Grazie Madonnari: Giulia Monzani Wins for Second Straight Year

The 52nd National Meeting of Madonnari of Grazie in Curtatone (Mantua) concluded on August 15, 2026, with Giulia Monzani from Filago (Bergamo) winning the Masters Madonnari category for the second consecutive year. Her work, “Rinuncia agli averi,” earned first place in a competition held at the Sanctuary of Grazie.

The jury, chaired by Peter Assmann, awarded Monzani’s piece for its depiction of Saint Francis in four connected phases forming a single dynamic body. Valentino Ciusani of Codogno took second with “La mano di Francesco ferma la guerra,” while Alice Monzani, Giulia’s twin, placed third with “La penitenza nel roveto.” The top winner will also create the sketch for the poster of the 53rd edition. The event theme was “The message of Saint Francis in the colors of the Madonnari,” marking the eighth centenary of the saint’s death, and drew 136 participating artists out of 140 registrations from Italy and abroad, including Mexico, the United States, Peru, Ecuador, Romania, Germany, and France.

In the other categories, Kanako Matsumoto (Tokyo) won among Qualified Madonnari with “Cantico delle Umili Creature,” followed by Andrea Riminitti (“Sorella acqua”) and Claudia Artoni (“Come umili creature”). Enrique Leon Espinoza (Guanajuato, Mexico) won among Simple Madonnari with “San Francisco de Asís en extasís,” with Iris Benamati Bottura and Chiara Mancini completing the podium. Seven special awards were also given, including the Santuario Madonna delle Grazie prize to Lucia Legati and the Rotary and People’s Jury awards to Michela Bogoni; the artworks remain on display on the sanctuary forecourt until they fade naturally with rain.
Italian Version