The Fair of Grazie 2025: An Extraordinary Year for 600 Years of History, Faith and Art

Get ready to experience an unforgettable edition of the Antichissima Fiera delle Grazie! From 14 to 17 August 2025, the village of Grazie di Curtatone (MN), one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, celebrates an extraordinary milestone: its 600th anniversary. Six centuries of history, devotion, art and popular tradition merge into a unique combination of the sacred and the profane, attracting more than 100,000 visitors every year.
Founded way back in 1425 at the behest of Gianfrancesco Gonzaga on the occasion of the Feast of the Assumption, the Fair takes place close to the magnificent Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of Graces, the spiritual heart of the village and a destination for pilgrimages. Everything is immersed in the suggestive setting of the Mincio Park, just in the period of the spectacular lotus blossom, which transforms the Mincio Valleys into a carpet of colors.

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Carlo Bottani - Mayor - Municipality of Curtatone
The 600th anniversary of the Fiera delle Grazie, celebrated by the Madonnari, in one of Italy's most beautiful villages, with the Santuario delle Grazie, the Heavenly Mother awaits you, not only because small and great graces happen here every day, but because this village, this oasis of well-being, deserves to be seen by a jury of Madonnari, this year at an even higher level, with President Giordano Bruno Guerri and the awarding of the Fiore di Lotto prize to the President of the Garda Community, Mariastella Gelmini.
Don Giovanni Lucchi - Rector - Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Grace
This sanctuary is particularly dear to pilgrims from Mantua because it is linked to the presence of Mary, and so many people come here to pray and ask for graces. The ancient Fiera delle Grazie (Fair of Graces) harmonises with the celebration of the Feast of the Assumption, precisely because it is a place where Marian spirituality grows, strengthens and becomes more meaningful through the help of prayer, contemplation and meditation, which are particularly felt and encouraged in this place.
Kurt Wenner - Artist
It's always complicated to coordinate artists, that's for sure. However, we're talking about
people we've known for many years and who are all very good at their jobs, because they're all masters who have won twice, which means they've won the Grazie competition six or five times, so they work very well. I came here for the first time 40 years ago, more than 40 years ago, 41 years ago, and in the second year we filmed the National Geographic documentary.
This gave rise to other events such as Grazie, and these other events
created new Madonnari all over the world, and these new Madonnari return to Grazie to win and be recognised as either professionals or masters.
Paolo Bertelli - Art Historian
Madonnara art is an ancient tradition, with roots dating back to 1973, a fateful year, because it was here in Grazie that the first national meeting of Madonnari artists was held, giving rise to this tradition, which has become the oldest of its kind, as Grazie is the world's first venue for Madonnari festivals and has since become a benchmark that has inspired many other places around the world, from South America to North America. The “Per Grazia ricevuta” (By Grace Received) project sees the Madonnari competing to depict a selection of the most important Marian icons in the world. On the other hand, there is the Ianua Coeli project, meaning “Gate of Heaven”, given that we are in a jubilee context, so this design that we are creating with these 13 Madonnari masters working together becomes a holy door in itself.
Paola Artoni - Director - Madonnari Museum
The Madonnari Museum represents the Madonnari in Grazie all year round, providing a permanent way to consider this art form as part of the community.
Grazie is the home of the Madonnari, and the museum is both spread throughout the streets of the village and permanently located in this museum area. The Madonnari Museum aims to be a point of reference for street artists of Madonnara art from all over the world because this art has the characteristic of not being permanent, and we want to pass on its history, preserve it over time and tell it to those who will come after us.
Mariastella Gelmini - President - Comunità del Garda
This day at the Fiera delle Grazie is a great pleasure for me because, thanks to the mayor, I have had the opportunity to enjoy these experiences at a fair that has been held in this area for 600 years and during a national meeting of Madonnari, the 51st.
Certainly, the attention of the municipalities of Curtatone, Volta Mantovana, Castiglione delle Stiviere, Medole, Ponti sul Mincio, Mantua and the province represents
represent the desire of this area not to engage in parochialism of any kind but to encourage dialogue between the municipalities on the shores of Lake Garda and the Benaco hinterland. I think that all this is a moment for the people, for the community, that is, for being together, but it is also a spiritual occasion.
Giordano Bruno Guerri - President - Vittoriale degli Italiani
It was a surprise because, first of all, I didn't expect so much work, under the sun, at dawn, at night. It was also a satisfaction and a surprise because of the quality of the works. In fact, the jury had no doubts in choosing the most beautiful ones, of which there were many, but even those who did not win did some beautiful work. And then there was the enthusiasm of the people. We combined celebration, art, tourism and joy, socialising... what more could you want?

The 51st National Meeting of the Madonnari: A Universal Tribute to Madonna

The distinctive element of this centuries-old celebration is the 51st National Meeting of the Madonnari, the most important international event dedicated to ephemeral art. Over 100 chalk artists, coming from all over the world, will transform the sanctuary's churchyard into an amazing open-air art gallery. From the morning of August 14 until the afternoon of the 15th, under the admiring eyes of tourists and pilgrims, ephemeral works of art of sacred inspiration will come to life.

The 2025 theme, “By Grace Received. The Madonnas of the World at Grazie”, will best express the universality of Marian worship, guiding visitors on an itinerary of faith, dialogue and beauty through the depictions of Madonna in Marian Shrines on different continents.

“Ianua Coeli”: The Monumental Work Celebrating the 2025 Jubilee

Great expectations for the collective project “Ianua Coeli” (Gate of Heaven), a unique, monumental work out of competition that will combine art and faith in the sign of the 2025 Jubilee. Created by a selected team of Madonnari masters who won past editions, under the artistic direction of the famous American artist Kurt Wenner — a pioneer of perspective street art and former author of the historic collective work for the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1991 — this work will be a visual homage to Madonna delle Grazie. Inspired by the tradition of the Holy Doors, it is designed to be crossed by the faithful, becoming a symbolic passage for all pilgrims and a real Jubilee Holy Door for artists.

Tradition and Flavors: A Sensory Journey

The Fair of Grace is not only art and spirituality, but also a hymn to the traditions and authentic flavors of the territory. A must is the tasting of the Cotechino delle Grazie De.Co., a typical traditional Mantuan sausage, to be enjoyed strictly on a sandwich and accompanied by a good glass of Lambrusco Mantovano. An experience that combines taste with conviviality and a festive atmosphere.
The 600th anniversary of this symbolic event of Grace, which combines the Ancient Fair and the National Meeting of the Madonnari, not only celebrates the past, but renews every year its bond with the present and the look to the future: a bridge between peoples, drawn with chalk and with the heart.

Come and experience the magic of the 600th anniversary at Grazie di Curtatone: an unforgettable journey through faith, art, memory and a natural landscape of extraordinary beauty!