Carcassonne citadel towers over Catalonia's biggest model nativity scene  

It's not a contradiction in terms. The biggest miniature nativity scene in Catalonia was unveiled in Parets del Vallès, 25km north of Barcelona, on Wednesday. 

On display until January 21, it depicts scenes from the Christmas story in Bethlehem reimagined in the south of France, in the medieval citadel of Carcassonne and along the Canal du Midi – or should that be the Canal du Mini?

"It is the largest 'tabletop' nativity scene in Catalonia, at 230 square meters," says Albert Pérez, president of the Parets del Vallès Nativity Scene Association, who in previous years have welcomed baby Jesus into the world in mangers set among the Egyptian pyramids, and Montserrat, Catalonia's sacred mountain.  

Incidentally, more than 900 people came together to form a "unique" live nativity scene at Montserrat in November.

This year, the association looked north. "We made a reproduction of the Canal du Midi, in the south of France, with the castle of Carcassonne and rivers, to show how goods were transported with horse-drawn barges and how work was done in ancient times," says Pérez. 

In one sense though, the ancient scene is thoroughly modern. Whereas before, figures were made of ceramic or plastic, in recent years 3D printing has been used to create the models. 

"We worked hard with the canals to create the water, we have incorporated silicone and other elements such as polyurethane to create the effect of the sea and the rivers, and we are very happy with the result," Pérez says. 

And, like any Catalan nativity scene, Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus are of course joined by a traditional pooping peasant known as a caganer, or in the case of Parets del Vallès, three of them!