Novara di Sicilia Destination in Sicily · Province of Messina

Novara di Sicilia is a mountain village at 650 meters (about 2,130 feet) in northeast Sicily, in the Province of Messina, about 70 kilometers from Messina and close to the north coast. A member of “I Borghi più belli d'Italia,” it has a stone-built old town with churches from the 13th to the 17th century and is known for Maiorchino, a sheep's-milk cheese.

Where is Novara di Sicilia?

The village sits where two mountain ranges meet, the Nebrodi and the Peloritani. Messina is about 70 kilometers away and the north coast is close by. The roads run through mountain country, so check the driving time in a current map app before you set off. A little over 1,000 people live here; the count in May 2026 was 1,041. Emigration has taken its toll, and the population has dropped by 83 percent since 1921.

History and sights of Novara di Sicilia

The village traces its origins to the Roman settlement of Noa. In the 9th century the Saracens built a castle on the rock above it. Later the Normans brought in settlers from Lombardy and Provence, and their Gallo-Italic dialect is still spoken in the village today. The old town is built of stone and threaded with narrow lanes and flights of steps. The buildings worth stopping for:

• the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, a 16th-century Renaissance church with a sandstone facade and three naves divided by monolithic columns
• the church of San Francesco, built in the 13th century and the oldest church in the village
• the churches of Sant'Ugo Abate and San Nicolò, both from the 17th century
• the ruins of the Saracen castle on the cliff above the houses

The abbey, Rocca Salvatesta and the hazelnut groves

Five kilometers outside the village stands the abbey of Santa Maria La Noara. It dates from the 12th century and was the first Cistercian building in Sicily. Rising above Novara is the Rocca Salvatesta, a 1,340-meter peak whose pointed shape earned it the nickname “Matterhorn of Sicily.” Forest and hazelnut groves cover the surrounding slopes, and on clear summer days the view stretches all the way to the Aeolian Islands.

Maiorchino, the hazelnut festival and local pasta

Maiorchino is an aged sheep's-milk cheese listed among the Slow Food Presidia. At Carnival it becomes a piece of sports equipment: in the Torneo del Maiorchino, teams race the cheese wheels by rolling them. In October the village holds its own festival in honor of the hazelnut, and hazelnut sausage is part of it. Local pasta dishes include pasta 'ncasciata and maccheroni al pomodoro.

When to visit

Two dates on the village calendar are worth planning around: the cheese race at Carnival and the hazelnut festival in October. Your best chance of seeing the Aeolian Islands from the slopes is a clear summer day. On the north coast near Palermo, average daily highs in July and August reach about 30 °C (86 °F), with the sea at almost 28 °C (82 °F). At 650 meters, Novara di Sicilia sits higher than the coast and is cooler. In May and October, coastal highs average about 23 °C (73 °F), which makes both months comfortable for exploring the lanes and the countryside on foot.