The town of Turano spreads over a grassy ridge and has a compact, linear structure. The terraced houses line the main street, while the central square, dedicated to the “Our Lady of the Pilgrims”, connects three streets adorned with characteristic covered passages and vaulted entrances.

Images: Cheleo Multimedia

The subsidiary church is dedicated to San Rocco (Saint Roch), the patron saint invoked by the inhabitants of the valley during the plague epidemic in the 16th century. It is located not far from the settlement on a hill overlooking the village and can be reached by following the uphill road to the promontory known as “Del Castel”, where a Roman fortification once stood. The strategic position served to defend the valley. Near the church of San Rocco, you can still see the stately façade of the house of the Corsetti family, who served as the vicars for the Counts of Lodrone for centuries. These counts were the lords of the entire Vestino valley and stayed here on their visits to the valley because they did not have a residence of their own.

The church was built between 1580 and 1599, using stones from the old fortification belonging to the Ghibelline soldier, Bonifacino da Bollone. At the back, the outer perimeter is defined by the cemetery, where people from Turano were buried until 1937.

The church underwent several transformations over the centuries. It was renovated in the 18th century, while in 1835 it was enlarged on the left side and embellished with relics and various donations, including the bells, from Don Bartolomeo Corsetti, formerly brother Bernardo da Turano. In the 1960s and ’70s, decorative elements were added thanks to the initiative of Don Battista Caironi.

Following the directives of the Second Vatican Council, the presbytery was modified between 1970 and 1980: a marble altar table was installed facing the main body of the church, while the tabernacle was positioned in the centre of the apse. At the end of the 20th century, the church was restored on the initiative of Don Luigi Franceschini.

The structure of the building has a gabled layout. The façade is embellished with a marble portal with a porch and a central window above; at the top, you can make out a hint of a triangular tympanum. The interior, with a single nave and uniformly decorated gabled ceilings, also houses a smaller nave on the left-hand side. The masonry combines stone and brick.
The raised, quadrangular presbytery ends with a flat apse with rounded edges. In the centre is the tabernacle. The altarpiece, by Stefano Celesti, father of the more famous Andrea, is one of the works of art preserved inside the church. Next to the church are the sacristy and the bell tower.