The Immaculate Conception is celebrated on 8 December, so 9 months later the birth of the Virgin Mary is celebrated! Here in Siena there will be a competition between the children of all 17 Contrade to decorate their Madonnina (the tabernacle with the Madonna and Child).
(all images from Wikimedia Commons)
The Birth of the Virgin by various artists. From top left: Giotto (the Scrovegni Chapel, Padua); Beccafumi (Pinacoteca, Siena); Pietro Lorenzetti (Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Siena); Ghirlandaio (Tornabuoni Chapel, Santa Maria Novella, Florence).
