The Church of St. Rocco in Draguć

At the very end of the village of Draguć stands the chapel of St. Rocco, the protector against plague. It was usual in the 15th and 16th cc. to dedicate churches to this saint at the entrance into the settlement to protect it from plague. One of the wall fresco scenes is dedicated to this topic showing numerous dead people with arrows sticking out, symbols of plague death. Frescoes were painted by Anthony of Padua, a local master from Istrian Padua near today's Kašćerga. His work shows the influence of the Venetian school of painting, with the line dominating the colour. Adopted and transformed Renaissance shapes created puppet-like figures with full, pouting lips, round rosy cheeks and carefully lined eyes. Wall surfaces were painted in 1529 and 1537 as gratitude for the salvation from the plague. It was witnessed by the Glagolitic inscription above the door from 1529, the author's signature, the names of the employer and the year. St. Rocco with two saints protectors, St. Sebastian and St. Fabian, are depicted within the central field of the sanctuary wall, while the remaining part includes the scenes from the Christological iconography and four church fathers as well as other saints. Different from the usual iconography is Imago pietatis, a scene of the 'Christ of Sorrows', above the church entrance. Its central part shows a wide sarcophagus with Christ, naked to his waist, with crossed arms and closed eyes. Christ is surrounded by images of four Maries and Johns and visible elements of his passion in the background: the cross, the spear and the staff with the sponge. There are two angels praying painted in lower corners. The most prominent image is the one of the Adoration of the Magi, extending almost at full length of the northern wall, consisting of several scenes integrated into one, and depicting the Farewell from Herod, the getting together and meeting of kings, their journeys and homage.