Ave Maria! <br />Every August here in the countryside of Campocavallo, Italy, the first Sunday of the month is set aside to honor the Queen of the town, the Madonna of Campocavallo. The residents of this town- located in the campagnia, or countryside - gather together, fashion with their own hands, and present a unique offering to the Queen, whose sanctuary (Beata Virgine Addolorata) is the heart of the town and houses the miraculous image of the Sorrowful Mother. The offering, roughly the size of a Hummer automobile or larger, is church or religious structure constructed of steel, wood, and, most importantly, the grain of the local fields. The members of a group called The Covo and comprised of lay people (Italians, obviously) male and female, young and old. This year the offering was a replica of the lovely Basilica of Pompei, located in the southern part of Italy. <br />I had the privilege of observing and filming, over a period of 5 or 6 months, the work of the Covo, and I present
