Crib Museum at the Muri-Gries Monastery

The tower of the former Gries Castle is today an integral part of the Muri-Gries Monastery in Bolzano (Bozen). The building houses a real treasure: an impressive crib collection. But those who only think of Christmas now, are wrong. Beside Nativity scenes there are also oriental cribs and Easter cribs depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ. The first display room was opened in 1991, today, however, the cribs are spread over four floors according to their style and the year of making.

The museum exhibits old and new cribs, mostly produced in South Tyrol - artworks from three centuries. The so-called Lofferer Crib, a Nativity scene, is especially valuable and was bought from the Lofferer Farm in Gries. It consists of 67 clothed and very different figures, including Tyrolean citizens and peasants, angels, the Three Kings and two wooden carved sheep. The exhibition is completed by 40 folklore art figures. The Crib Museum is one of several crib collections in South Tyrol - the other ones can be found e.g. at the Diocesan Museum at the Bressanone Bishop's Palace, in Sesto in the Upper Val Pusteria or in Lutago in the Valli di Tures e Aurina valleys.