Rajecká Lesná is a village situated in the southern part of the Little Fatra Mountains. Until 1948 the village was called Frivald. In the centre of the village, there is the Church of Mary’s Birth from 1886 – a sanctuary popular among Slovak pilgrims. One of its parts is the Slovak Nativity Scene. It is a masterpiece of Jozef Pekara. His masterpiece is rich in details, the number of figures, the technical solutions and complex construction made of lime tree wood. He decided to create such a unique piece of art when he retired.

It took him 15 years to carve it and 2 more years to install all elements together. The masterpiece is 8,5 meters wide, 2,5 meters deep and 3 meters high. The artist made 300 figures including 120 sheep and several monuments of the Slovak culture.

It must be seen. It is an unforgettable experience to see this masterpiece. The figures move – they do it gracefully. The details are especially to be admired because they are all made with incredible precision and it shows that the artist must have been hardworking and patient to make all the elements compatible and alive.

The baby Jesus in the manger with Mary and Joseph taking care of him is the only biblical element in the masterpiece. Remaining elements portray the everyday life of the Slovaks and the beauty of their national architecture. In the top part we can see the most beautiful Slovak castles and among them, there are cathedrals, basilicas, churches and many other buildings. In the bottom part, we find Slovak traditions – winemaking, idyllic scenes of the village life: a mother weaving, a grandmother taking care of her grandchild and a father reading by the table. The right side of the installation shows forest work, field work and some genre scenes.

Slovenský betlehem
013 15 Rajecká Lesná
tel. (+421) 41 548 81 34
e-mail: betlehem@rajeckalesna.org
www.betlehem.rajeckalesna.org