The name of the town contains its history: Varano comes from the noble Varius, the name of a family that owned lands in the area at the time of Roman domination; while de Melegari recalls the surname of an essential dynasty of notaries in the service of the Pallavicino family, the lords who ruled Varano for 700 years... #tuttitaly
Varano de' Melegari rises in the lower Ceno valley in the province of Parma. The origin of the name derives from the gens Varia, owner of numerous lands near the stream.
The town's most important historical monument is the medieval castle, perhaps built in the 11th century. The first source documenting its existence is the Cronaca Pallavicina, dating back to 1087.
The fortress carried out the task of supervising the waterway and the roads that led to the Via Emilia in Liguria and Tuscany.
The castle developed around a central square courtyard. On the ground floor are the ancient prisons, which in 1442 hosted Annibale I Bentivoglio. The courthouse is located on the first floor; on the second, the castellan's bedroom; at the last, the servants' room.
The patrol walkways run at the top.
The castle has been open to the public since the early 2000s.
The village also houses the Church of San Martino, built in Romanesque style in 1453 but completely rebuilt in its current Baroque form between 1725 and 1769. The interior consists of a single nave flanked by three chapels, including the one dedicated to Holy Rosary, frescoed by Giuseppe Peroni.
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