Sanctuary of San Rocco

The sanctuary of San Rocco of Montpellier stands in the upper part of Grisolia’s historic centre, reached by climbing through the spuortu of via Chiesa, one of the town’s typical covered passages. It is a pilgrimage destination above all in August, when the town celebrates San Rocco. The procession takes place on 15 and 16 August: behind the band, many women, often barefoot, follow the statue in a double line carrying the caggie on their heads, wooden frames holding many candles and adorned with colourful flowers and ribbons. They are ex-votos offered to the healing saint, accompanied by songs of devotion. Streets and balconies are decked with coloured ribbons, blankets bearing San Rocco’s image, flowers and candles, and as the statue passes, scented petals are thrown from the windows. It is a tradition handed down from generation to generation: the saint’s cult is thought to have taken root between the 16th and 17th centuries, after an outbreak of plague.