Documentary, by Fedele Aula, Italy, 1998.
In the heart of Monferrato, among silent hills and winding roads, stands the Canonica of Santa Maria di Vezzolano: a place where history, art, and spirituality have intertwined for nearly a thousand years. At the center of the narrative emerges the jubé, an extraordinary medieval rood screen that miraculously survived the dictates of the Counter-Reformation that had ordered its destruction. This rare structure, suspended between liturgical function and visual storytelling, becomes the guiding thread of the documentary: a “stone book” recounting the genealogy of Christ and the Dormitio Virginis, still preserving traces of its original colors.

Through the work of restorers, institutions, and volunteers, the film explores the delicate balance between conservation and enhancement, bringing new life to a work unique in the European landscape. The restoration of the jubé thus becomes not only a technical intervention, but a journey through memory, giving voice once more to a monument that has endured centuries, resisting time and human actions. Through testimonies, evocative imagery, and artistic details, the documentary invites viewers to rediscover Vezzolano as a “magical” place, where every stone tells a story and the past continues to dialogue with the present.

LANGUAGE: Italian
SUBTITLES: English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese