Varsi, Apennine jewel

Varsi is an Emilian town in the province of Parma, rises 426 meters above sea level and has 1,200 inhabitants. Immersed in unspoiled nature, in the valley of the Ceno river, it is characterized by intense and verdant vegetation. Its first historical information dates back to 1028 when it was sold by Hildegard, daughter of Ottone il Salico, together with other lands in the Parma area to the church of Parma. In 1720 the territory of Varsi was purchased by the Rugarli counts who maintained the podestà until 1805, when Napoleon abolished the feudal rights in the former duchy of Parma and Piacenza. Jewel of Varsi is certainly the church of San Leonardo, located in the hamlet of Contile, a town located in a higher position than the nearby historic center of the town. It is a superb medieval church first mentioned in 1352 and renovated in a neoclassical form between 1787 and 1794. It underwent further restorations over the centuries. The church is made of stone and develops on a Latin cross plan, internally it is decorated with Doric pilasters and frescoes on the vaults; it also houses paintings of considerable value dating back to the 16th-17th-18th centuries.