[3] Noa, a word of Sicani origin, means “fallow field” (equivalent of Italian maggese), as it was an agricultural area.

Other names in the Middle Ages include Nucaria, the Nuara, the Nucharia, Nugaria, Nutaria, Nocerai, and Noara, before the definitive transformation to Novara.

The village, nestled in the mountains overlooking ancient Tyndaris and Abacaenum and with notable views of the Aeolian Islands, is the archetype of a typical medieval town.

The Festival of Saint Anthony Abbot is celebrated in January, with a parade of horses and livestock and a “Blessing of the Animals” in the bell tower.

The Festa dell'Assunta (the assumption of the Virgin Mary) is the largest annual event in the town, attracting thousands of visitors.

The festivities run from July 31 to August 15, when a procession is held with a statue of the Virgin (the patron saint of the town), illuminated with more than 150 candles, is carried through the streets on the shoulders of more than 30 men.