San Rocco, Baroque church in Parma, Italy.
San Rocco is a Baroque church at strada dell'Università 8A in Parma, begun in 1528 as a plague votive and rebuilt between 1737 and 1750 under Edelberto dalla Nave. Its plan is central, exceptional for a Jesuit church, the design attributed to Tommaso Blandino; a bell tower over 50 metres tall was added alongside in 1754. The interior holds chapels with altars and paintings, including Francesco Scaramuzza's Saint Roch healing the plague-stricken on the main altar.
The church originated in 1528 as a response to a plague epidemic before the Jesuits took control in 1564. A complete rebuilding between 1737 and 1750 gave the building its present Baroque appearance.
The 1528 foundation was a civic vow made during a plague, which explains the dedication to Saint Roch. The main altarpiece, Francesco Scaramuzza's Saint Roch Healing the Plague Victims, was placed there in 1831. In the left chapel of the main altar stands the funeral monument to Countess Giacinta Sanvitale, made by Domenico Guidi after a design by Alessandro Algardi.
San Rocco stands at strada dell'Università 8A, a short walk from the university buildings whose courses began beside the church in 1599. The entrance faces the street in Parma's historic centre, so it is reached on foot rather than by car. It remains a consecrated Catholic church in the diocese of Parma, so visits depend on liturgical use.
The church houses a 1754 pipe organ built by Bernardo Poncini and Antonio Negri-Poncini, positioned above a gilded choir gallery. This instrument stands as a notable example of 18th-century Italian organ craftsmanship.
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