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The Stone of Saint Varena is a rare example of a living folkloric tradition rooted in the ancient past. Blending myth, ritual, and faith, it continues to attract those seeking healing or a deeper connection to the spiritual heritage of the land.
The Stone of Saint Varena: A Sacred Healer in Villa del Foro.
In the small village of Villa del Foro, near Alessandria in northern Italy, a remarkable stone is embedded in the outer wall of the local church. Known as the “Stone of Saint Varena”, it is the object of ancient legends and healing rituals that blend pagan origins with Christian devotion.A Pagan Altar Turned Sacred
According to tradition, the stone was once a pagan altar, possibly used in pre-Christian religious rites. Legend tells that Saint Varena, a German woman coming back from Egypt said to be part of the Theban Legion in the 4th century, lifted this heavy stone onto her shoulders and carried it to the heart of the village. There, she instructed the construction of a church where it now remains, set into the façade as a sacred relic.
Interestingly, the name “Varena” (or “Vareina” in the local dialect) is associated with the meaning “healer”, reinforcing her legendary powers and the stone’s therapeutic role.
Healing Ritual and Local “Mantra”
To this day, the stone is believed to hold healing powers, especially for back pain, rheumatic conditions, and kidney issues.
The traditional ritual involves:
Touching the stone with the afflicted part of the body (often the back),
Making the sign of the cross,
And reciting a local healing phrase (almost like a mantra) in dialect, which goes:
“Santa Vareina, Santa Vareina, famme passè l’mal de scheina”
(Saint Varena, Saint Varena, take away my back pain)
This practice is still observed by locals and pilgrims alike, reflecting the enduring belief in the stone’s curative power.
A Christianized Megalithic Cult
The legend and devotion surrounding the Stone of Saint Varena is widely considered a Christian reinterpretation of an older megalithic tradition. Like many sacred stones throughout Europe, what was once a prehistoric or Celtic site of worship was absorbed into the Christian faith—its powers preserved but reattributed to a saint.
Every year on September 1st, the village holds a procession in honor of Saint Varena, continuing a ritual connection to the sacred landscape and reinforcing communal identity.
Very rare view of a detail of the stone seen from the inside of the church.
The stone is known among the elders of the area by this name, the “Sasso dell’Olio”, although no one remembers exactly why. Still, the basin at the top clearly suggests that it once held oil, likely for ritual or practical use.
The best way to visit these places is through a day-long hike, allowing time to fully immerse yourself in the landscape. The area is rich in local folklore, with many legends still surviving. The names of saints often seem to echo ancient deities or local spirits, and stories abound of fairies and devils said to inhabit the deep gullies (calanchi) and the numerous springs scattered across the valleys.
Many place names, of hills, streams, and villages, are of Celtic or pre-Christian origin, further deepening the sense of a land shaped by layers of spiritual and cultural history.
Below are additional images from the hike, along with a selection of useful links and notes for those interested in exploring further.
The “Sasso dell’Olio” (meaning: Stone of the oil)
The “Sasso dell’Olio” is located in the area where the Tortonese hills begin to rise into the Apennines, with the nearest village being Garbagna. The closest paved road leads to località Bastita, from where one must continue on foot. We actually enjoyed a beautiful hike starting from Castellania, passing through the Towers of Sant’Alosio, a site that features some cup marks and appears to be connected to the stone.
The Rock stands directly along a forest trail, atop one of the many hills in the area. Without a guide, it’s quite difficult to find. While many stones emerge naturally from the ground, this one clearly appears man-made. In fact, it has tilted about 30 degrees, likely due to centuries of erosion. The stone is about 1.7 meters tall, though it appears taller due to the sloped terrain.
Once you see it in person, the origin of its name becomes clear: at the top of the stone is a small basin, larger than a cup mark, which was likely used to hold oil or fat for a flame. Another striking feature is the stone’s orientation: despite the dense vegetation, it points toward the peak of Sant’Alosio, where we had passed earlier. That site contains a large cup mark and has become a place of solstice celebrations in recent years.
The two scenic hilltops, Sant’Alosio and the Sasso dell’Olio, are about 6 km apart by trail, and likely even closer as the crow flies.
The area around the Sasso is archaeologically intriguing, with many other stones scattered nearby. To the left of the main stone lies another one, partially buried, that appears quite similar and may have fallen long ago. Behind these two stones is a small clearing with several naturally occurring stones that deserve further examination, at least one appears to bear man-made markings.
