For the second consecutive year, Giulia Monzani, an artist from Filago in the province of Bergamo, has won first place at the 52nd National Gathering of Madonnari in Grazie di Curtatone (Mantua). The event, dedicated this year to “The Message of St. Francis in the Colors of the Madonnari,” was held to mark the eighth centenary of the saint’s death and transformed the sanctuary’s churchyard into a vast open-air art gallery.
This edition was particularly significant for the Monzani sisters: in addition to Giulia’s victory, her twin sister Alice Monzani took third place on the podium. The two artists from Bergamo have followed a shared path, from art high school to the art of madonnari, and today find themselves among the leading figures in what is considered one of the most important international events dedicated to chalk art. Another Lombard artist, Valentino Ciusani, took second place in the Maestri Madonnari category.
It was Giulia Monzani’s work, titled *Renunciation of Possessions*, that won over the jury. The jury, chaired by Peter Assmann, particularly appreciated the artist’s ability to move away from the traditional depiction of the episode dedicated to St. Francis to focus on its psychological and existential dimensions. In the jury’s words, the artist “successfully stripped the traditional narrative of all anecdotal elements, focusing on the psychological and existential essence of St. Francis’s gesture.” The composition, which portrays the figure in four distinct yet interconnected phases within a single dynamic whole, creates a sort of inner ‘chronophotograph.’ The result is a work that transcends time and place, transforming the scene of renouncing worldly possessions into a universal act of liberation and a struggle against the constraints of the world.” The scene of renouncing material possessions is transformed into a more universal reflection on the liberation of the individual and the struggle against the constraints of the world, thus transcending the boundaries of the religious narrative and the historical moment depicted. The victory will also allow Giulia Monzani to create, for the second consecutive year, the design for the poster of the 53rd edition of the National Madonnari Gathering.
The 2026 edition saw international participation. Of the 140 registered artists, 136 chalk artists were actually present, hailing from various Italian regions and seven foreign countries: Mexico, the United States, Peru, Ecuador, Romania, Germany, and France. The works were created over the course of the two-day event and transformed the square in front of the Shrine into a temporary exhibition; visitors will still be able to admire the artists’ works until the rain gradually washes away the drawings, in keeping with the ephemeral nature of Madonnari art.
In the Qualified Madonnari category, the winner was Kanako Matsumoto from Tokyo, Japan, with her work *Cantico delle Umili Creature*. Second place went to Andrea Riminitti of Castiglione d’Adda, in the province of Lodi, for *Sorella acqua*, while third place was awarded to Claudia Artoni of Castel Goffredo, Mantua, for *Come umili creature*.
In the “Simple Madonnari” category, the winner was Enrique Leon Espinoza, an artist from Guanajuato, Mexico, with *San Francisco de Asís en extasís*. Second place went to Iris Benamati Bottura of Guidizzolo, Mantua, for *Alter Christus*, while third prize went to Chiara Mancini of Roncoferraro, Mantua, creator of *The Mystical Marriage of St. Francis with Our Lady Poverty*.
Once again, the top three finishers advance to the next level, that of the Qualified Madonnari.
In addition to the official rankings, the 52nd edition awarded numerous special prizes.
Madonna delle Grazie Shrine Award: Lucia Legati, *The Care of the Leper*, with promotion to the higher category.
Special Creativity Award: Luca Valcavi, *In the Eyes of the Wolf: The Encounter with the Shadow*, with promotion to the higher category.
Mincio Park Award: Erik Scarpolini, *Stripping Away Possessions, Clad in Sustainability*.
Rotary Award: Michela Bogoni, *Laudato sii, o mio Signore, per nostra Sora Morte corporale*.
National Union of Knights of Italy Award, awarded to the Madonnaro who traveled the farthest, from Pastaza, Ecuador: David Samuel Quinatoa Zambrano, *Francisco de Asís*.
“Luci del Cantico” Special Award: Michele Buscio, St. Francis and the Wolf.
People’s Choice Award: Michela Bogoni, “Laudato sii, O My Lord, for Our Sister Bodily Death.”
The works were evaluated by a multidisciplinary jury composed of art historians, scholars, and experts in Madonnara art, representatives of the ecclesiastical world, and communications professionals. The commission was chaired by Peter Assmann, an Austrian art historian, writer, and artist, and former director of the Museums of Upper Austria, Tyrol, and the Ducal Palace Museum Complex in Mantua. The jury also included Paola Artoni, Carlo Beduschi, Serena Bertolucci, Enzo Bottani, Sister Chiara Brunetti, Elena Danieli, Fabrizio Gatti, Attilio Gelati, Giulio Proietti Bocchini, Chiara Rovesta, Fausto Salomoni, Italo Scaietta, and Daniela Sogliani.
Giulia Monzani’s latest victory confirms the vitalityof the madonnara art form, a mode of expression deeply tied to the ephemeral nature of the work. The drawings created on the churchyard pavement are meant to be admired, but also to be inevitably erased by the elements. It is precisely this transience that constitutes one of the most fascinating aspects of the Madonnari tradition in Grazie.
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| Giulia Monzani from Grazie di Curtatone (Mantua) does it again and triumphs once more at the Madonnari |
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