7 km from Mantua, just near the canal system ending the lake Mincio lies the extraordinary sanctuary of Our Lady, called by locals ‘Le Grazie’. The village Grazie is a part of community of Curtatone.
Madonnari in front of Sanctuary
The origins of the shrine date back to the neighbourhood of year one thousand, when at the swamp near river Mincio it was erected a small stand with wooden painting of Madonna with Child. Every day it was passed by boatmen who were catching fish and wild birds, and used to pray in front of the sacred image. The news about miracles that happened to the believers brought increasing number of pilgrims, so it became necessary the construction of a small chapel ( oratorio ) under care of Fanciscan friars.
In 1399 Francesco Gonzaga promised to build the new church in that place, as a votive offering to Our Lady of Grace for the cessation of the plague that took earlier countless victims.
The task was entrusted to the architect Bartolino from Novara at the considerable sum of 30,000 sculdi (golden crowns).
The consecration of the temple took place August 15, 1406 on the feast of the Assumption, which till today is the most important event in the sanctuary. Every year hundreds of thousands of visitors came to the sanctuary to watch the traditional contest of “Madonnari”, who with colored chalk paint the asphalt of the square in front of the church, presenting their own images of Madonna or creations inspired by their artistic knowledge and belief.
In the 15th century the monastery spread into the complex of 4 cloisters and 50 cells, ten chapels, new sacristy, frescoed ceiling and the new altar rebuilt several times.
18th century brought the expulsion of Franciscans and the buildings were left abandoned deteriorating with the time, especially in 1848 in consequence of the battle of Curtatone and Montanara. The activities of the Sanctuary resumed in 1855 thanks to Bishop John Courts and the pilgrims returned to revive the celebrations. In 1907 St. Pius X, recalled the Franciscans and the sanctuary underwent the radical renovations and improvement.
The interior of the church may cause a big surprise due to large amount of votive objects placed on the walls. These are anatomic parts of the body left by the people, who were miraculously cured, or wanted to be cured from corresponding diseases. Wax ears were placed by pilgrims recovering from hear problems, wax plates with eyes by people who were blind, legs or arms by people who broke them earlier and were praying for successful healing. Many of visitors were donating precious stones and jewelry, that sometimes can also be seen on the walls, or more likely preserved in the monks’ treasury. at the ceiling hangs dried crocodile which, as the story tells, was killed in the river Mincio with the miraculous help of Madonna and then brought to the church as a symbol of victory over evil ( that often was represented by reptiles ). Indeed, it migh have been the poor animal that escaped from the private zoo of Gonzaga family.
Another curiosity is 53 life sized wooden sculptures of believers that experienced the miraculous power here. Amomg them are monks and ordinary men that escaped certain death also the gallery of kings, popes and emperors, who were visitors to the sanctuary, among them Charles V, Pope Pius II and Philip II king of Spain.
Napoleon Bonaparte visited monastery three times himself, and one of the last famous pilgrims was John Paul II, during his Apostolic Visit to the Diocese of Mantua on 22-23 June 1991.
The lovers of Renaissance art might be interested to see the tomb of Baldassare Castiglione, the author of Cortegiano ( The Book of the Courtier, 1528). The mausoleum commissioned by Giulio Romano is inside first chapel left of the entrance.
Santuario della Beata Vergine delle Grazie
Piazza Santuario, 4
46010 Grazie di Curtatone (MN)
Tel. 0376/349002 – Fax 0376/347112
[photo courtesy of Luca Volpi]
