round and gives its hours: Monday to Saturday 09:00–18:00, Sunday 09:00–14:00. For the other workshops, check directly. At number 55 there's a different business also called Ferrigno: check the street number too.
Among the workshops, take your time comparing before buying: one figure might catch your eye for its face, another for a gesture. Ask about materials, provenance and packaging suited to travel, and how the piece you're taking home was made.
In December the street can get very crowded. For Christmas 2025 the Naples City Council introduced a one-way pedestrian system to prevent overcrowding: on 28–30 November and 5–8, 12–14 and 19–22 December, from 09:00 to 20:00, and again on 23 December. The order for 2026 hasn't been issued yet: if you're coming for the Immaculate Conception long weekend, set aside a good part of the day for the street.
The next day, the Cuciniello nativity scene at San Martino
At the Certosa e Museo di San Martino, at Largo San Martino 5 in Vomero, the Nativity Section occupies what were once the kitchens of the old Charterhouse. The nativity scene takes its name from Michele Cuciniello, the collector who donated his collection of around eight hundred shepherd figures, animals and accessories to the State and personally oversaw its assembly; unveiled in 1879, it is set in a mock grotto, with a lighting system designed to simulate dawn, full daylight, sunset and night.
In 1971 the lawyer Pasquale Perrone donated 956 objects to the museum, displayed in glass cases called "scarabattoli": scenes of the Nativity, the Inn and the Annunciation to the Shepherds, along with miniature still lifes of vegetables, food and household items. Here you can spot again the details you noticed in the workshops: a robe, a face, the props of a scene.
According to the Ministry of Culture's listing, updated on 26 August 2026, the museum opens every day except Tuesday, from 08:30 to 18:30, with last admission at 17:30; the Nativity Section opens at 09:30 and closes at 18:30. Tickets can be bought at the ticket office, online via the Musei Italiani portal, or through its app. 8 December 2026 is a Tuesday: check the listing again for that day.
On foot from Follaky it's about 31 minutes, but steeply uphill and with the steps of Salita del Petraio. With the Funicolare Centrale the route is almost flat: an 8-minute walk to Augusteo station, the ride to Piazza Fuga, and about 14 minutes on foot. Half an hour in all.
Why stay in Chiaia if you're coming for the nativity scenes?
If you want to stay mainly among the nativity scenes, accommodation in the historic centre cuts down the trips to the workshops. Chiaia is a different choice, suited to a trip that also takes in the seafront, Piazza dei Martiri and the streets of the neighbourhood. From Follaky, Piazza dei Martiri is about a 3-minute walk and the seafront about 7. The historic centre becomes the destination for one day; in the evening you return to a different neighbourhood.
With three nights you have two full days: one for the historic centre, one for San Martino, with the arrival and evenings for Chiaia. To look for a keepsake in the neighbourhood too, there's Chiaia's shops and craft workshops; for the month's other events, Naples in December.
Two suites at Palazzo Giovagnoni
Follaky Secret Garden lies within the residential grounds of Palazzo Giovagnoni. The Suite Chiaia Deluxe Garden View is the more intimate of the two: blue maiolica tiles, wood, olive green and a large window looking onto two adjoining private gardens. The Suite Toledo Deluxe Private Patio is larger and brighter, with a small private patio. Each accommodates two guests, with a private bathroom and Follaky Breakfast included; if there are four of you travelling, the Double Suites – Exclusive Use option brings the two suites together for your exclusive use.
When you come back with your parcels, remember the two entrances: Via Chiaia 149F is on foot, with the park's private lift; Vico Monteroduni 16 is the address to give the taxi and for luggage. Both routes are described in our guide on getting here.
The figure you choose in the workshop can come out of its box every December, back home. For this trip, all that's left to decide is where to return in the evening: in front of the window onto the gardens, or with a patio kept just for you. Compare the two suites and check your dates.
