Noli

This is Noli’s most important monument and one of the best examples of Romanesque architecture in Liguria. The present church dates from the 11th century and stands on top of an early Christian building: three naves, an apse decorated with small blind arches and pilasters, and a crypt of the same period beneath the altar. Inside are a medieval wooden crucifix of the “Volto Santo” type, with a long tunic, a 13th-century wooden bishop’s throne and 14th-century frescoes.

San Paragorio was Noli’s cathedral until 1572, when the title passed to San Pietro inside the walls. It was restored at the end of the 19th century by the architect Alfredo d’Andrade and has been a national monument since 1890. It stands just outside the old centre, to the west, near the sea. Opening hours are limited and seasonal, but the apse alone is worth the stop.

Tradition has it that in the 13th century Noli had more than seventy towers, most of them belonging to wealthy families. Only a few survive, but they still define the village’s skyline. The tallest is the Torre dei Quattro Canti (also called Torre del Canto), 38 metres high, at the crossroads of the main lanes.

Next to the town hall is the Torre del Comune, from the late 13th century, easy to spot by its swallowtail battlements. Coming in from the north you pass the Torre del Papone, about 20 metres tall, built to defend the gate of the same name; further north is the Torre di San Giovanni. The best way to see them all is simply to wander the lanes and keep looking up.

On the seafront, the Palazzo del Comune was the seat of the Republic of Noli’s government. Beside it is the Loggia della Repubblica, the covered public square where citizens met. Plaques on its walls recall the town’s history, including one to Dante, who mentions the steep descent to Noli in Purgatory. Right next to it, the Porta di Piazza was the main gate from the sea.

Tucked between the houses of the centre, the co-cathedral of San Pietro has medieval origins, but the interior was remodelled in Baroque style. From outside you can still see the stone walls of the older church. It is a few steps from the loggia, so look in as you walk the lanes.

On the hill above the village, Monte Ursino castle took its present form in the 15th century under the Del Carretto family and was reworked in the 16th. At the top is a large round tower; from there two rings of walls with round towers run down the slope to enclose the village. It is one of the best-preserved fortified villages on the western Riviera.

The walk up from the village takes 20–30 minutes, with a steep stretch. The easiest route starts near the Torre del Papone and passes the old bishop’s palace (path no. 4). Even if the castle is closed, the view over the bay, Capo Noli and Spotorno is worth the climb. Go early in the morning or around sunset: in summer the sun is fierce.

The centre is a web of narrow lanes, called carruggi, with arches, small squares, pastel façades and the odd carved stone doorway. It stays lively outside the season too: shops, focaccia bakeries and bars are used by locals, not only by visitors. Look out for the oratory of Sant’Anna, where the path to the little Romanesque church of San Michele begins, and for the alleys that open straight onto the seafront.