On the occasion of the first centenary of the Sanctuary of San Rocco, in the year 1944, on the Order of Sunday, "an entire page appeared, dedicated to the little church outside Lino Gelpi, in the article that traces the events of the Sanctuary, suppose that the first construction (a small Oratory) had arisen before 1737, a year engraved on the smaller of the two bells that are found on the bell tower.
Today we can probably say that the first Oratory was already built in the 17th century because from a research done in the "Teresian Land Registry" of 1722 it appears that in that year already existed the Oratory called "San Rocco". The road that flanked it had then a great importance, being the only one that united San Fedele with Lanzo and Pellio and again in 1860, this street was called "Strada Nazionale Argegno - Osteno".
The cult of Saint Rocco, not only in part of the Sanfedelini, but of the inhabitants of the whole valley, is testified by the bishop Muggiasca in his pastoral visit of 1768.
The faithful came to San Rocco from all over the valley because the intercession of the saint, benefactor of the plague victims, was sought and spread at a time when the plague decimated entire populations. However, the cult of the Saint had been rooted in the popular conscience in San Fedele for a long time and in his pastoral visit in 1593, Bishop Niguarda described a small chapel dedicated to Saint Rocco which stood next to the main door of the cemetery which then surrounded the church. parish.
Another historical note, engraved on the larger bell of the Oratory, could bring its erection to the early 1600s; in this recording we can read: "1636 Universitatis - VallisIntelvi - FelizBizozeris - Fecit". With this we arrive at the time of the Manzonian plague, a very opportune moment to justify the birth of the Oratory dedicated to San Rocco.
We have already mentioned that in the year 1737 the Oratory had already existed in its edition, but it was certainly rebuilt in 1840 thanks to the parish priest of the time don G. B. Peduzzi, based on the design of the Sac. Antonio Pertinoli, who designed the present building, with Greek-Romanesque lines with a pronaos, equipped with a bell tower, adorned with a simple apse.
Construction in style, harmonious, was blessed in August 1844 as it appears from the accounting register of San Rocco written by hand by the parish priest: "The undersigned Don Giovanni Battista Peduzzi, parish priest of San Fedele, (..) made by him manufactured in 1840 (..) and later blessed in August of the year 1844; notes (...) ".
The Bishop Macchi with his decree erected the small church of San Rocco on August 10th 1944 in Santuario.
This historical information agrees with the documentation of the parish archive and with the widespread tradition in the Valley and collected in the monograph of dr. Conti.
(news from: "Sanctuary of San Rocco 1844 - 1994, special issue of COMMUNIO to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the blessing of the current church of San Rocco")