Outdoor religious statues or indoor religious figurines
Outdoor religious statues are made of durable materials such as marble or stone, as they have to withstand bad weather and extreme weather conditions.
These works often represent saints or important religious figures, such as the Madonna or Jesus himself. They are usually large.
On the contrary, indoor figurines are usually smaller and made of materials such as resin or plaster, although hand-painted wood remains the most common material for all small religious statues. These often represent saints or scenes from the life of Jesus, such as the birth or crucifixion, and are used to decorate altars or corners of the church, or as part of the nativity scene during the Christmas season.
Commemorative statues can be made in a wide range of styles, from classic to modern, according to the preferences of the client and the style of the building in which they will be placed. There are also some regional, as well as international, trends in the production of statues, such as Baroque works in Southern Italy or painted wooden statues in the Alpine regions.
Regardless of style or size, religious statues have always represented an important symbol of faith for the Christian community. Their constant presence inside churches and homes of the faithful, as well as outside churches and in public places, has helped to create a strong sense of religious identity in Christian culture.