Beatriz Artolazabal visits the nativity scene exhibition at the El Carmen church in Vitoria-Gasteiz

• The Minister of Equality, Justice and Social Policies of the Basque Government appreciates the representations of Gorosti Team that recall the slavery that thousands of girls and boys suffer in the world

Vitoria-Gasteiz, 2022 12 30

The Minister of Equality, Justice and Social Policies of the Basque Government, Mrs Beatriz Artolazabal, visited this morning the Nativity Scene exhibition in the El Carmen church in Vitoria-Gasteiz organized by the Araba-Álava Nativity Scene Association.

Along with Mrs Nerea Melgosa, Minister Mrs Artolazabal has toured the Nativity Scenes exhibition that includes works created by the Nativity Scene Association, Gorosti Taldea and different schools.

The Nativity scenes from Álava celebrate this during Christmas the declaration of 'Representative Manifestation of Intangible Cultural Heritage'. Vitoria-Gasteiz citizens who treasure a photo or material souvenir of their nativity scenes can share it in an open office in the La Florida Park.

Gorosti Taldea has installed two nativity scenes in cages: one of them represents the Olarizu Cross, with "mendizaleak" around it and a small nativity scene inside the cross. The second of them shows the slavery of girls and boys living in developing countries. Three angels symbolize that childhood that produces the gifts that consumed in the first world and that they will not enjoy.

“Sorioneku” – the thousand-year-old Basque reference recently found in Navarre – welcomes visitors. The oldest inscription in Basque is the star of the Bethlehem at the entrance. The cloister of El Carmen houses a reproduction of the Sanctuary of Estibaliz, converted into a Synagogue. A montage created years ago and which now exhibited in homage and memory of the Benedictine monks of Estibaliz.