Varese Ligure in Italy | Province of La Spezia, Liguria
Spend your holiday in the "Green village" of Varese Ligure in Liguria, Italy and enjoy the nature in and all around the town.
Varese Ligure
This is a beautiful medieval village with a unique circular old town center
The village is regarded as being very ecological because of its purely biological farming methods, and it ranks among the most beautiful villages in Italy
Travel tips
The municipality of Varese Ligure which lies in the province of La Spezia is well known to many Ligurians as the circular village. The houses in the center of town are arranged next to one another as if in a semi-circle. This was initiated by Count Fleschi. Due to the good location of the municipality, he wanted to set up both a residential complex and a fortress there. Apart from Counts, the inhabitants of the place included traders and craftsmen.
If you decide to spend your vacation in a holiday house in Varese Ligure, then you should not by all means fail to try the homemade Pasta in the area. You will be impressed. The beautiful thing about this pasta, which is homemade with a personal touch, is that each Pasta tablet has an imprint placed on it using a wooden stamp. These imprints vary according to the restaurant, family and recipe. In many restaurants you may not only consume these delicacies, but also buy them for home use.
The village of Varese Ligure is not only attractive on account of its wonderfully renovated house facades, but also because of its beautiful castle, the Castello Fieschi di Varese Ligure, which originates from the 15th century, the numerous churches, such as the Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista from the 17th century, and the Ferrari Palace. Whoever would like to spend his summer evening outdoors will have many events to choose from, for example theatreical performances and classical concerts in the circular town centre, which the Fleschi family set up, because the acoustics are particularly beautiful there.
It is not really far from Varese Ligure. If you go by car, you will pass through some winding streets up to Sestri Levante and there you will have already reached the sea. Whoever would like to experience a bit of Liguria’s cultural diversity can simply go by car from Varese Ligure to the villages of Cinque Terre. These five villages are definitely worth visiting. From within they are only connected by small paths, and that makes them also a wonderful excursion destination for the whole family with a dog.
Those who would like to do without the car can enjoy the beautiful green landscape by going on an exciting mountain bike or hiking tour. It is not for nothing that this municipality got the award of one of the most beautiful and most ecological villages.
History
Varese Ligure owes its origins to the strategically good location at the junction of the trans-Alpine streets to Palma and Tortona. A trading market developed at this junction. In 1031 the de Vara Church grew up in the upper Val di Vara. The village was controlled by the Fieschi and Penelli families. The inhabitants then begun cultivating crops and keeping livestock in the 11th century. The Fieschi family then built the Tower of Panelli in the 11th century, in which they sought refuge due to a feud with the Panelli family. Following an agreement the two families decided to divide the land among themselves.
Due to their numerical superiority, the Fieschi family gained supremacy in the Vara valley in the 13th century. Varese Ligure came under the rule of the Landi family in 1472. When the rebellion of the Fleschi family against the Doria family bacame unsuccessful, their dominions were seized and Varese Ligure became part of the Republic of Genoa.
In 1797 Varese Ligure joined the Ligurian Republic and in 1805 it became part of the First French Empire. The locality was integrated into the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1815, which was then transferred to the Italian Kingdom in 1861. From 1973 to 2011 Varese Ligure was part of the mountain community of Alta Val di Vara.
How to reach
Varese Ligure is a village in the province of La Spezia which lies in the Liguria region. There are several other vilages near Varese Ligure, for example: Cembrano (5.3 km), Tavarone (12.7 km) and Ossegna (8.5 km). When coming from Genoa, take the E80 highway exit to Carrodano Levanto E80. Follow the SS566 and then the SS523 towards SP49 which will then take you up to Varese Ligure.
