by Caterina Franci
Located at the crossroads of Via Centrale and Via Adamoli, the small church of San Rocco in Narro, a hamlet of the municipality of Casargo in Valsassina, is a small place of worship worth visiting. The small church is characterised by its gable facade and its bell gable, composed of two pillars and a pedimented roof on which there is a bell. The alterations do not erase the ancient structure, which can be attributed to the 14th century and linked to a probable vow against pestilence. The layout of the oratory is very simple and traditional, rectangular in shape with a small sacristy whose terracotta floor was laid in 1980.
In 1908, during restoration work, fragments of paintings dating back to the 400-500s were discovered on the internal walls of the nave. In one of them, the figure of Saint Roch can be recognised, while in the other, the remains of a Madonna and Child can be seen. Another peculiarity, highlighted by the scholar Oleg Zastrow in his book ‘Repertorio di arte medioevale in Alta Valsassina’ (Repository of Medieval Art in Alta Valsassina) in 1976, concerns the church walls on which ‘serpentine’ frescoes were created, meaning they are not perpendicular but wavy. According to the historian, this characteristic is attributable to a free interpretation of Romanesque canons by the craftsmen. If you come to visit this small but delightful oratory, don't miss the chance to discover the hamlet of Narro, which offers a beautiful panoramic view of the Grigne group and the Valsassina.
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