San Julián opens on Friday the exhibition of the nativity scene that crossed the ocean

The exhibition brings together around thirty nativity scenes from the Basanta-Martín Collection and can be visited until January 5 at the headquarters of the Agrupación de Cofradías.

InforMálaga newsroom · Published on November 4, 2026 at 09:19

Cartel rojo con el texto El belén que cruzó el océano y una figura de belén sentada con un farol y cadenas. — Photo: Agrupación de Cofradías de Málaga

The headquarters of the Agrupación de Cofradías de Semana Santa de Málaga, at number 2 on calle Muro de San Julián, opens this Friday, November 6, the exhibition «El belén que cruzó el océano. El origen español del belén y su expansión en América». The show brings together around thirty nativity scenes from the Colección Basanta-Martín, considered by experts to be the most important in the world in international nativity art, and it comes to Málaga for the first time. The opening day will begin at 17:00 with a lecture by Antonio Basanta, collector and doctor in Hispanic Literature, which will serve as an introduction to the cultural and artistic journey of the exhibition. At 18:30 the exhibition will open to the public. Both the talk and the visit are free, with free entry until full capacity is reached.

Two rooms and 35,000 figures

The tour is divided into two rooms. The first addresses the role of Spain in the origin and development of the nativity scene and its roots in culture. The second shows its expansion through America, where this artistic expression acquired new forms, materials and expressions linked to the traditions of each territory. The Colección Basanta-Martín, begun in 1977 by Antonio Basanta and his wife, has more than 4,200 references and 35,000 figures from 152 countries. The exhibition, part of the «FE» cycle of the Agrupación de Cofradías, can be visited until January 5, 2027 in the Sala de Exposiciones Temporales. Regular opening hours will be Tuesday to Friday, from 16:00 to 20:00, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, from 12:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00. It will remain closed on Mondays and on December 25 and January 1. To attend the opening lecture on Friday, November 6, no registration is needed: just go at 17:00 to the San Julián headquarters, with free entry until full capacity is reached. The visit to the exhibition, from 18:30 on that same day, is also free and without prior ticket.

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