Loyal but never subservient to Genoa, Noli decided its policy toward the great republic in the 12th century, and the choice decided its fate.
Participate in one of our guided tour, discover with us this charming medieval village nestled in one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the Ponente, The Gulf of the Island.
The perfectly preserved medieval layout with its towers and defensive walls make Noli one of the most fascinating and historically and architecturally interesting villages in Liguria.
From 1192 to 1797 it was the capital of the Republic of the same name, which, although linked to the fortunes of the Republic of Genoa, enjoyed a certain amount of autonomy.
Mentioned by Dante in the 4th canto of Purgatory, it played a role of great importance throughout the Middle Ages. By the will of Pope Gregory IX in 1239 Noli became an episcopal see.
Until the early 19th century, the downtown was directly facing the beach, with a porticoed front; it preserves beautiful houses from the 13th and 14th centuries and the remains of several towers and tower houses.
The ancient Romanesque Cathedral of St. Paragorio, listed as a national monument, rose around the 11th century on a pre-existing early Christian structure. Excavations in the 1970s revealed the remains of an ancient necropolis, with the discovery of two sarcophagi made of Finale stone, and an octagonal baptismal font dated between the 6th and 7th centuries.
The Castle of Monte Ursino preserves traces of the early settlement of the Del Carretto family. The circular male is enclosed by a polygonal, irregularly shaped enclosure. The tall circular watchtower dominates the town of Noli and the sea.
In the fishermen's beach featured are colorful fishing nets, buckets that smell of the sea, fishing lines and fishermen's boats. The Gulf of the Island, which Noli overlooks, is in fact characterized by deep waters, and fishing has played a dominant role for centuries. With our tour guide you will be able to rediscover ancient traditions, those of a world that has now disappeared. Even today the fishermen, who sell fresh fish on the promenade, belong to a very old cooperative, founded in the early twentieth century.
A network of trails, sometimes tracing the ancient pre-Napoleonic road system, allow for beautiful hikes to Spotorno or to Varigotti.
La guided tour of Noli can be combined with:
- guided tour of Spotorno
- guided tour of Finalborgo
- guided tour of Varigotti
- guided tour Albenga
- guided tour Savona
It can also be combined with the trekking in Noli and in The Gulf of the Island, such as:
- trekking the Pilgrim's Path and the Cave of the Forgers
- trekking of the cursed cross from Spotorno to Noli
- Along the ancient Roman road from Noli to Voze
- Trail 13 from Noli to Voze to Tosse to Spotorno
