Novara di Sicilia

Novara di Sicilia (Nuè in dialect galloitalico; Nuarra in Sicilian) is located on the border between the Monti Nebrodi and Peloritani mountains. The findings in contrada Casalini and the rudimentary dwellings dug into the rock Sperlinga document the existence of a complex mesolithic. The ancient Roman city of Noa is mentioned by Pliny, that calls its inhabitants "noeni". In the IX century the Saracens build a castle that becomes the new center of civil life by replacing the one in the current contrada Casalini, lived up to all the Byzantine era. Around 1061-72 sits a Lombardi colony of Catholic religion with the Latin rite, probably in the places in which rises the current country.
In 1171 founded by Sant'Ugo, under the reign of King Ruggero II, the abbey of Santa Maria Nucaria, first Cistercense building in Sicily. In the XIII century was built a fortified structure by Ruggero di Lauria; in 1298 the town of Novara is already censured as castrum Nucariae. The XIV century, the earth and the castle are in the possession of the family of Norman origin Palizzi in people of Nicolò 1299 and Matteo in 1337 and then of Vinciguerra d'Aragona in 1364 under the reign of Frederick IV of Aragon. In the XVII century the village reaches its maximum development.

The village is situated on the slope of the mountain from which one sees the ancient Tindari, in an enchanting natural scenery downstream of an impressive rock spur, La Rocca Salvatesta, which reaches 1340 m. The small houses affastellate, the texture of alleys and narrow streets sometimes surmounted by arches, the decorations of the facades, the elegance of the palaces, the sumptuousness of the Churches give charm to an urban structure of the medieval imprint.

The streets, mostly paved with cobblestones squeezed between two longitudinal rows of local sandstone, contribute to enhance the architecture of the historic center. The sandstone was used in civil construction and with elaborations of great merit in the religious ones, where there are also many architectural elements made of cipolin, another local stone, red marble. The use of stone, that the territory emerges a little everywhere, testifies to the importance of the art of the stonemason you tramandava from father to son, until the unfortunate arrival of cement (but today the noble profession is resumed with good results).

The ancient castle, which today remains the ruins, was situated on a cliff overhanging that preserves unchanged its beauty, even if the top of the hill was not protected by thoughtless building interventions. From the top you can enjoy the amplitude of the valley that descends toward the sea: pushing the gaze up to the horizon you can see the Aeolian islands.

Certainly deserves a visit to the Abbey of Santa Maria di Novara.

There is an ancient dialect gallo-Italico. The inhabitants of Novara are in fact descendants of the settlers and soldiers from northern Italy and the south of France that settled in these areas with the Norman conquest of Sicily.

The traditional dish of the feast of Mid-august is pasta 'Ncasciada seasoned with veal sauce and castrated, crumbled meatballs, aubergines, egg and breadcrumbs.Another typical dish from the beautiful name of Lempi and trori (lightning and thunder), is prepared with beans, chickling vetch, maize, lentils and wheat boiled and then seasoned. For robust mountain appetites there are the frittui, pork mixed with lard, boiled together with pork rind, tripe, lung, heart and liver of the same pig.