The Rocca di Novara is one of the highest mountains in the Peloritani system, and is located between the municipalities of Novara di Sicilia and Fondachelli Fantina, at about 1340 meters above sea level.
Fondachelli Fantina is a splendid country which is nestled between the Nebrodi Mountains and those Peloritans. In addition to being rich in terms of tourist attractions, Fondachelli Fantina is also at the center of a particular legend that tells of a treasure and a magical rite. For those wishing to try to find out, here are all the indications on Fortress of Novara and what to do in its surroundings.
The magical place and its origins
La Rocca has a characteristic triangular shape, which makes it one mountain very similar to the Matterhorn and in keeping with the most stylized of designs. However, it contributes to making it recognizable compared to all the others a cross on its top which makes the mountain an extremely spiritual place.
According to scholars, the original village of Novara, dating back to the Middle Ages, would be located on the plateau right at the foot of the Rocca, of which, however, there are no remains. Therefore, these are only guesses given that the origins of the town are uncertain and made even more obscure by the discovery of a wall in this area in 2000. In-depth excavations should be conducted which could certainly tell more about this village.
The legend of the treasure of the Rocca di Novara
These obscure origins go well with the legend that circulates on the Fortress of Novara.
According to this ancient story, inside the mountain known as the Rocca there would be hidden treasure very ancient and huge, so as to make all the inhabitants of the island immensely rich. Getting to the treasure, however, would not be easy since it is guarded by the Old Wise, an equally mysterious character whose face is petrified on the northern slope of the rock formation. There is, however, a way to convince the old man to open the doors of the room that holds the precious loot. According to legend, a woman must be able to weave a mantile with linen thread and a loom in the same day, then bake a focaccia after having the grain ground at the mill and wrap it in bellows, after cooking it on the fire of seven different types of wood found in seven different woods. At that point, with this gift, you must go up to the Rocca and wait for the hundred tolls of the bell located in the mother church: if everything has been done as prescribed, the doors to the treasury will open.
What to see in Fondachelli Fantina
Among the monuments not to be missed in Fondachelli Fantina is the Church of Our Lady of Providence which has the particularity of hosting inside the tomb of seven Garibaldini who landed on the coast in 1862, in the night between 2 and 3 September, but died as they were mistaken for deserters. Another place with a suggestive charm is the district of Baghigno Dodaro which, together with those of Serro, Pernina, Rajù and Masseria are called ghost neighborhoods because they were abandoned by the population following the floods, today a veritable open-air museum of memories.
Things to do in Fondachelli Fantina
Fondachelli Fantina is a very lively locality from the point of view of religious traditions and culture, for which there are many events to take part in. Among these, the patronal feast of the Guardian Angels held every year on the second Sunday of July. It is an appointment of faith and folklore because, in addition to the solemn procession of the faithful, there are also stalls with the main local food and wine specialties and the craft fair.
How to get to the Rocca di Novara
Those who want to get to Fondachelli Fantina and admire the Rocca di Novara more closely to try to make its treasure appear can reach the village by car from Messina, along the A20 and immediately after the E90, the same route that must also be done from Palermo and Trapani. Those who, however, move from Catania, will be able to choose the A18 and then continue the journey on the E45 to their destination. From Syracuse the indicated road is the E45, finally from Enna you have to take the A19 and then the E932.
Fondachelli Fantina does not have its own railway station but the nearby town of Novara di Sicilia has one which it shares with the villages of Montalbano and Furnari, so you can also reach the town on the train or with the local buses which are those foreseen by the lines made available by the AST company.
© Image by Ephems, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
