Project Statement: The Legend of San Rocco Re-imagined

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In a picturesque village tucked into a hillside of northern Tuscany stands a medieval stone manor called Villa San Rocco. The villa was named for Saint Roch (San Rocco in Italian), a mid-14th century healer who, as lore has it, miraculously cured invalids of the Plague with the touch of his hand.

When in Piacenza he eventually came down with the disease himself, Saint Roch was banished to the forest where he lived a primitive life and nearly died. Lore continues that Saint Roch was saved by a noble dog who brought him bread and licked his wounds until he recovered from the Plague. Saint Roch was canonized after his death in 1327 and not surprisingly, became the patron saint of invalids and dogs, among other things.

Inspired by the history and mythology of San Rocco’s story and the eclectic, shabby-chic vibe of the manor that bears his name, I decided to repopulate his legend with a cast of imaginary characters. Using anything we could find at Villa San Rocco – old curtains, brocade fabrics, metal bowls for headwear and painter’s tape for leggings — we created costumes for a mish-mash crew ranging from Grecian deities to an updated version of Father Time.

The result is a playful collection of archetypical actors whom the saint could have encountered during his epic travels if one were to rewrite his legend with a post-modern flair.