44th National Madonnari Meeting

08/15/2016

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Marina Ferrari - President Pro Loco - Curtatone
This is the 44th edition — we have artists from the United States and even one from Armenia. Given the weather forecast, it looks like it will be a very interesting year. There are 140 covered squares; some artists are creating very large works, and we’re in almost ideal conditions. Hopefully, the weather will stay on our side so we can see the artworks completed — unlike last year, when it started raining right at the best moment.
Now the jury is already at work, and there will also be an award ceremony for a competition organized in collaboration with eight other Pro Loco associations from the Garda area. Our Madonnari also took part in that, and tonight we’ll present that award as well. The president of the jury is Peter Assmann — he’s very curious and has never attended before, so this will be something entirely new for him. We believe it will make a strong impression. This year, the Madonnari are truly performing at their best.
This beautiful festival opens our hearts to hope and involves us all, because hope does not simply come down from the sky. We must take action ourselves to make life livable — for ourselves, our children, our grandchildren, and for all those who currently don’t have the same opportunity to live fully.
Carlo Bottani – Mayor – Municipality of Curtatone
A wonderful day, rich in tradition and full of love, with 140 artists painting and expressing their creativity and artistry through positive and optimistic messages for our society and our world. A beautiful day with a vibrant market full of exhibitors and new realities — we invite everyone to come visit Le Grazie!
Peter Assmann – President – Jury of the 2016 Madonnari Competition
I feel very honored to be the President this year, which is so special for the whole Mantua area, and I’m more than impressed by the atmosphere here. First of all, there’s this huge crowd of people who are not just here to look around or eat cotechino, but to discuss, to engage — almost to act as a jury themselves, which I find very meaningful.
Then, of course, you can see this is an international gathering of Madonnari — I’ve even seen artists from Argentina, so it’s not just European but truly worldwide.
There’s also this artistic challenge: on one hand, to find the right religious tone, and on the other, to express individual creativity and artistic quality — something truly worth discussing. It’s not just imitation; each artist adds a personal touch, their own brushstroke. So, for us as a jury, it’s a real challenge — not only because of the heat, but because of the intense creative energy of the artists themselves.

The 44th edition of the Incontro Nazionale dei Madonnari in Grazie di Curtatone confirms itself as a unique event, capable of uniting art, faith, and community.

As Marina Ferrari, President of the Pro Loco, explains, this year 140 artists from all over the world – from the United States to Armenia – have brought to life an “almost ideal” edition, rich in talent and color, with works of extraordinary intensity and a competition held in partnership with the Pro Loco associations of Lake Garda.

Mayor Carlo Bottani highlights the value of this day, “filled with tradition, love, and positive messages for society,” inviting everyone to experience Le Grazie as a celebration of both art and participation.

For Peter Assmann, President of the Jury, the atmosphere is “impressive”: an international meeting of artists and audiences where creativity merges with spirituality, in a continuous dialogue between sacred art and expressive freedom.