Lucadea.com - Tag: Borgorotondo

21 August 2026

The round square and houses of Varese Ligure

The round square and houses of Varese Ligure.
When I arrive in the centre of Varese Ligure, in Liguria, Italy, it is the characteristic arrangement of the houses around the square that immediately catches my attention. The unusual circular layout may not be completely obvious in this photograph, but it is precisely this arrangement that makes the heart of the village so recognisable.
This is one of those images that makes me think about how distinctive the layout of small Ligurian villages can be. The houses do not simply face an open central space. Instead, they follow a particular geometry and guide the eye around the perimeter of the square.
Varese Ligure is one of those inland villages I enjoy photographing precisely because of details like these. Away from the coast and the sea views usually associated with Liguria, the attention here shifts towards the houses, streets and structure of the village. It only takes a moment of looking carefully to realise that even an apparently simple square can reveal something about the place itself.
I took this photograph because of the way these houses are gathered around the centre of the village. I enjoy photographing architecture like this because the buildings work best when seen as a whole. One facade may catch the eye, but it is the sequence of houses that gives the scene its character.
The square is part of the distinctive layout of Varese Ligure’s historic centre and is closely connected with the castle. The circular arrangement of the buildings is one of the features that makes this part of the village so easy to recognise. It is an architectural curiosity that becomes much clearer when viewed from above, while from street level the overall shape can be much harder to perceive, as happens in this photograph.
If you are wondering what to see in Varese Ligure, this is certainly one of the places worth exploring. Not necessarily because there is one particular attraction to look for, but because walking around the square makes it easier to understand the structure of the village and appreciate the details of its buildings.
What I find interesting is the relationship between the houses and the central space. The square does not feel like something simply added to the village. It seems to be an integral part of its structure, with the buildings almost guiding visitors along a circular route and creating different perspectives at every step.
It is also a rewarding place for photography. Moving just a few metres can change the relationship between the houses, the square and the architectural elements around it. One photograph may focus on a particular facade, while another can try to make the circular arrangement more apparent.
I have already photographed Varese Ligure from another viewpoint, from Grecino bridge, showing the houses overlooking the Vara River. That image also presented the village without focusing only on its most famous features. I enjoy returning to places like this because every viewpoint can reveal another side of them.
In this photograph, perhaps, the circular shape of the square is not immediately obvious. But that is also what I like about the image. It can become an invitation to imagine what lies beyond the frame and to look more carefully at the village itself.
Varese Ligure is one of those places where it is worth slowing down, walking without rushing and observing how the houses, streets and public spaces have been arranged over time. Sometimes a simple photograph of a square and its buildings is enough to make me want to return with my camera.

Did you already know about the unusual circular arrangement of the houses in Varese Ligure? Add a comment or go to the bottom of the site to read what other visitors have written.

