Noli (; lij, Nöi ) is a coast ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' of

Liguria it, Ligure , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, in the Province of Savona, it is about southwest of

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...

by rail, about above sea-level. The origin of the name may come from ''Neapolis'', meaning "new city" in Greek. From 1192 to 1797 Noli was one of the

maritime republics The maritime republics ( it, repubbliche marinare), also called merchant republics ( it, repubbliche mercantili), were Thalassocracy, thalassocratic city-states of the Mediterranean Basin during the Middle Ages. Being a significant presence in I ...

, the

Republic of Noli The Republic of Noli ( it, Repubblica di Noli; lij, Repubbrica de Nöi) 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 pr ...

Geography

The bounding communes of Noli are

Finale Ligure Finale Ligure ( lij, O Finâ, locally ; la, Finarium) is a ''comune'' on the Gulf of Genoa in the Province of Savona in Liguria, Italy. It is considered part of the Italian Riviera. Geography Known for its white sand beaches and its views, Final ...

Spotorno , image_skyline = Spotorno.jpg , image_caption = Spotorno , image_shield = Spotorno-Stemma.png , shield_alt = , image_map = , map_alt = , map_caption = , pushpin_label_position = ...

and

Vezzi Portio Vezzi Portio ( lij, Vessi 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 ...

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 (same etymology as for ''

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

''). 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 Italian Catholic Diocese of Savona-Noli ( la, Dioecesis Savonensis-Naulensis) in northern Italy, 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 suffr ...

. 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 and it is ranked among the most beautiful buildings of this style to be seen in Liguria. ...

(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 ...

Twin towns — sister cities

Noli is twinned with: *

Langenargen Langenargen is a town in the district of Bodensee in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Sports Langenargen is an ideal venue for sports such as sailing. The town's location on the shores of the Bodensee ( Lake Constance) provides smooth waters e ...

, 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