Giulia Monzani wins 52nd National Madonnari Meeting

Artist Giulia Monzani has won the 52nd National Meeting of Madonnari in Grazie for the second consecutive year. The competition, held in Grazie di Curtatone, was dedicated to the theme ‘The message of Saint Francis in the colors of the Madonnari’ to commemorate the eighth centenary of the Saint's death.

Monzani’s winning piece, titled ‘Rinuncia agli averi’ (Renunciation of possessions), was praised by the jury, led by Peter Assmann, for its psychological and existential depth. The work depicts the figure of Saint Francis in four distinct yet connected phases, creating an internal ‘chronophotography’ that portrays the act of renunciation as a universal struggle for liberation.

The podium for the Masters category included Valentino Ciusani in second place and Monzani’s twin sister, Alice Monzani, in third. The event featured 136 artists from Italy and seven other countries, including Mexico, the United States, Peru, Ecuador, Romania, Germany, and France, transforming the square of the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Grazie into an open-air gallery.