Most remarkable is a large boulder, nearly three meters tall, that stands right in the center of the clearing on a small rise. Though it seems naturally placed, it exudes a particular presence or energy, and it contains unusual cavities. Whether these are natural or carved remains unclear, but they certainly caught our attention, and probably that of ancient visitors as well.
Finally, many other stones in the area, though covered with moss and leaves, seem to show signs of carvings or markings, cup marks and other incisions, weathered by centuries of exposure, as suggested by the photographs provided.
From the “Sasso dell’olio” there is a good view on the other site (with large cup marks and medieval towers) know as Sant’Alosio. Both of these plase are on the top of the hills and probably connected.
The Stone of Montechiaro and the Witches’ Stones of the Langhe and Monferrato: while no specific legends or stories are currently known about the large stone near Montechiaro d’Acqui, a standing in a clearing by the road between Acqui Terme and Spigno, it shares several features with what local folklore throughout Piedmont refers to as “pietre delle masche” (witches’ stones). These are ancient stones, monoliths, or sacred rocks that were often believed to be linked to the presence of masche, something like witches or magical women in the Piedmontese tradition.
Such stones are scattered across the Langhe and Monferrato regions and are frequently associated with pre-Christian rituals, weather manipulation, or supernatural phenomena. Often located in isolated or elevated spots, these stones were believed to be charged with power. In some tales, people avoided them out of fear, while in others they were seen as sites for nocturnal gatherings or places where the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead grew thin—especially during solstices or storms.
There are suggestions that a stone near Montechiaro d’Acqui, described in older accounts as being “near some ruins”, might belong to this category of legendary stones, even if no specific folklore has survived in written form. Its age and unexplained presence could indicate ancient use or symbolic meaning now lost.
Although no clear stories remain today, the context of local traditions surrounding similar stones suggests that it may once have been part of a mythical or ritual landscape, quietly echoing the ancient presence of the masche and their mysterious world.
On the road from Acqui Terme to Spigno, one comes across Montechiaro d’Acqui, Moncior in the local language. In a rather bleak clearing beneath a tree stands a large stone, about which nothing is known. What is certain is that it has been in that spot for many years—no one remembers its origin. On either side of the boulder, ‘benches’ made of concrete slabs have also been placed.
The rock that makes up the menhir is porous and full of holes, typical of the area. Over the centuries, the elements have severely eroded the monolith.
view from the side, the menhir looks almost abandoned in a field close to the road. Only two old concrete benches and a tree protect it.
Small basin dug into the rock at the entrance to the dolmen. You can see the Peña de los Enamorados in the background!
Image credit: myself
The popular name of this stone came from a local legend. The “masche” (something like witches of the piemontese folklore) used these stones, this one is the only survived today, to perform magic and to call storms and tempests.
The stone is near the road, just outside the city of Alessandria. During the XX century the menhir has been partially covered during the construction of the new road and now only the top can be seen.
another view of the stone
Image credit: personal pic
View of the stone
Image credit: personal pic
One of the biggest group of menhirs of the region. It was part of a bigger megalithic site, destroyed and covered by new buildings until between the 70’s and the 90’s. Now what remains of the site is protected and some stone re-erected with the help of some old pictures and signs on the stones.
In fact on the monoliths there are some cup marks and a medieval cross.
In these pictures by Marco Roggero, you can see the menhirs in their original places.
(Monte Musinè, is sure one of the most famous place for misteries. Peter Kolosimo wrote about it and about some stones on it. It’s known for UFO too! But anyway, it’s sure that this place it’s allways been a very special place since prehistoric times).
Along the way to the top of the mountain you can find a lot of standing stones, but most of them are surely natural. I found this “alignement” on a book about megalitism on italian and swiss alps called “spiriti di pietra” by Massimo Centini, and I decided to go and to find it.
Italian site about engraved stones in north west of Italy.
Some pictures and italian text.
Italian and english text and images.
Italian and english text and pictures.
This is one of the most powerfull site I visited.
The big rocks are visible on the archeological area of Susa, just in the center of the city (main city of the Susa’s Valley).
There are many cups connected with a lot of channels and one bassin. The most visible cups are very regular, deep and larger, executed with metal tools. The water still runs from cup to cups!
In roman times an impirtant aqueduct was built on the rocks, close to the Arc of August. So, this was a very important cult site in prehistoric, celtic and roman times. The site look to one of the most “holy” mountains of the Alps: Rocciamelone, also the Arc of August is built exactly to watch the top of the mountain from the engraved rocks/main arc of the aqueduct.
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