Varna: Churches, Art and Medieval Traces

Today, Varna is a small settlement of houses along the ridge road, to the left of the Elsa. Its history can be explored through a range of traces: a church with a long history of construction and use, a castello dating from around the year 1000, remains of walls attributed to the medieval period, and evidence of the history of art and travel routes. For travelers interested in the history of small places, Varna offers more than just one subject.

The Canonica: Architecture Across Several Centuries

An important landmark is the Canonica di San Giovanni in Varna. It is located in the village of Varna, a few kilometers from Gambassi. The church has a single-nave layout and a late Romanesque ground plan. The single-nave layout describes its spatial form, while the late Romanesque designation refers to its architectural classification. The Canonica is documented as early as 1230.

Its subsequent history can also be traced through specific dates. In 1577, the Oratory of the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament was built beside the Canonica. In 1705, the church’s façade was altered and its enclosing walls were raised. In 1785, the Canonica became a parish church with a baptismal font. These dates represent different aspects of the place: an early record, a neighboring religious building, structural changes and a later ecclesiastical function. Together, they form a chronology without reducing the individual stages to a single building event.

The Canonica’s history also includes regional conflicts and historic routes. The people of Volterra damaged it during a campaign against San Gimignano. Historically, the Canonica is counted among the ecclesiastical centers along the Via Francigena routes running farther down the valley. Another historic route from the San Gimignano area led from Montecarulli to a ford farther downstream on the Torrente dei Casciani, and then toward Varna. This connects the local history to San Gimignano and the Via Francigena routes, offering a cultural and historical context.

Art and Other Historic Places

The Church of San Giovanni Battista in Varna houses one of the two surviving copies of the Pala Gambassi in Gambassi. This artistic connection adds a specific work to the architectural history. The Canonica di San Giovanni is a single-nave church with a late Romanesque ground plan.

Older traces can also be found at Castello Torre di Varna, which dates from around the year 1000. At Villa Capei, a tower and some remains of walls preserve evidence attributed to the medieval period. The San Girolamo complex in the hamlet of Varna, in the municipality of Gambassi Terme, is different in character: San Girolamo is a Liberty-style villa, and its complex includes a 16th-century oratory.

Varna itself also appears in a historical depiction: Leonardo showed the place on one of his famous maps. Alongside the buildings and the Pala Gambassi, this offers another perspective on the cultural history of the place. If you are particularly interested in church architecture, the Canonica’s chronology offers a clear starting point; the Pala Gambassi, Leonardo’s map and the other historic buildings provide distinct points of interest for art and local history.

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