Christmas tree illuminated in Piazza S. Pietro on 10 December.

The Vatican's Christmas tree and Nativity Scene in St Peter's Square was lit up under the rain on Friday evening.

The 113-year-old tree is a 28m-high spruce from a sustainable forestry management project in Andalo, in Italy's northern Trentino region.

The Christmas tree has 600 wooden decorations, handcrafted by Andalo artisans, and is illuminated with low energy consumption lighting, the Vatican press office said.

• Vatican to display Christmas crib from the Andes

This year's Nativity Scene features more than 30 life-sized figurines dressed in Andean costumes in what is the Vatican's first crib to come from the Americas.

The crib, created by five artists from the Chopcca Nation of indigenous peoples in the Huancavelica region of Peru, features alpacas, vicunas and the Andean condor.

• Rome lights up Christmas tree on 8 December

The figurines are made of ceramic, maguey wood and fibreglass, with Baby Jesus represented as a "Hilipuska" child, reports Vatican News, wrapped in a typical Huancavelica blanket tied with a "chumpi" woven belt.

Cover photo CNS-Paul Haring