CULTURE AND TRADITIONS

Faith and identity. The solemn celebrations of St Catherine and St Bartholomew turn the village into a theatre of popular devotion, amidst songs, crucifixes and fireworks on the sea. Jacopo da Varagine, author of Legenda Aurea, one of the most influential medieval hagiographic collections, was born here. Deep traces of a spirituality that spans the centuries.

HISTORIC CENTRE AND HAMLETS

The historic centre is a mosaic of alleyways and architecture. The spiritual heart is the Collegiate Church of Sant'Ambrogio, with its 14th-century Romanesque-Gothic tower and valuable works of art. Among the landmarks is Palazzo Beato Jacopo da Varagine, dedicated to the father of 'Legenda Aurea'. On the heights, the hamlets of Alpicella, Castagnabuona, Cantalupo, Casanova, Pero, Faje and Piani d'Invrea preserve ancient churches, rural traditions and views that embrace the blue of the sea and the green of the hinterland.

Santa Caterina

Every 30 April, Varazze celebrates St Catherine of Siena, the town's patron saint since 1625, with a festival that weaves together spirituality, memory and community. The celebrations begin with a novena and a historical procession involving hundreds of costumed participants. On the evening of 29 April, homage is paid to the statue of the saint at the Marina. On 30 April, the celebration culminates with the solemn mass and the evocative votive procession towards the sanctuary: a rite that tells the deepest soul of Varazze. The tradition has its roots in October 1376, when the saint, returning from Avignon, stopped in Varazze and prayed for the city's deliverance from the plague.

San Bartolomeo

St Bartholomew is celebrated in Varazze on 24 August. It is one of the most heartfelt feasts in the community, particularly in the seaside village of Solaro. The historic Confraternity of the same name leads the celebrations with a novena, solemn masses and the traditional procession of the wooden crucifix, a work attributed to the school of Maragliano. The spiritual heart of the district, the Oratory of San Bartolomeo hosts rites and moments of devotion throughout the year.