NASO

Naso is a town of nearly 5,000 inhabitants, located at some 500m a.s.l. in the Messina province. Mythology holds that Naso developed on the site of the ancient Agathyrsus, founded by Agatrhirnos, one of the sons of Aeolus, in 1218 BC. According to historical documents, the city was founded during the High Middle Ages and ruled throughout the centuries by different Lords, among which are the Ventimiglias. Under one of the family members, that is Carlo Ventimiglia, it was elevated to County.

The tour of the town can begin with the Mother Church dedicated to Saints Apostles Philip and James. On the inside, it is adorned with fine works such as a 1500’s marble statue representing Our Lady of the Assumption with the Angels, a 1600’s wooden Crucifix and a marble statue of the Virgin and Child.

The 1600’s Chiesa del Santissimo Salvatore has a lovely courtyard and twin bell-towers. The inside, laid out on a basilica-plan, houses various pieces of art such as a 1600’s painting of San Girolamo nel Deserto and a 1400’s tryptych representing the Virgin and the Child, Saint Paul of the Cross, the Misteries of the Rosary and the Annunciation.

The Chiesa di Santa Maria del Gesù and the adjacent, contemporary Convento dei Frati Minori Osservati, date from the 15^th century. Very little remains of the original structure of the religious complex. Notably, the convent retains a section of the original walls and a part of the cloister; the church, slightly better preserved, has retained a Gothic-Renaissance work by Artale Cardone consisting of four statues depicting the Virtues.