Discover Varna: churches, art and historic routes

Today, Varna is a small settlement of houses along the ridge road on the left bank of the Elsa. Castello Torre di Varna dates to around the year 1000. Near Varna, Villa Capei preserves a tower and some remains of walls attributed to the Middle Ages. The medieval dating of Villa Capei is an attribution; Castello Torre di Varna is associated with a date around the year 1000. These early points of reference sit alongside churches, an oratory and a work of art that open up other periods. Those choosing Varna as a destination for its cultural history can distinguish several themes: the settlement’s location, medieval attributions, architectural development and religious art.

The Canonica and its building history

The Canonica di San Giovanni in Varna is a single-nave church with a late Romanesque structure. A single-nave building has one main nave; the term describes the floor plan, while late Romanesque identifies its architectural style. The Canonica already existed in 1230. The Oratory of the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament was built next to it in 1577. In 1705, the façade was altered and the perimeter walls were raised. In 1785, the Canonica became a baptismal parish church. The dates mark successive stages of development: the early church was followed by the oratory, structural changes and an additional ecclesiastical function. The history of conflict is also part of the story: the people of Volterra damaged the Canonica during a campaign against San Gimignano.

Art and other historic sites

The church of San Giovanni Battista in Varna houses one of the two surviving copies of the Pala Gambassi in Gambassi. This artistic reference complements the architectural history with a specific work of art and differs from the Canonica’s building chronology. San Girolamo in the hamlet of Varna is a Liberty-style villa. The San Girolamo complex includes a 16th-century oratory. The town’s history thus brings together a work of art and buildings of different architectural styles. Those interested in art will find a different perspective here than in the floor plan and structural changes.

Varna in its historic landscape

Leonardo depicted Varna on one of his famous maps. Older routes also provide a historical setting for the town. A second historic route from the San Gimignano area led from Montecarulli to a ford farther downstream on the Torrente dei Casciani and then towards Varna. The Canonica is one of the ecclesiastical centres along the Francigena routes running farther downstream. These two route references are distinct: one places the Canonica in the context of the Francigena routes, while the other describes a route via Montecarulli and a ford. Together with Leonardo’s map, they complement the architectural and artistic history with historical representation and orientation within the landscape.

When planning your trip, you can choose Varna based on the aspect that interests you most: architectural history, religious development, art or historic routes. If you are looking for a hotel, use Varna as your search destination and compare the options for your travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Badia A Cerreto, Camporbiano.

Return to the main travel overview: Gambassi Terme.