Ferragosto transforms Italian village into open-air gallery with madonnari chalk art

From August 14 to 17, 2025, the Antichissima Fiera delle Grazie will celebrate its 600th anniversary in Grazie di Curtatone, located near Mantua. This fair, founded in 1425 by Marquis Gianfrancesco Gonzaga in honor of the Feast of the Assumption, showcases religious festivities, concerts, and art surrounding the Santuario della Beata Vergine delle Grazie. Since 1973, it has been the venue for the national and international madonnari gathering, now in its 51st year, with over 100 artists from different nations creating sacred artworks. The theme for 2025 is "Per Grazia ricevuta. Le Madonne del mondo a Grazie," evaluated by historian Giordano Bruno Guerri, while US master madonnaro Kurt Wenner will produce a collective piece titled "Ianua Coeli."