St. Roch Church in Vrboska

St. Roch Church was built in 1577 as a votive response to plague. Its Gothic-Baroque fabric is modest on the outside, while the sanctuary provides its principal artistic feature: a three-part wooden Baroque altar with figures of St Roch, St Sebastian and St Fabian. The altar and sculptures are attributed to the Bavarian master Urbano de Surgge. St Roch and St Sebastian were traditionally invoked for protection during epidemics, so the imagery directly reflects the chapel’s founding purpose. The church makes a worthwhile stop for visitors exploring Vrboska on foot and looking beyond its better-known waterfront landmarks to its smaller sacred sites.