Anywhere Italy
Stemma di Novara di Sicilia

Sicily · Messina

Novara di Sicilia

A stone village at 650 meters where the Peloritani meet the Nebrodi, with a UNESCO-listed cheese race tumbling down the main street at Carnival.

Known for

  • MAIORCHINO

    Hard pecorino cheese of the Peloritani, aged in wheels of 10 to 18 kilograms and produced in Novara since the seventeenth century.

  • CHEESE RACE

    Carnival contest where teams roll Maiorchino wheels two kilometers downhill from Via Duomo to Piano Don Michele, recognized by UNESCO.

  • GALLO-ITALIC

    Northern Italian Lombard dialect from the 1061-72 settlement still spoken alongside Sicilian in the village.

When to visit

Best · Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov

  • J11°
  • F12°
  • M12°
  • A16°
  • M20°
  • J26°
  • J29°
  • A29°
  • S25°
  • O21°
  • N16°
  • D12°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

Why come

Novara di Sicilia sits at 650 meters at the point where the Peloritani and Nebrodi ranges meet, with the pointed limestone Rocca Salvatesta rising to 1,340 meters behind it. Lombards from northern Italy settled here between 1061 and 1072 under the Norman conquest, and a Gallo-Italic dialect from that migration is still spoken in the village. Roger of Lauria built a castle here in the thirteenth century.

The Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta dates from the sixteenth, a sandstone Renaissance building above the medieval lanes. Every Carnival the village hosts the Lancio del Maiorchino, recognized by UNESCO as intangible heritage: teams roll 10-to-18-kilogram wheels of aged pecorino cheese two kilometers downhill from Via Duomo to Piano Don Michele, a contest that dates from the early 1600s when shepherds tested the maturation of their cheese on these same stones.

The Sunday letter

We haven’t written Novara di Sicilia’s letter yet.

One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.

How to get there

From Catania (CTA), about 1h 40m by car.

By car from the centre of Palermo 2h 31m.

Coming by train into Messina Centrale? Novara di Sicilia is about 1 hour away by road.

Every town within reach of Catania airport.

Novara di Sicilia — photo 1
Novara di Sicilia — photo 2

What to see

  • Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta

    Sixteenth-century cathedral in sandstone, the main building of the historic center with a Renaissance façade overlooking the village.

  • Rocca Salvatesta

    Pointed limestone peak of 1,340 meters behind the village, called the Matterhorn of Sicily for its shape and dominating the Peloritani-Nebrodi divide.

  • Centro storico

    Medieval stone village of arched lanes and decorated façades on the slopes of Rocca Salvatesta, listed among the Borghi più belli d'Italia.

  • Ruderi del Castello

    Remains of the thirteenth-century castle built by Roger of Lauria above the village, on the rock that gave Novara its strategic position.

The slow-trip planner

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Plan your trip

Through the year

What happens here

Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.

Living here

  • Population 1,174
  • Off the beaten pathi
  • Pharmacy in town
  • High school within a 30-minute drive
  • Nearest airport Catania, 1 h 40 min drive
  • Regional capital Palermo, 2 h 31 min drive

Common questions

What is Novara di Sicilia known for?
Novara di Sicilia is a stone village at 650 meters where the Peloritani meet the Nebrodi, with a UNESCO-listed cheese race tumbling down the main street at Carnival.
Where is Novara di Sicilia?
Novara di Sicilia is a comune in the province of Messina, in Sicily.
What is the nearest airport to Novara di Sicilia?
Catania (CTA), about 1h 40m by car.
How long is the drive from Palermo to Novara di Sicilia?
About 2h 31m by car.
When is the best time to visit Novara di Sicilia?
Best in Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov. July is the warmest month, averaging 29 degrees, and March the wettest, with about 13 rain days.
Is there a sagra or a festival in Novara di Sicilia?
Yes. Festino dell'Assunta e di S. Ugo a Novara di Sicilia and Sagra Pasta Ncasciada a Novara di Sicilia. August is when the first of them falls.
Which other towns are like Novara di Sicilia?
Castel di Lucio, Sutera and Santa Cristina Gela.
How many people live in Novara di Sicilia?
1,174 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

The numbers

  • Elevation: 650 m
  • Population: 1,174
  • Surface area: 49.18 km²

These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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