What is Troina known for?

Chosen by Roger I in 1061 as the political base of the Norman conquest of Sicily, and the seat of the first Sicilian bishopric founded in 1082. Southern gateway to the Parco dei Nebrodi, Sicily's largest natural park, with beech forests and the protected San Fratello horse breed. Città dell'Olio at altitude; Nebrodi extra virgin oil, mountain bread, and pecorino dei Nebrodi sustain a thin upland economy.

Troina is a comune in the province of Enna, Sicily region of Italy, about 57 kilometers from Catania.

Sicily · Enna

Troina

At 1,121 meters on the Nebrodi ridge, the first capital and first bishopric the Normans set up in Sicily after taking it from the Arabs.

1121m

Elevation

57 km / 35 mi

Nearest hub (Catania)

8,550

Population

Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Troina sits at 1,121 meters on the southern edge of the Nebrodi, one of the highest commune centers in Sicily, with Etna visible to the east on clear days. The area was settled in the seventh millennium BC and the urban core dates to the fourth century BC. In 1061 Roger I took the Saracen castle here and made the town the first political and military base of the Norman conquest of the island. The Diocese of Troina, established in 1082, was the first Sicilian bishopric founded after centuries of Arab rule. The Chiesa Madre, dedicated to Maria Santissima Assunta, stands at the highest point of the town with its Norman tower still intact, the earliest Norman cathedral built in Sicily. Below the centro storico, the ruins of the Basilian monastery of San Michele Arcangelo, endowed by Count Roger, sit on an outcrop above the Fiume sotto di Troina valley. The Nebrodi Park surrounds the commune on three sides.

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Gallery

7 photos · scroll →

Known for

Chiesa Madre (Maria Santissima Assunta)
First Norman cathedral built in Sicily, founded under Roger I after 1061, with its original Norman bell tower still standing at the highest point of the centro storico.
Castello di Troina
Medieval fortress taken from the Saracens by Roger I in 1061 and used as the political and military base of the Norman conquest of Sicily; partial walls and towers survive.
Monastero di San Michele Arcangelo
Ruined Basilian monastery on a rocky outcrop below the town, endowed by Count Roger after the conquest and one of the oldest Norman monastic foundations on the island.
Parco dei Nebrodi
Sicily's largest protected area surrounds the commune; beech and oak forests, San Fratello horses, and ridge trails between Troina and Cesarò.
Belvedere sull'Etna
Eastern viewpoint from the centro storico looking across the Simeto valley to Mount Etna, 40 kilometers away.

When to visit

Best months · Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

June through September brings dry highland weather, ridge trails open across the Nebrodi, and temperatures stay below thirty even when the Sicilian coast burns. December through March is the second season: Troina's altitude catches snow, and the Nebrodi roads close for storms but the town itself stays open. April, May, October and November are quiet and often wet, the wind sharp on the ridge, with many guesthouses shut. The light in late June, when the wheat below the town turns and Etna stands clear to the east, is the photograph the commune sells.