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 According to historical documents,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 15th 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.
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