CHURCH OF ST. ROCH
Cent. 18th
The Church of St. Roch is much more than just a sacred building: it is the heart of the community, the faithful reflection of centuries-old devotion, conserving memory, identity and tradition. On this site stood the ruins of an ancient chapel dedicated to the saint, and the Confraternity of St. Roch began the construction of the church at the beginning of the 1790s according to the plans of the engineer Giovanni Calamita. In 1798, the building was completed thanks to the generous donations of the faithful, as shown on the plaque at the entrance of the church. However, just a few years later it was starting to fall down, and in the 1800s major repairs and extension work took place. In 1843, the internal vaults were changed, between 1884 and 1888 a new façade facing Piazza Dante was built, and in 1898 the bell tower was added, which bears the Latin inscription “Sarai protettore nella peste” (you will protect us from the plague) at its base. The last restoration works were carried out in 2015. The original east-facing façade is adorned by a gabled doorway, and above this is a bricked-up Baroque style window containing a recess with the statue of St. Roch. The interior of the church is sober but harmonious.
There is a single nave dominated by an oval dome decorated with frescoes of ten angels. Four round arches hold up the dome, punctuated by triangular pendentives adorned with reliefs depicting the Four Evangelists. On the main altar, three recesses contain the images of the Saintly Doctors with the wooden statue of St. Roch in the centre, created in 1787 by Riccardo Brudaglio. The walls and the altars boast a rich artistic heritage. A fresco by Umberto Colonna shows St. Roch the pilgrim at the feet of St. Peter, while in the left space there is an altar dedicated to Our Lady of La Salette. The statue of the Virgin Mary is placed in the central recess between the images of St. Michael and St. Louis. Above is the lunette frescoed by Umberto Colonna, depicting the apparition of Our Lady of La Salette to the two young shepherds. The interior of the church is further enriched by the 1886 pipe organ and various 19th century paintings. Every year on the 16th August, the festival of St. Roch, a novena prepares the community for the procession which traverses the roads of the town with decorated statues, music and prayers. The confraternity of St. Roch takes care of the church and keeps the cult of the saint alive, the origins of which date back centuries to sadder times for the community of Palo del Colle.