On Sunday 28 April 2024 Varzi will celebrate, as it does every year, Saint George the Martyr, the patron saint of this city, in the province of Pavia and the Diocese of Tortona. The Delegation of Lombardy of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George has been invited as usual to attend with a representation of Knights and Ladies at the solemn Holy Mass which will be celebrated at 11.00 in the parish church of San Germano Vescovo in Varzi, presided over by Archpriest Father Francesco Favaretto, followed by a procession with the illustrious relic of the Patron Saint.
It has now become a tradition for the Constantinian Order to take part in this important city event, in which the city authorities and a large representation of citizens participate.
The relics of the arm and right hand of Saint George are preserved in the parish church of Varzi. They arrived in Varzi between 1473 and 1479. If we want to venture a hypothesis, we can assume that they were brought there by a local feudal lord, a Malaspina or more probably a Sforza from Santa Fiora, who already had held part of the Varzi fiefdom since 1466. It was almost certainly not brought by the religious authorities, because the owner of the relics was the municipality of Varzi.