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Adv

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21 August 2026

Fieschi Square in the village of Varese Ligure

Esplorando la bellezza di Piazza Fieschi a Varese Ligure

Fieschi Square in the village of Varese Ligure.
When I reach the historic centre of Varese Ligure, in Liguria, Italy, this unusual square is one of those places that immediately makes me slow down. Its particular shape, the buildings around it and the covered walkways create a scene that is worth looking at carefully rather than simply passing through.
Fieschi Square is at the heart of the historic village and, if you are wondering what to see in Varese Ligure, it is certainly one of the most interesting places to photograph. Its rounded layout makes it instantly recognisable and gives it a perspective quite different from that of many traditional Italian squares. The colourful houses and arcades following its perimeter make the space feel particularly intimate.
When I took this photograph, I was interested in the combination of all these elements. I was not looking for one particular building, but rather for the overall composition: the closely arranged facades, the openings beneath the arcades and the unusual geometry of the square. It is the kind of scene that can easily attract my attention when I am walking through a small historic village with my camera.
Varese Ligure lies inland in the Province of La Spezia, away from the coastal landscapes usually associated with Liguria. That is one of the things I find particularly interesting about the village. Here the region shows a different character, made up of valleys, mountains, historic settlements and architecture shaped by the life of the inland communities.
Fieschi Square is also known as Round Square because of its distinctive layout. Its history is connected with the Fieschi family, one of the important aristocratic families of Genoa, who played a significant role in the history of this area. That small historical detail is enough to understand why such an unusual square became one of the symbols of Varese Ligure without turning the photograph into a history lesson.
What I particularly enjoy photographing here is the perspective. The buildings seem to guide the eye around the perimeter, while the arcades create a succession of openings, architectural details and sheltered passages. Even without searching for a spectacular composition, there are plenty of viewpoints to discover.
The square is also a good example of how architecture can become part of a village’s identity. It is not simply an open space surrounded by buildings. Its shape influences the way people move through the centre and the way the village is perceived. Walking inside it, I get the feeling of being almost enclosed by the buildings that define its unusual outline.
This photograph also connects with another image I published on the blog, showing the houses of Varese Ligure from the Grecino bridge above the Vara River. The two photographs offer very different perspectives, but both show a side of the village that goes beyond the most obvious views.
For me, this is one of the pleasures of photographing small places such as Varese Ligure. You do not need a monumental landmark to find something worth capturing. A square, a house, an arcade or a small architectural detail can be enough to preserve the memory of a walk.
Fieschi Square remains one of the places I would immediately associate with Varese Ligure. Its compact atmosphere, unusual shape and architectural details make it an especially rewarding subject for photography, particularly when I take the time to slow down and let the details suggest the composition.

Have you ever visited Varese Ligure and seen the unusual shape of Fieschi Square for yourself? Add a comment or go to the bottom of the site to read what other visitors have written.

Photo taken with a Canon EOS M100 camera and Canon EF-M 11-22 lens.

If you want to see all the photos taken in Varese that afternoon—as well as previous ones—click here:

Add one comment to this article or read here what other visitors have written.

Adv

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21 August 2026

Varese Ligure seen from Grecino Bridge

Varese Ligure vista dal ponte Grecino, con le case del borgo affacciate sul fiume Vara

Varese Ligure seen from Grecino Bridge.
From Grecino Bridge in Varese Ligure, Liguria, Italy, I photographed the houses of the village as they face the Vara river, showing a side of the historic center that is normally hidden from view. This different perspective was what made me stop and take the photograph.
When walking through Varese Ligure, it is natural to follow the streets of the historic center and look at the houses from their more familiar side. From Grecino Bridge, however, the view changes completely. The photograph shows what could almost be called the back of the buildings along the carrugio, facing the river and forming a much quieter view of the village.
I wanted to capture this particular angle because it offered a different way of looking at Varese Ligure. It is not necessarily the image most people associate with the village, but that is exactly what I like about it. The houses appear different when seen from the opposite side, and details that are easy to miss while walking through the main street suddenly become visible.
Grecino Bridge is one of the historic elements worth noticing when exploring Varese Ligure. Crossing the Vara river, it provides a distinctive viewpoint over the village and makes it easier to understand the relationship between the houses, the river and the surrounding landscape. If you are looking for things to see in Varese Ligure beyond its famous square, this is a small but interesting place to stop.
Piazza Fieschi is probably the most recognizable image of the village. Its unusual elliptical shape gives it a very distinctive appearance and is also connected with Varese Ligure’s nickname, the “round village”. But there is much more to photograph here than the famous square.
I am particularly interested in these less obvious viewpoints. When I photograph a village, I do not necessarily look for the classic postcard composition. I like walking around, changing direction and seeing how the buildings change when viewed from another position. Sometimes crossing a bridge is enough to reveal an entirely different side of a place.
Here the Vara river almost becomes a line separating two ways of seeing the village. From the streets, the houses are part of the everyday walking experience. From the bridge, the secondary façades, walls and architectural details become the main subject instead.
That is what caught my attention. The back of a building may not have the same formal appearance as its main façade, but it can reveal how the houses are actually connected to the landscape. In Varese Ligure, the river is an important part of that relationship.
A small historical detail I find interesting is the distinctive planning of Piazza Fieschi. Its regular elliptical form is one of the defining features of the village, while the surrounding historic buildings preserve traces of different periods of development. The result is a place where the shape of the streets, the architecture and the presence of the river all contribute to its identity.
Looking at this photograph, though, I am less interested in turning the scene into a historical explanation and more interested in the effect of perspective. The same building can look completely different from a street, a square or the opposite bank of a river.
This is something I often notice when photographing villages and narrow streets in Liguria. An earlier photograph might show a familiar façade, while moving only a few dozen meters can reveal another composition entirely. That is one reason I enjoy returning to places I have already photographed: there is no guarantee that I will see them in the same way twice.
Grecino Bridge therefore seems interesting to me not only as a way of crossing the Vara river, but also as a small viewpoint over Varese Ligure. The photograph came from that simple observation, away from the better-known image of the village.
If I return here, I would probably look for more views along the river, following its course and seeing how the houses change from one position to another. These small changes of perspective often lead to the photographs that stay in my memory longest.
This image also connects naturally with other stories on my blog about Ligurian villages, where I have tried to photograph not only the most famous views but also narrow streets, bridges and architectural details encountered while walking. Over time, these photographs become a kind of visual diary of Liguria, made up of well-known places as well as quieter corners.
For anyone wondering where to look for a different view of Varese Ligure, Grecino Bridge offers exactly that kind of opportunity. It does not compete with Piazza Fieschi; instead, it shows another side of the same village and makes the relationship between the historic buildings and the river easier to appreciate.

