ST. ROCCO AND ST. FRANCESCO OF PAOLA IN PIZZO (VV)

Short historical and artistical informations.

In 1578 the town of Pizzo was struck by a grave pestilence, the infected people were put in some lazarets where they were loving nursed by several religious among that distinguish oneself,Father Virgilio Milezio (Minor Order of St. Francesco of Paola),that he came from Pizzitani’s monastery of Biatrico. While the pestilence raged, the population invoked the intervention of St. Rocco of Montpellier, who listened the prayer and appeased the pestilence. The Pizzitani, like sign of perpetual gratitude to their celestial advocate, erected a church and the Minor Order’s monastery in his honor. From XVI century to XIX century, the sacred place alternated periods of splendor to periods of decadence until 1867, when friars, owing to soppression of te religious orders, where left the monastery. The earthquake of 1905 demaged the building,but the great devotion of the inhabitants leaded by Father Pasquale Ferrara of the Minor Order. They rebuilt the building, enriched with works of art. Visitin
g the church, you can see: the Mayor Altar with polychromic marbles dedicated to St. Rocco; the others marble altars the in the nave are dedicated to Madonna of Miracle, to Sacred Heart of Jesus, and to St.Antonio of Padova; in the aisle to St. Leonardo, to Madonna of Pompei and to St. Michele Archangel. Noteworthy are:the Chapel of Holy Sacrament, inaugurated Maundy Thursday 1974; the altar dedicated to St. Francesco of Paola of 1968 with statue of 1835; the organ pipes of the company Ruffati of Padova of 1961; the coffered ceiling made with wood of 1973 by Brother Ippolito Ritrovato; the dome pointed in fresco of 1963 by the painter Diego Grillo; the valuable pulpit walnut by Francesco Gullo, surmounted by the esautcheon “Charitas” and the two chapels at the entrance dedicated to the Holy Crucifix and to Baptism of Jesus with an artistic mosaic of 1967. For the jubilee year 2000 the superior father of the time Father Antonio Gimma, commissioned 9 pintings by the artist Bruno D’Arc
evia with moments of the life of St. Francesco. The devotion of the inhabitants to St. Francesco of Paola is very strong, especially in virtue of his patronage over People of see of the Italian Nation, declared by Pope Pio XII March 17th ,1943. On the outside of the church you can also visit: the monument of Father Pasquale Ferrari, inaugurated on May 25th,1997; the monument in the memory of the fallen in the see where you can admire a beautiful view; the monument to St. Francesco of Paola placed June 19th 1983 on the Via Nazionale and the gallery of spring water built in the XV century. The Church has got the title of Parish church from the June 29th,1967.