A LIGHT GOES OUT IN SAN GREGORIO ARMENO: FAREWELL TO ALDO VUCAI, MASTER NATIVITY ARTISAN
Aldo was 72 years old and passed away during the night between Saturday and Sunday, August 9th. The funeral took place this morning in the parish of San Francesco d’Assisi in Villaricca, Naples
by Luciano Troiano
Aldo Vucai in San Gregorio Armeno
NAPLES - Aldo Vucai, Master nativity artisan of San Gregorio Armeno, in the heart of the ancient center of Naples, left us during the night between Saturday and Sunday, August 9th.
Aldo was a point of reference for all artisans: his passion, knowledge, culture, and kindness are an indelible memory in everyone's heart. Every time I returned to Naples, with Patricia, with friends, or alone, I never missed our appointment with the embrace he reserved for me like a father welcoming back a son who had returned from afar.
Aldo with Luciano and Patricia and his terracotta Pulcinella
His eyes lit up like a proud father's as soon as he saw and embraced Patricia. He would talk to us about his projects: the Nativity scene inside the Christmas tree, the one set in Palestine, the many orders he received from all over the world, and his children and family who were his true pride and love.
Aldo with the Nativity Tree he created
The Nativity scene set in the East
With Aldo, whom we met together with Giuseppe Serroni of I Sedili di Napoli—with whom we have organized and continue to organize many events for over a decade—the Easter or Resurrection Nativity scene was rediscovered. He crafted it on a piece of Abruzzese olive root that is over 400 years old. We also rediscovered his splendid reconstruction of the Procession of the Dead Friars and Lost Souls that brings the alleys of Naples to life every year at the beginning of November, the horn of plenty on the occasion of San Martino, and so much more.
The Easter Nativity: one of Aldo Vucai's wonders, which was also exhibited in the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore in Naples
Aldo with Luciano and Giuseppe Serroni
His is the artisan workshop par excellence, recognizable thanks to the Two Sicilies flag placed at the entrance, the photo of the Bourbons, and the books on the history of the Neapolitan royal house.
The entrance to Aldo Vucai's artisan workshop
Aldo with Carlo of Bourbon
And furthermore: that smell of freshly cut wood and cork, the shepherds taken out of the oven just a few hours prior, and the "anime pezzentelle" crafted specifically for our family. Aldo is a keeper of knowledge and a cultural reservoir of San Gregorio Armeno, a piece of Soul with a capital "S" who learned the trade from his grandfather and shared his daily work with his daughter Olga.
The Procession of the Dead Friars and Lost Souls created by Vucai
The Dead Friars outside the Basilica of Santa Chiara
The news about Aldo came to me like a bolt from the blue yesterday morning. I was notified by my dear friend Giuseppe Serroni. An August day that suddenly turns dark and sad, with a heavy heart facing a life cut short. After the initial disbelief, the frantic search for a reason behind an inescapable mystery that will remain unanswered.
With Aldo, another piece of that Naples I love viscerally, deeply, and unconditionally passes away—a city that transformed me into a Neapolitan among Neapolitans: an immense honor for me that I will never be able to repay.
The grief is unanimous in Abruzzo as well: "I am deeply saddened" – says Luciano Di Lorito, emeritus mayor of Spoltore (Pe), who met him during one of the many editions of The Procession of the Dead Friars organized by the Fontevecchia association -. "This news fills me with sadness. Aldo Vucai was an artisan who always maintained a strong bond with tradition. His passing is a loss of identity for Naples and for the master nativity builders."
Aldo Vucai with Luciano Di Lorito, emeritus mayor of Spoltore (Pe)
Photo credits: Archivio Fontevecchia, Ferdinando Kaiser, Giovanni Rossi Filangieri, Anna Ciriello, Patricia Fogaraccio-Lidea ©, Essere Altrove, Positano News, I Sedili di Napoli.