Many tales are so firmly anchored in our collective, for example, the story of Christmas. Whenever parents tell their children of the birth of Jesus in front of a depiction of the nativity scene, certain elements always make an appearance: an angel, a pregnant virgin, a star and a stable in Bethlehem, shepherds and three kings, who full of joy crowd around the newborn savior, usually in the company of ox and donkey. Like many great narratives, the report of Jesus’ birth has led a life of its own over the centuries, with space for elements that do not necessarily have to appear in the biblical original. And even the “original version” is not unambiguous, when one considers the evangelists Matthew and Luke, who recorded their own versions of the facts. Thus, Elizabeth’s visit is found only in Luke, who, on the other hand, does not mention the murder of the children in Bethlehem by order of Herod. The Three Kings, for their part, appear in their original form as magi or wise men only in Matthew. Ox and donkey, finally, are not to be found in either of these two Gospels, from which it can be deduced that the story of Christmas developed over the centuries. Such stories, universal and variable, have inspired painters, sculptors, poets, and of course composers from time immemorial. Capriola di Gioia has explored the Italian Christmas repertoire of the early seventeenth century and presents both famous as well as hitherto undiscovered pearls of the Baroque period.