The small maritime republic
Between Savona and Finale Ligure, at the foot of a hill crowned by the ruins of a castle, Noli is a medieval village of narrow lanes, stone towers and arcades, one of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia", which has a surprising history: from 1192 to 1797 it was a small independent maritime republic, allied with Genoa but free, with its own consuls, laws, fleet and statutes, a "republic" that lasted over six centuries, longer than many larger states, until Napoleon's armies put an end to it. Its sailors took part in the Crusades, and its merchants traded throughout the Mediterranean.
The village preserves the signs of this past: the medieval towers of the noble families, once over seventy and today a few, including the Torre del Comune, the Loggia della Repubblica, the old town hall, and the walls that climb up the hill to the Castello di Monte Ursino, with its tower and battlements, from which there is a splendid view of the bay. Just outside the centre stands the church of San Paragorio, one of the most important Romanesque monuments of Liguria, of the eleventh century, with a large wooden crucifix, the "Volto Santo". Dante, who passed through here during his exile, mentioned Noli in the Purgatorio, describing the steep descent to the village from the mountains. The bay of Noli, with its long beach and the cliff of Capo Noli, is one of the most beautiful of the Riviera, and nearby the island of Bergeggi is a protected marine area.
Tip: taste the fresh fish sold directly by the fishermen on the beach in the morning; walk up to the castle for the view.
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