Cathedral of Novara of Sicily

Il Cathedral in Novara of Sicily (o Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta) is the largest sacred building in the country and is part of the Diocese of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela.
Novara di Sicilia it is a small and delightful village whose territories were inhabited since prehistoric times; over the centuries the human settlement has become more and more alive, so as to transform itself into a Roman colony and then finally into a village, which sees its maximum splendor in the XNUMXth century.
Today the town, in the Metropolitan City of Messina, is home to just over a thousand inhabitants, but its artistic beauties are so many, as to make Novara di Sicilia one of the most beautiful villages on the island.

The Duomo is one of the town's main attractions and stands on the ruins of a pre-existing church since the XNUMXth century: the seismic activity that characterizes the area played a nefarious role for the previous building and for the current one, so that there were numerous interventions necessary for the reconstruction of the Cathedral in Novara of Sicily.
The earthquakes of Naso and Calabria in the seventeenth century, the earthquake of the Gulf of Patti in the eighteenth century and the earthquake of southern Calabria in the nineteenth century, as well as the Messina earthquake of 1908, were among the main causes of damage to the Cathedral, but always the community he knew how to rebuild his Church.

The sacred building as it can be seen today was born in the fifteenth century, with the construction of the walls and the crypt, while the bell tower it is from the XNUMXth century. Damaged by bombing during the Second World War, the Cathedral in Novara di Sicilia was finally partially rebuilt after the war.

The architecture of the Cathedral of Novara di Sicilia and the works it houses

The plan of the Cathedral in Novara di Sicilia is a three naves; below the apse area, the interesting presence of the crypt of the fifteenth century, while outside the church there is also the Baptistery.

The main facade of the Duomo is covered in sandstone and built in late Renaissance style; the minor entrances are framed by pillars and decorations with marble Corinthian capitals can be observed. The main entrance is surmounted by a triangular tympanum.

Inside, the Cathedral is divided into three naves by 12 sandstone columns, while the figure of 12 is repeated again in the number of marble altars in the lateral naves.

Among the sacred furnishings, of particular beauty is the marble baptismal font, on which there is a small wooden temple. Wooden statues and altarpieces adorn the interiors of the naves and chapels. The High Altar is characterized by bas-reliefs representing stories from the Bible.
To visit are also there Crypt of mummies and the Sacristy, where other paintings are exhibited.

What to do in the Cathedral of Novara di Sicilia and in the surroundings

The Cathedral of Novara di Sicilia is the main church of the town, where of course the faithful and tourists can gather in recollection to follow the Mass; after the function, visitors will be able to linger to admire all the beauties that are kept in the church, very numerous and of great artistic value.

Novara di Sicilia, however, presents itself to tourists as a real city of art, so there are many other attractions that can be discovered with a stay in the town. Among the sacred buildings, the Church of Sant'Antonio Abate built in the XNUMXth century and the oldest Church of San Francesco (XNUMXth century) are undoubtedly among the most beautiful in the village; behind the Cathedral are the ruins of theAncient Castle, an interesting and extraordinary observation point which dominates the valley and also allows you to admire the Aeolian Islands. To visit during a walk in the village, even the Monument to the Fallen and the Noble Palaces of the village.

Novara di Sicilia is located near the Nebrodi Park, to which a visit is recommended: here they can be done excursions e trekking outside, birdwatching and interesting gastronomic discoveries, tasting the famous Nebrodi cheeses. With just an hour's journey you can reach the beautiful Taormina to the south, or Tindari along the Tyrrhenian coast.

Una vacation in Sicily also offers tourists some of the tastiest dishes of Italian cuisine, but in these parts one cannot forget the local products such as Majorcan (sheep's cheese included among the Slow Food presidia) oi you fry, pork and lard-based dish.

How to get to the Cathedral of Novara di Sicilia

Novara di Sicilia, in the Metropolitan City of Messina, is about 73 km from the Strait. To get to the village, visitors can choose the car or the train.
In the car, take the A19 Palermo-Catania and the A20 Palermo-Messina until the Faclone exit (12 km from the centre), continue in the direction of Messina and take the SS 185 for Novara di Sicilia.

Who travels on the train, can get off at the Barcelona-Castroreale station and continue for 16 km by bus, up to the center of the town.
Once in Novara di Sicilia, to reach the Cathedral you need to go to Piazza del Duomo.

© Image by Ephems, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons