St. Rocco's Celebration (redirected from Rokovo)

St. Rocco's Celebration (Rokovo)

August

St. Rocco's Celebration, or Rokovo as it is also known, has its roots in the feast day of St. Rocco. This saint, sometimes referred to as Rok, is the patron saint of the Catholic parish in the town of Virovitica, Croatia. Rocco was born into a noble family in France in c. 1295 . Orphaned at an early age, he was taken in by a wealthy uncle, but eventually took a vow of poverty and began the life of a religious pilgrim. Bubonic plague was prevalent at the time, and Rocco is said to have miraculously healed many sufferers by praying for them.
His feast day, August 16, is the center of the St. Rocco's Celebration, although the celebration goes on for two or three weeks in total. The festival was first held in 1992, and in that year, August 16 was also designated the Day of the Town of Virovitica. The events, which are jointly organized by the Town of Virovitica and its Tourist Board, include music and dance performances, sports competitions, and art and historical exhibitions.

CONTACTS:
Virovitica Tourist Board
Trg kralja Tomislava 1, p.p. 49
33000 Virovitica, Croatia
Croatian National Tourist Board
Iblerov trg 10/IV
10000 Zagreb, Croatia
www.croatia.hr