Church of Maria SS. Announced in Novara of Sicily
The Church of Maria SS. Annunziata in Novara di Sicilia houses the very valuable "Gaginese" group of the Annunciation.
The date of construction of the church is not known, but it is certain that the date of 1697 shown on the pediment of the main door, cannot indicate the date of construction but simply the reconstruction of the building. The building is certainly older since a congregation was already active in this church in the 16th century.
The simple facade is flanked by an Arab tower whose peculiarity is a spiral stone staircase of 48 steps leading up to the bell tower of the church where one of the three bells has engraved Byzantine characters in use before 1400, a feature that marks the time of construction of the tower.
In the external wall of the apse there is a rose window which represents the only architectural element that survived the destruction of the Church of San Sebastiano which once stood in Piazza Stancanelli Basile.
The interior was entirely revised in a Baroque key during the nineteenth century and the stuccos, which still give brightness and beauty to the church, they have completely covered up the original beauty of the columns and arches in local stone.
Of notable artistic value is the “Gaginesque” group of the Annunciation sculpted by Giovambattista Mazzolo in 1531. The group, placed on the main altar, includes three statues, of which that of the Eternal Father walled up at the top of the chapel, and is embellished with precious enamels.
The church houses other works of particular artistic value, including a Wooden crucifix, the statues of Our Lady of Sorrows and San Sebastiano dating back to the 1500s and an artistic pipe organ from the 1700s.
