Nativity scene (Presepio)
by MARIGLIANO, Giovanni, Painted wood
Around 1524 Marigliano carved crib figures for Santa Maria del Parto at the request of the humanist Jacopo Sannazzaro (1458-1530). Only five statuettes of the precious complex are preserved, among which those of St Joseph and the Virgin stand out, showing similarities with the early works of Girolamo Santacroce. This commission was particularly significant, because it shows that Marigliano was esteemed by the famous humanist, connoisseur of antiquity, who exercised a strong influence on the culture of Naples.