Naso, a Sicilian municipality populated by approximately 3.400 inhabitants, is located in the Metropolitan City of Messina, approximately 500 meters above sea level in the Val Demone of the Nebrodi Mountains and, like a beautiful terrace overlooking the sea, overlooks the Aeolian Islands.
Here, between the mountains and the sea, the spectacle of Nature is simply breathtaking, to be enjoyed while learning about the local history, ancient and rich in myths and legends testified by monuments and buildings from other times.
To the visitor who arrives in Naso today, the medieval village offers beauty and food for thought, traditions and flavours, with a welcome with a truly Sicilian atmosphere…
From Agatirno to Naso, history of an ancient village
Agatirno, the Greek city from which Naso descends, was founded in 1218 BC. In 1094 the local territories were divided between the Abbey of San Bartolomeo in Lipari and the Norman Knight Goffredo of Garres and in the Middle Ages the town grew and expanded until become one County under the Lordship of Ventimiglia family. Subsequently, from County the center becomes City. Fortified, due to its isolated position in the mountains, the town became the chosen place for the birth of various monastic orders.
Closer to us are the dates of the town's modern history: it was 1820 when the first Mayor of Naso was elected, after the abolition of feudalism; in 1925 however, the separation from the municipality of Capo d'Orlando took place, which gained its autonomy.
The country is famous for giving birthplace in San Cono, in 1139, but we will talk about this story, which has its roots in legend, shortly...
Naso: from Eolo to San Cono, local myths and legends
The legend he wants Nasos to have been founded by Agathirnos, son of Aeolus, deity of the Greek Pantheon who dominated the winds. Another local legend, which is mixed with religion, tells us instead history of San Cono, become hermit Patron of the country.
San Cono was born in 1139, at the time of Roger II, into a rich and noble family. Opposing his fate, he renounced the material goods of his inheritance and took his vows at the Monastery of San Basilio, not far from the town.
San Cono lived as a hermit, in the Grotto of San Michele, where after his death he was found in a state of ecstasy and levitation by the inhabitants of Naso, who had arrived attracted by the ringing of bells on Good Friday.
What to see in Naso and surrounding areas
In Naso, medieval history, Greek myth and the legend that narrates the life of San Cono can be breathed in the air, among the stones of the ancient buildings and monuments, to be visited in the centre: starting from the Mother Church, dedicated to SS. Apostles Philip and James and built in Renaissance style, which houses the beautiful Rosary Chapel inside, until Temple and Crypt of San Cono, near the Cave of San Michele, where the different architectural styles chosen to erect the sacred building have given life to a very interesting structure of great artistic value; here you can visit the Museum of Sacred Art of Naso and venerate the relics of San Cono.
Another architectural curiosity concerns the Chapel of the Holy Rosary, added only in 1930 inside the Mother Church, replacing the Chapel dedicated to the Madonna del Carmelo: the sculptor Bartolomeo Travaglia, from Palermo, created a work of incredible spirituality in the Chapel, capable of combining myth with monotheistic religion .
In Naso, however, you will not only find religious buildings, but also stately homes, such as the famous one Small Palace, one of the most important in the centre, owned by the Piccolo family from Calanovella.
From Naso you can also reach nearby destinations, such as Capo d'Orlando at about 13 km or Brolo at 9 km, to visit the villages overlooking the sea and discover the splendid beaches of northern Sicily. Just 36 km away, you will reach Tindari, where you can visit the ancient Sanctuary, while Milazzo, from where you can embark towards the Aeolian Islands, is 64 km away. In just over an hour's journey, however, you will be in Messina, the city of the Strait.
By visiting Naso, you will also discover the delicious ones Nebrodi products: traditional cured meats and cheeses, to taste and buy in local farms and in the town's restaurants.
How to get to Naso
Naso, in the Metropolitan City of Messina, can be easily reached by car and train.
Travelers arriving in the car, they can take the A20 Messina-Buonfornello and take the exit for Brolo-Capo d'Orlando Est, which is located about 5 km from the town. Travelers who prefer the train, they can get off at the Capo d'Orlando Naso station, 5,5 km from the center and continue the journey to the town on private buses or shuttles.
Daniele Napolitano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
