Saints Sebastian and Roch church, Catholic church in Pergnano, San Lorenzo Dorsino, Italy.
The church of Saints Sebastian and Roch stands in the centre of Pergnano, a hamlet of San Lorenzo Dorsino, just uphill from the parish church of San Lorenzo in Banale. It is a stone building with a two-pitched roof of tiles, oriented east; the only entrance is a small pedimented portal on the south side, and a square bell tower with a pyramidal wooden-shingle roof rises to its right. Inside, a single hall of two bays is covered by cross vaults, with a side chapel dedicated to John the Baptist on the left.
The original core, today's presbytery area, was built in the 15th century and frescoed by Cristoforo II Baschenis around 1500. In 1580 the nave was added, enlarging the church. A restoration took place in 1993–94, and the liturgical adaptation was never carried out.
The church is dedicated to Saints Sebastian and Roch, and Mass is celebrated only twice a year, on each saint's feast day. The gilded wooden altar in the side chapel was paid for by villagers in 1631 as a vow after that year's severe plague. Its altarpiece, attributed to Domenico Carpinoni, shows the Madonna and Child with Saints Roch and Sebastian against a rural background.
The church is in a mountain village and can be reached from the main road through San Lorenzo Dorsino, with parking available nearby. Footwear with a good grip is a good idea, as the ground around the building can be uneven.
Saint Roch is said to have contracted the plague himself and recovered miraculously, which made him a particularly personal patron for sick communities. This story gave his veneration a different weight than that of most saints, who were honored for their martyrdom rather than their own suffering.
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