Inauguration of the Christmas Tree and Nativity Scene of St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on December 7, 2018. The Nativity Scene of the Vatican was built from sand coming from Jesolo, a touristic sea city near Venice, and sculpted by team ?Sultans of sand?: Richard Varano, Susanne Ruseler, Ilya Filimontsev, Radovan Zivny. 07 Dec 2018 Pictured: Inauguration of the Christmas Tree and Nativity Scene of St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on December 7, 2018. The Nativity Scene of the Vatican was built from sand coming from Jesolo, a touristic sea city near Venice, and sculpted by team ?Sultans of sand?. Photo credit: Stefano Costantino / MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342