Grazie di Curtatone brings together a sanctuary, an August fair and the waters of Lago Superiore. A visit can focus on the building and its interior, on the sacred works created by the Madonnari, or on the summer lotus flowers. These interests follow different calendars. The sanctuary's history gives a starting point for understanding the village, while a particular fair edition and the flowering season call for more deliberate planning.
A sanctuary built as a vow
The Italian history of Grazie from I Borghi più Belli d'Italia dates the laying of the sanctuary's foundations to 1399. Francesco Gonzaga wanted it as an ex voto for the end of the plague: an offering of thanks. The sanctuary was consecrated in 1406. The same account describes a village growing around it, where pilgrims could find food and lodging and buy blessed images. This gives the church a place in the story of the settlement as well as in its religious life.
The association's English guide to Grazie describes the sanctuary's Gothic-Lombard style and names Bartolino from Novara as its architect. He also designed the castle of San Giorgio in Mantova. The river runs behind the sanctuary, while its façade faces the village. Inside, the guide describes a striking crowd of statues and compares the effect to a Wunderkammer, a cabinet of curiosities with objects gathered on shelves, in cabinets or on walls.
That comparison offers a useful way to approach the interior. Give individual figures time before trying to take in the whole arrangement. Then consider the contrast between the outside of the building and the collection described within it. Someone interested in architecture might begin with the façade; someone drawn to devotional art might give more attention to the statues. Either approach can connect a particular detail with the broader story of the sanctuary.
The Fiera delle Grazie and the street painters
The Comune di Curtatone's account of the Fiera delle Grazie traces the fair to a market established in 1425 for the Feast of the Assumption. It describes a tradition combining spirituality, art and popular culture, drawing more than 100,000 attendances. The 2026 edition took place from 13 to 16 August, with a programme also covering entertainment, nature and food. These are the dates of that edition; use the calendar for the relevant year when planning another visit.
A central part of the 2026 fair was the 52nd Incontro Nazionale dei Madonnari, the national gathering of street painters. More than 100 artists from around the world created temporary works inspired by sacred subjects on the sanctuary forecourt. The municipality describes the result as an open-air art gallery. The setting matters: the paintings and the sanctuary can be considered together when looking at the religious inspiration of the works.
Temporary art rewards a different kind of attention from a permanent collection. At a gathering, you might choose a few works to study closely, then compare the subjects and compositions across the forecourt. If the painters are the main reason for your journey, make the gathering's dates the starting point of the itinerary. If your interest is the sanctuary itself, its history provides a separate focus. Distinguishing the two helps you choose what you most want to see.
Lotus season on Lago Superiore
I Borghi più Belli d'Italia's English account identifies July and August as the months for seeing lotus flowers on Lago Superiore. It dates their introduction from the East to 1921 and describes them as a source of pride for the village. The Italian account also describes boat journeys on the Mincio and its channels, passing reed beds and water lilies, with lotus flowers in summer and Mantua's skyline appearing on Lago Superiore.
For a summer itinerary, the flowering months give a reason to leave time for the water as well as the church. A fair visit and an interest in lotus flowers may both point towards August, but the fair dates belong to a specific edition. Treat the season as a guide to choosing when to explore, and the event programme as a separate calendar. This keeps an outing centred on what you hope to observe.
The English guide also names pike with sauce as the local dish, offering a food reference alongside the sanctuary and lake scenery. You can give the day a simple emphasis: architecture and statues, sacred street art, or the riverside landscape. Choosing one main interest leaves room to notice the others without turning the village into a checklist.