Nizza Monferrato (Italy). On the horizon of the feast of St. Charles Borromeo, patron saint of the city of Nizza Monferrato (AT) and on the 800th anniversary of the foundation of the city, on 8 November 2025, at the Foro Boario in Piazza Garibaldi, the Municipality awarded Sister Paola Cuccioli the Prize “Campanon 2025”.
The prestigious award is aimed at publicly recognizing citizens who stand out for having honored the city with their often silent yet fruitful work for good culture, and the promotion of people.
The Mayor, Simone Nosenzo, presented her with the Campanon plaque with these words:
To Sister Paola Cuccioli. The Nizza community is grateful for the daily commitment and dedication made available to the city of Nizza Monferrato with extraordinary humility and industrious confidentiality.
Sister Paola, a member of the Community of Our Lady of Grace, of the Piedmontese Mary Help of Christians Province (IPI), as head of the Historical Archives, coordinator of the Summer Center, and delegate of VIDES “Agape”, has promoted awareness and dissemination of the city’s cultural prestige over a wide range.
Through her historical research, conferences, publications, theaters, cultural events, volunteer activities, and educational mission, she has spread the beauty of the Salesian charism and has forged alliances and effective collaborations with city administrators, the parish, families, young people, leaders, and local cultural associations.
Sister Paola is proud to be a citizen of Nizza and is committed to working and promoting the good of the city from various points of view. This year, in collaboration with many people and involving the various FMA Provinces of the Institute, she animated the FAI project for which the Sanctuary “Our Lady of Grace” ranked 1st place and was recognized in Italy as one of the Places of the hearth.
On Sunday 9 November, at the Trinità Auditorium, the Nizza Cultural Association “L’erca”, in the context of the celebrations for the 800th anniversary of the foundation of the city of Nizza Monferrato (1225), awarded the “800 Prize” to “Our Lady of Grace” Sanctuary, both as an “Place of the Heart” FAI and as a Jubilee Church. It preserves a great heritage, not only of history, but of faith, holiness, love for Mary Help of Christians, culture, education, and missionary ardor. This is what we read in the motivation for the Award, received by the Animator, Sister Pierà Cavaglià:
“A special year requires a special prize: ‘800’ years is truly a lot of history and history is made not only of people, but also of symbolic and iconic places, places like the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Grace. A sanctuary as a place of gathering not only religious, but also educational and social events. Thousands of young people have become teachers there and hundreds of missionaries have brought a contribution and an example of hope around the world.
This place of faith has kept its charm and attractiveness intact throughout history. It is the most famous symbolic place of Nizza Monferrato in the world… all of this deserves a special award in a special year.”
Tanti auguri alla carissima Sr Paola e alla comunita’ di Nizza Monferrato! Noi, tutte le Ispettorie dell’Istituto, condividiamo la vostra gioia nel ricevere i due premi-riconoscimenti conferiti dal Comune e dall’Associazione Culturale “L’erca” di Nizza Monferrato. Che il vostro impegno e la vostra dedizione quotidiana continuino a essere di beneficio per i cittadini della città, in particolare per i giovani a voi affidati. La nostra Mamma Celeste e’ contenta di voi e passeggia nella vostra Casa.