Rok and Roland

This is Rok This is Roland

We encountered two interesting historical figures in Dubrovnik on this trip.
In the main square of the city is an statue of Roland that supposedly dates back to the 15th Century. Roland is believed to have been the nephew of Charlemagne and by tradition is believed to have been a fearless knight. He is the subject of a famous medieval epic they tortured us with in high school literature class The Chanson de Roland.
As his story spread over the continent his name was twisted and perverted a bit. Thus he’s also known in Italy and Croatia as Orlando. Reading about him is confusing. He seems to have been assigned a role as keeper of imperial rights, yet common people saw him as a martyr and champion of the common people There are columns to him all over Europe that stand as symbols of freedom.
Rok also has some aliases. He’s known as St. Roch and St. Rocco and is seen as a patron saint for those seeking protection from the plague. The information I found says he was a French noble who gave away his fortune and while on a pilgrimage began ministering to the sick. He made miraculous cures, by making the sign of the cross over the patients, but then he got the plague himself. There is a story that he walked into a forest to die, but was befriended by a dog. The dog stole food from his master’s table to feed Rok and keep him alive and he recovered.
A little far-fetched I grant you, but it makes for an interesting statue. Rok is depicted showing off a gross wound (a plague buboe maybe?) on his thigh, carrying a staff and he’s got scallop shells on his robes, some sort of reference to St. James.