Grazie

Every 15 August the churchyard of the Gonzaga sanctuary turns into an open-air studio, as madonnari, the pavement painters, gather for their national meeting during a fair first held in 1425. Francesco Gonzaga raised the church in the late 1400s in thanks for the end of a plague. Behind it, boats leave a small landing for trips on the Mincio, seven kilometres from Mantua.

Highlights

• Sanctuary of the Beata Vergine delle Grazie, with its old market portico
• Incontro Nazionale dei Madonnari, pavement painting on the churchyard each 15 August
• Antica Fiera delle Grazie, 12–16 August, with the local cotechino
• Museo dei Madonnari, devoted to the pavement painters' art
• Boat trips in the Mincio park, March to November

Summary based on Wikipedia and Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA), written with AI assistance.