Zingaro originally meant barefoot: The young men of the village ran down the hill from Pietra Spaccata, through the bushes and mid trees, crossing the small Vella river down in the valley, and then climbing up through the medieval alleys, until they finally reach the church of Madonna di Loreto, and lie down before the altar to the Virgin. The pain and hardship of the race is witnessed by the marble stones in the small church, which after many centuries is now all stained with blood.
The crèche seems an original, native passion of Pacentro. Whole rooms were devoted to making a crèche, which included mountain landscapes, farms and (functioning) mills, streams and waterfalls (true water moved by means of small mechanisms), peasants at their everyday work.
The creche was kept in the homes of Pacentro until the Candelora festivity (early February) while in the rest of Italy was usually disassembled soon after January 6. Gianfranco invites us to visit his mother's home and admire his own creche, a marvel creation with scenes representing all the stages of sheep-raising, including a small tholos (stone hut) used as shelters by shepherds in the mountain pastures.