Metodología y cuestiones previas para el estudio de los Nacimientos españoles

In this article we are dealing about the spanish tradition ( wich is also extensive to the whole Catholic environement) of the plastic representation of Crist Birth in the so called «Nacimiencos». Now, the rules of «the good tast» have suhstitued the simbolic, traditional representation for an realistic aproximation. We sugest the convenience of a scientific and multidisciplinar study of the whole fenomena. without the separation of any of its elements (specially if they have artistic value) before the faiting of this singular and interesting tradition. There are three parts in this work: 1) the study of the actual situation. dealing with the major problems to avoid the extintion or suhstitution of this trJdition; 2) the lines of the proposed methodology; and 3) the delimitation of the general environement and figures with sorne caracteristics of the Spanish «Nacimientos».