With the help of Mary's prayers, worldwide artists joined by those of the tiny village of Curatone in the province of Mantua endure the stifling heat of 90 plus degrees while making chalk drawings on cement that's hotter than Hades in the churchyard of Madonna delle Grazie. These are the madonnari! Depending on their skills, some hold respected titles like maestri and madonnari semplici.

If they're lucky, their works of art are finished or only need their finishing touches on August 15, the Feast of the Assumption. Most likely, the madonnari worked through the cooler hours of the eve in order to complete their open-air art gallery for daytime tourists and townspeople who will check out their cement masterpieces on the sanctuary walkway.

At their feet visitors will see a montage of pictures of saints, Madonnas and other sacred themes inspired from the Bible, both of the New and Old Testament. It would not be unusual to see masterpieces of the Renaissance reproduced. Many visitors carry off photographs of these concrete chalk marks.

The madonnari begin their task on the eve of feast after the bishop of Mantua has blessed the artists. They labor side by side through the night and by the light of the silvery moon or spotlights. Their masterpieces will last as long as the environment permits, eventually fading from the sun, wind, rain and shoe soles of those coming and going. But in their own way, the madonnari have helped spread the Word through images.

The history of the sanctuary of Madonna delle Grazie and the Festival of Grazie di Curatone reaches back to a time when the villagers battled poverty and malaria. Mostly woodsmen and fishermen, they would worship a Madonna at a tiny temple on the banks of the Mincio River everyday. The villagers prayed for God's grace and always returned, miracles or not. The fame of the tiny Virgin spread and more and more people would arrive to pray and pay honor. And so, in 1399, Francesco Gonzaga arranged to have a temple built and dedicated to the Madonna delle Grazie to protect against epidemics. It was completed in 1406 and a Franciscan community was installed there. Inside the temple is the sacred image of the Madonna delle Grazie.

For 32 years, the chalk drawing competition has been staged and artists from all over the world including the U.S., Spain and Germany arrive in Curatone to draw masterpieces on the cement.

For those who would like to experience the chalk festival a little closer to home, the Cleveland Museum of Art will be celebrating its 16th annual chalk festival from 11am to 4pm on September 17 and 18. Visit cleveart.org or call (216) 707-2483 for more information.