Assisi hosted a Memorial Ceremony in honour of Guido Dettoni della Grazia, who passed away on 6 March 2026. It was a special occasion that brought together family, friends, colleagues and admirers from around the world to remember and pay tribute to his life, his work and the lasting legacy he leaves behind as an artist, a friend and a human being.
Words by Mauro Ferretti
President and Magister Templi
of the Association of Catholic Templars
Photo: Mauro Berti
In his address during the memorial ceremony for Guido Dettoni della Grazia, held on 12 September 2026 at Santa Maria delle Rose, Mauro Ferretti highlighted the spiritual strength and universal appeal of MARIA, a work capable of creating an intimate and tangible bond between art and those who welcome it into their lives.
Thousands of people around the world carry this small figure with them in their daily lives, making it a close and constant presence. The possibility of holding MARIA in one’s hands gives tangible form to this spiritual connection, transforming the work into a vehicle for inner connection and transcendence. In this regard, Ferretti emphasised Guido’s genius in bringing Mary into the everyday lives of so many people, enabling them to carry her with them at all times and establish a personal, intimate relationship with her.
Ferretti also shared how the strength and purity of MARIA moved him deeply from their very first encounter. That initial impression led him to propose that the Order of the Temple adopt the figure as a representation of its White Mary of the Mantle, a symbol of the values of purity, spirituality and service that the Order regards as essential. This first encounter awakened in him the desire to meet Guido Dettoni della Grazia. From that meeting grew a profound friendship, founded on mutual admiration and a shared vision of art as a path towards spiritual elevation and human connection.
He also emphasised the universality of MARIA: a feminine figure of pure, essential forms that transcends cultural and religious boundaries and has been embraced by people of different faiths, who find in its simplicity a language shared by all.
Finally, he recalled the history of Santa Maria delle Rose, one of the oldest places of worship in Assisi, also associated with the presence of the Knights Templar. The details carved into the stone and the frescoes still preserved on its walls bear witness to the historical and spiritual richness of this place, providing a particularly meaningful setting in which to honour Guido’s memory and the transcendent dimension of his work.
