The Capuchin Church of Varzi, dedicated to Saint Germanus of Auxerre, is one of the oldest churches in the Staffora Valley: it stands on the site of an ancient parish church already documented in 702 AD and today shows a Romanesque-Gothic facade in brick and stone. A fascinating destination for those cycling or walking the Voghera-Varzi Greenway, which ends right here, the church is one of the most significant historical and religious stops in the Upper Oltrepò Pavese, together with the medieval village of Varzi and its celebrated Salame di Varzi PDO.

An ancient thousand-year-old parish: the origins of the church of San Germano

The church's history has its roots in the early medieval period. Tradition holds that the body of Saint Germanus, bishop of Auxerre, who died in Ravenna in 448 AD, passed through Varzi during its journey back to his homeland, and that this event led the local community to dedicate their parish church to him. Beyond the legend, the first certain record dates to 702 AD, when the chronicler Marciano Ambrogio listed, among the parish churches of the diocese of Tortona, the "Ecclesia Sancti Germani oppidi Vartii". By 883 the parish of Varzi belonged to the diocese of Piacenza, under a privilege granted by Emperor Charles III the Fat at the request of Pope Marinus, while in 1160 it depended on the monastery of San Colombano di Bobbio. Two documents from 1187 and 1189, drawn up at the parish church of San Germano itself, describe it as the "plebis de Varcio", the church authorised to perform baptisms and the mother church of the district.

Building the present church: Romanesque-Gothic architecture

Toward the end of the 12th century the ancient parish church was replaced by the building seen today, begun between the late 1100s and early 1200s and completed at the front in the early 1300s: a long timespan that makes the church a rare example of the transition from the Romanesque to the Gothic age. This can be seen in the evolution of the pillars and arches along the nave, in the Gothic-style crocket capitals, and in the pointed triumphal arch, while the presbytery area, later reshaped along Gothic lines, originally had semicircular apses, as confirmed by excavations carried out in the 1970s. The facade tells the same story of transition: the lower section, built in banded courses of light and dark local stone, contrasts with the brick upper section, decorated with a frieze of interlaced arches and corbels carved with geometric motifs or human faces. The slender, splayed portal is enriched with small columns and two door panels carved with symbolic bas-reliefs, while the lunette above holds a Baroque-style fresco added at a later date.

From parish church to the arrival of the Capuchins

For four centuries the church served as the parish church of Varzi and the parish seat of the upper Staffora Valley, until 1594, when the village's current parish church was consecrated. Left abandoned for some decades, the building came back to life in 1623 with the arrival of the Capuchin friars, who settled there and built a convent beside the church, incorporating the old rectory, repairing the roof and constructing a heavy Baroque vault beneath the original exposed roof trusses. For a hundred and eighty years the Capuchin community carried on a life of prayer, ministry and charity there, a presence that proved especially valuable during the plague epidemics that struck the area. In 1802 Napoleon's suppression of religious orders brought this chapter to an end: the convent and church were sold at auction and rented out to farmers, who used the deconsecrated building as a barn, woodshed and store for farm carts, filling it with earth up to the level of the square outside to make it easier to use, a state of affairs that lasted for roughly a century.

The 20th century and the restoration that revealed the Romanesque church

In 1903 the Capuchins bought back the convent and reconsecrated the church, still bearing the marks of the transformations of the previous decades. It was only from 1971, however, that the friars, working directly under the guidance of Father Giovanni Maria Tognazzi, carried out a major restoration campaign that lasted until 1996: the heavy 17th-century vault over the central nave was demolished to reveal the original exposed roof trusses once again, the original double-splayed windows were reopened, the floor was lowered to its original level, exposing the column bases, and excavations in the choir uncovered the remains of the ancient semicircular apse, still visible today. It was during this work that a fresco fragment depicting the Annunciation resurfaced, high on the right above the altar, attributed to the brothers Franceschino and Manfredino Boxilio, painters from Castelnuovo Scrivia, and dated to around 1484. In 1982, on the occasion of the eighth centenary of the birth of Saint Francis, a monument to the saint was unveiled, the work of the sculptor Ferdinando Saccomani of Voghera.

What to see: capitals, frescoes and the statuette of the Redeemer

Inside, notable features include the stone capitals of the semicircular columns at the corner of the presbytery, carved with curling leaves and a twisted cord motif at the top, and a stone statuette placed above the entrance door depicting Christ the Redeemer giving a blessing, the work of an anonymous popular Romanesque sculptor of the 13th century. The frescoed fragment of the Annunciation, with its characteristic figure of the Virgin with bowed head and crossed arms, still retains traces of a decorative border in vivid colours, bright red and ochre yellow, which once framed the entire composition.

The Capuchin Church and the Voghera-Varzi Greenway

Varzi is the arrival point of the Voghera-Varzi Greenway, the green route built along the bed of a former railway line connecting the Pavia plain to the Apennines, designed for those travelling on foot or by bicycle through nature, villages and historical landmarks of the Oltrepò. For those completing the route here, the Capuchin Church is one of the most recommended cultural stops: just a few minutes' walk separate the historic centre of Varzi from this corner of thousand-year-old history, allowing visitors to round off the day with Romanesque-Gothic art, the lanes of the medieval village and local culinary specialities, starting with the renowned Salame di Varzi PDO.

Practical information for visitors

Address: Via Cappuccini, 2, Varzi (PV), Italy

Phone: +39 0383 52053

Official website: www.varziviva.net/cappuccini.htm

How to get there: on foot or by bicycle along the Voghera-Varzi Greenway, or by car following the signs for the centre of Varzi

Frequently asked questions

Who is the Capuchin Church of Varzi dedicated to? It is dedicated to Saint Germanus of Auxerre and is also known as the ancient Pieve of San Germano, the oldest parish church in the Staffora Valley.

When was it built? The present building dates from the late 12th to the early 14th century, in Romanesque style with Gothic developments, on the site of a parish church already documented in 702 AD.

Why is it called the Capuchin Church? From 1623 the Capuchin friars settled there and built the convent beside the church; they returned for good in 1903 after Napoleon's suppression of 1802.

Can it be reached from the Voghera-Varzi Greenway? Yes: Varzi is the arrival point of the Greenway, and the church is one of the recommended cultural stops for those finishing the route here.