Tradition has it that Saint Constantius, a Roman soldier of the Theban legion, was martyred here in 303 AD. This event, as well as the beautiful Abbey of San Costanzo al Monte, gave rise to the name of this municipality located at the entrance to the valley and comprising 16 villages and hamlets.

Also in Villar San Costanzo,  the Lombard King Aripertus II built the Abbey of San Pietro in Vincoli, now the parish church in the eighth century. It was the Benedictines of this abbey who reclaimed this land, once marshy and now rich in orchards and vineyards.

The ‘Ciciu’, fascinating phenomena resulting from fluvial erosion of the land, are Villar San Costanzo’s unique feature. When walking along the paths of the Ciciu del Villar Nature Reserve, you will find gigantic, squat, circular “mushrooms” composed of a central body of clay and quartz granules covered by a slab of gneiss, which is usually round and flat. A magical world that fascinates adults and children alike!