Noli (; ) is a coast ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' of

Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, in the

Province of Savona The province of Savona (; Ligurian language, Ligurian: ''provinsa de Sann-a'') is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Liguria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Savona, which has a population of 61,219 inhabitants. The province has a ...

, it is about southwest of

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

by rail, about above sea-level. The origin of the name may come from ''Neapolis'', meaning "new city" in Greek. It is one of

I Borghi più belli d'Italia () is a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest, that was founded in March 2001 on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities, with the a ...

("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). From 1192 to 1797 Noli was one of the

maritime republics The maritime republics (), also called merchant republics (), were Italian Thalassocracy , thalassocratic Port city, port cities which, starting from the Middle Ages, enjoyed political autonomy and economic prosperity brought about by their mar ...

, the

Republic of Noli The Republic of Noli (; ) was an Italian maritime republic that was centred on the city of Noli, in Liguria, and existed from 1192 to 1797. The area is now in the province of Savona, Italy. To protect itself from possible attacks and invasion ...

Geography

The bounding communes of Noli are

Finale Ligure Finale Ligure (, locally ; ) is a ''comune'' on the Gulf of Genoa, in the province of Savona, in Liguria, Italy. It is considered part of the Italian Riviera. Part of its historical center ("Finalborgo") is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("Th ...

Spotorno Spotorno () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about southwest of Savona. Today the town is an important holiday center of Riviera delle Palme, but in th ...

and

Vezzi Portio Vezzi Portio () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about southwest of Savona. Vezzi Portio borders the following municipalities: Finale Ligure, Noli, Orco ...

History

The name ''Noli'', testified in the form ''Naboli'' in the oldest documents (between 1004 and 1005), certainly derives from a form of which means "new city" in

Byzantine Greek Medieval Greek (also known as Middle Greek, Byzantine Greek, or Romaic; Greek: ) is the stage of the Greek language between the end of classical antiquity in the 5th–6th centuries and the end of the Middle Ages, conventionally dated to the F ...

(same etymology as for ''

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

''). It may be mentioned as ''Neapolis'' by 7th century geographer

George of Cyprus George of Cyprus (; Latinized as ''Georgius Cyprius'') was a Greek Byzantine geographer of the early seventh century. Nothing is known of his life save that he was a Byzantine Greek born at Lapithos in the island of Cyprus. He is known for his ...

. The

was an independent republic from 1193 until 1797. In 1239 it became seat of a bishop; later on the diocese was united with that of Savona as the

Diocese of Savona-Noli :: :: The Diocese of Savona-Noli () is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in northern Italy. It was historically the Diocese of Savona, from the tenth century. In 1820 the Diocese of Noli was united to the Diocese of Savona. It is a suffrag ...

. The Napoleonic invasion in 1797 put an end to Noli's sovereignty.

Main sights

* Romanesque basilica of S. Paragorio (11th century) * Household and annexed Tower (14th-15th century) *

San Paragorio San Paragorio is a church located outside the Medieval walls of the town of Noli, province of Savona. It is an important monument of Romanesque architecture in Liguria. It is an Italian national monument since 1890. Architecture and history of ...

(5th–6th century) * Tower and Gate Papone (13th-14th centuries) * Tower of Four Sides. *

Nemo's Garden (Noli) Nemo's Garden is an underwater cultivation designed by Sergio Gamberini along with a team from Ocean Reef Group in 2012, and currently coordinated by Gianni Fontanesi. The project was born to face main global issues, such as: climate change, pol ...

Noli - Cathedral tower, castle and Torre del Comune.jpg, Cathedral tower, castle and Torre del Comune. Noli - San Paragorio - 2.jpg, Romanesque wooden Christ inside

. Noli - View from Capo Noli - 4.jpg, Noli and

viewed from Capo Noli.

Twin towns — sister cities

Noli is twinned with: *

Langenargen Langenargen is a town in the district of Bodensee in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Demographics Population development: Sports Langenargen is an ideal venue for sports such as sailing. The town's location on the shores of the Bodensee ...

, Germany (2005)

Personalities

António de Noli Antonio de Noli (born 1415 or possibly 1419) was a 15th-century Genoese nobleman and navigator, and the first governor of the earliest European overseas colony in Subsaharan Africa. He discovered some of the Cape Verde islands on behalf of Henry ...

, Italian nobleman and explorer, discoverer of some Guinea territories and Cape Verde islands on behalf of the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

crown. Born in

1419, "family with origins in Noli or the Castle of Noli".According to Della Cella manuscripts "Perittissimo piloto Genovese"; on the family "l’origine si puo supponere dalla piccola Città o Castello di Noli”. Della Cella, "Famiglie Di Genova. Antiche, e moderne, estinte, e viventi, nobili, e populari". Parte II, D.E.F.G.I.L.M.N.O./ MDCCLXXXIII. Page 293

References

External links

Photographs of Noli
{{authority control Cities and towns in Liguria Maritime republics Borghi più belli d'Italia