Malcesine Unveils World’s Smallest Nativity Scene on the Aril River

A floating Nativity scene has returned to the Aril River in the Cassone district of Malcesine, installed by the local group “Amici del presepio” as part of the town’s seasonal Christmas displays. The installation complements other local exhibits, including a life-size Nativity at the Giardino ex Asilo Pariani and a mechanical Nativity in the ex-Enal rooms of the Palazzo dei Capitani.

The Aril runs entirely through Cassone and measures about 175 metres, with three bridges and a small waterfall; it is one of 25 tributaries feeding Lake Garda. Although the world record for the shortest river belongs to the Reprua in Georgia, the municipal administration has placed a multilingual plaque labeling the Aril “the shortest river in the world” to emphasize its local and cultural significance.
Italian Version