Have you ever stopped on Grecino Bridge to look at the hidden side of the houses along Varese Ligure’s carrugio? Add a comment or go to the bottom of the site to read what other visitors have written.

Photo taken with a Canon EOS M100 camera and a Canon EF-S 10-18 lens.

I also shot a nice video while walking across the bridge:

Video recorded with a GoPro Hero5.

To see all the photos I took in Varese, click here:

7 August 2026

Arches in the alleys of Varese Ligure

Archi nei vicoli del Borgorotondo di Varese Ligure tra case in pietra del centro storico

Arches in the alleys of Varese Ligure.
Among the things to see in Varese Ligure, Liguria, Italy, there are also the small architectural details that make its historic center unique, such as the arches connecting the old houses of Borgorotondo. In this view I found one of those corners that perfectly represents the character of the village: a narrow passage made of stone, ancient shapes and perspectives that invite you to slow down and observe.
I photographed this scene while walking through the historic center of Varese Ligure, just after the area of Piazza Fieschi, one of the most recognizable places in the village. What caught my attention were the flying arches between the buildings, elements that are easy to overlook but that give the streets a very distinctive appearance.
When I photograph a village, I am not only looking for the most famous views, but also for those details that reveal how places were built and lived over time. I wanted to capture this detail with my camera because these arches represent the atmosphere of Borgorotondo, where the houses seem almost connected to each other, creating a unique urban landscape.
Arches between historic buildings can have different purposes: in some cases they are structural elements created to support or stabilize constructions, while in others they can also have an aesthetic role, creating covered passages and visual continuity between houses. In Varese Ligure, they certainly contribute to the charm of the medieval and Renaissance historic center.
Varese Ligure, located in the Province of La Spezia, Liguria, Italy, is known as Borgorotondo because of the circular shape of its historic core. The arrangement of the houses around the central square is one of the features that makes this village different from many other places in Liguria.
A small historical curiosity concerns Borgorotondo itself: its circular layout developed during the medieval period around Piazza Fieschi, which became the social and commercial heart of the community.
This photograph is a new interpretation of a subject I had already photographed in the past. Even if the view may appear similar, this time I found a different composition and colors that better express the feeling of the place. This is one of the most interesting aspects of photography: returning to the same location can lead to completely different images.
Like other historic streets and architectural details I have shared on the blog, this corner shows how small urban elements can reveal the true identity of a village.

Which architectural detail from a historic village has impressed you more than a famous landmark? Add a comment or go to the bottom of the site to read what other visitors have written.

Photo taken with a Canon EOS M100 camera and Canon EF-S 10-18 lens.

If you want to see all the photos taken in Varese that afternoon—as well as previous ones—click here:

Commissioned by the Fieschi family to control and defend the Varese territory, it consists of uniform stone houses arranged along an elliptical perimeter that encloses the two main squares (Piazza Fieschi and Piazza Castello); the arcades beneath these buildings housed shops, warehouses, and workshops.
Read more on Wikipedia