A typical Madonnella features an image of the Virgin beneath a metal canopy to shelter it it from the elements, ranging from simple paintings to elaborate, gilded terracotta or marble reliefs. They often have a shelf at the base where candles or votive offerings can be placed. In rural Italy they are less ornate and are often adorned with handmade items. Madonnelle across Italy are created to mark locations where loved ones were lost, or to mourn the accidental death of family members, and act as sacred spaces for memory and prayer. They demonstrate a long-standing Italian tradition of merging devotion to Mary with the veneration of the deceased. I created this book originally to fulfill a personal challenge in my art practice to master classic hand-made bookbinding formats, particularly those originated by Hedi Kyle. Having just returned from an extended trip to Italy where I was attracted to photograph a wide selection of Madonnelle, I chose to learn how to make her flag book structure using this collection of photographs because the images visually and thematically lent themselves to be sequenced in a logical connection to one another, as required in the flag book. At the root of my practice is an ongoing relationship with visual representation of women and their place in historical and spiritual culture. Once this book was completed, I understood that I need to make two more books – one telling a story about Jewish women, and one sharing Muslim women’s stories.