[Gocamino] Iconographic doubt

[Sil]

In the little village of Le Muret - not far from Belin-Beliet on the Via
Turonensis - in the south of France is a beautiful little chapel of
Saint-Roch set amongst oak trees.  It still has a bell tower (mentioned in a
12thC document) but the chapel has been extensively restored since then.  It
houses a wooden bas relief of St Roch and his dog.  There are also shell
motives carved into the tableau of the altar.  To visit the chapel one must
go to the 'white' house to get the keys or ask Madame Dany to open it for
you.

On 8/15/06, Jethess777 at aol.com <Jethess777 at aol.com> wrote:
>
> No, it is St. Rocco that has the wound on his leg, not the dog.
> Many legends exist about St. Rocco, one of my favorite saints because he
> is
> always shown with a dog (I'm a big-time pooch lover).
> Summary of his encounter with the dog:
> While on a pilgrimage in Italy, Roch (he was French and this is the French
> spelling) encountered an area whose residents were afflicted with the
> plague. He
> stayed to minister to the sick, and affected several miraculous cures,
> usually by making the sign of the cross over them, but contracted the
> plague
> himself, as evident with the wound. He walked into a forest to die, but
> was
> befriended by a dog. The dog fed him with food from his master's table,
> and Roch
> eventually recovered.
> Read on for an account of his life that I found on-line.
> http://www.sanrocco.org/Stories.html
>
> Saint Rocco was born of noble parentage about 1340 A.D. in Montpellier,
> France. At birth it was noted that he had a red cross-shaped birthmark on
> the left
> side of his chest. As a young child, San Rocco showed great devotion to
> God
> and the Blessed mother. At an early age, his parents died leaving him an
> orphan
> under the care of his uncle, the Duke of Montpellier. Soon after, San
> Rocco
> distributed his wealth among the poor and took a vow of poverty.
> San Rocco dressed in the clothes of a pilgrim and departed for Rome. At
> that
> time, Italy was stricken with a rampant disease. San Rocco cured many of
> this
> dreaded disease by praying for them and making the sign of the cross.
> During his travels, he too contracted the plague which was evident by an
> open sore on his leg. Rocco was banished from the city and took refuge in
> a cave.
> Here he slept on leaves and drank water from a small stream. Miraculously
> a
> dog that refused to eat, faithfully brought him bread as a means of
> sustenance.
> The dog used to leave a nearby castle and the Lord of this castle having a
> curious nature followed this dog into the woods and discovered Rocco. The
> nobleman had pity on Rocco and brought him to his castle where Rocco was
> cured.
>
> San Rocco traveled through northern Italy for two or three more years
> before
> returning to his birthplace in France. So weak and sick from suffering,
> the
> townspeople did not recognize him and he was thrown into jail as a spy
> without
> any proof. But yet he was kept in prison for five years. On August 16,
> 1378, a
> guard entered his cell and found San Rocco near death. The dungeon was
> illuminated with a blue light radiating from his body. Upon hearing this,
> the
> Governor demanded to know San Rocco's identity. San Rocco faintly replied,
> I am your
> nephew Rocco. Only one thing could prove that, so he had him disrobed and
> the
> red cross-like mark was visible on the left side of his chest. The
> Governor
> and the townspeople present in the cell then believed. A voice from
> paradise was
> heard announcing that San Rocco's soul had merited immortal glory in
> Heaven.
> Even after his death, San Rocco performed many miracles.
> Saint Rocco is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church as the protector
> against the plague and all contagious diseases. The statue of Saint Rocco
> is
> considered unique among theologians because of his pose.   It is most
> unusual
> because it depicts him with his left hand pointing to an open sore on his
> left leg.
> Few images of saints expose any afflictions or handicaps. His body is
> enclosed
> in a glass tomb in the church of San Rocco in Venice, Italy. We
> commemorate
> the death of this great follower of Christ on August 16th of each year.
>
> Also interesting is this account of how the story of St. Rocco is known:
> The oldest "Life of Saint Rocco" was written in Italian, probably by his
> friend and follower Gothard Palastrelli of Plaisance. The original is
> lost, but
> the Nuremberg library owns the translation of this text in German dating
> from
> 1484.
> Besides, a Venetian aristocrat and governor of Brescia in Lombardy,
> Francesco Diedo, collected several oral and written versions in a
> biography that he
> published in 1484.
> It would be better to call it a "hagiography", that is, an edifying
> account
> where legend blends with the supernatural in a story.
> In 1494, Hercules Albiflorius, from the town of Udine, published another
> life. These texts--the oldest, because numerous accounts exist--have
> allowed
> modern historians to determine the principal events and dates in the life
> of Saint
> Rocco.
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-- 
Sil