The charm of an old Maritime Republic: a day in Noli

A very scenic road that leads into a fairy tale. Driving along the Savona stretch of the Aurelia, from the west towards Genoa, at a certain point you see more rock than road, more sea than asphalt: a spectacular scene that tells you you have arrived at Noli. Capo Noli, with its enormous limestone walls plunging into the sea, with that pale rock that is matched in paleness only by the plumage of the gulls resting on top, and with that magical blue backdrop of the sea, is one of the most beautiful stretches of the Western Ligurian Riviera. Continuing, we notice a sign informing us that we have entered the territory of an ancient Maritime Republic, of which Noli was the capital from 1192 to 1797, and a few metres of road are enough for a panorama of Noli to appear before us, explaining without words why we are in one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy.

We notice first of all the Castle of Monte Ursino, which dominates the village from above, and an incredible wall that descends along the whole hill down to the village. An unusual sight, capable of making even the laziest tourists do a good uphill walk: it is in fact impossible to resist the call of that thoroughly Ligurian "wall", which has its roots in history, having been built from the 12th century onwards. Once the two walled perimeters embraced the whole hill and later also the settlement in the valley below. We climb up to the castle on foot following the winding road leading up, stopping at every bend to take ever more panoramic shots of the gulf and ever closer ones of the castle, all immersed in the scent and colours of a multitude of flowers lining the road.

We also admire the round towers that follow one another along the wall, up to the main tower of the Castle, mentioned in documents as far back as 1004. Speaking of towers, we can see several in other parts of the town too, starting with the 13th-century Torre del Comune, up to the very tall Torre dei Quattro Canti. Noli's history is also steeped in the legend of Saint Eugenius: having arrived on the Ligurian coast in the 6th century "aboard" the island of Bergeggi, which is said to have arrived in front of the municipality of the same name by sliding over the sea, the saint then lived for a long time on the island. On his death, his remains were moved to Noli, but a legend holds that from the Noli tomb the body returned to the island on its own...

Walking through the historic centre, characterised by an arcaded frontage, which was once the heart of the seafaring centre that also had a sizeable naval fleet with which it took part in the First Crusade in 1099, we discover a multitude of views of evocative beauty. We also visit several wonderful churches, including the Church of San Paragorio, listed among the Italian national monuments. This church, built in the 11th century in the Lombard Romanesque style, was the cathedral of Noli until 1572, when the title passed to the more central Church of San Pietro, known as the Co-cathedral.

After also visiting the churches of San Francesco d'Assisi and San Michele Arcangelo, we discover that in Noli there are also the ruins of the Church of San Lazzaro and of the adjoining lazzaretto, built in the 12th century by the Knights of Rhodes to welcome the many pilgrims and sailors in need of assistance. After this exciting tour through Noli's history, all that remains is to enjoy a lovely dinner in true seafaring style: we decide, then, to settle in at the Ristorante Da Pino, on the seafront. We sit in the spacious outdoor area, and as we begin to study the menu we exchange a few words with the owners, the brothers Luigi and Giorgio. "Our restaurant is especially appreciated for its fish specialities. Every morning at 6 a fishing boat arrives in the port of Finale Ligure: we always decide the menu of the day based on the catch.

We opened in 2004 and since 2007 we have been in this location that looks directly onto the seafront," the owners explain. We start with steamed cuttlefish with celery and parmesan, octopus with porcini mushrooms and anchovies marinated with a green sauce. After these tasty starters we enjoy tagliolini with langoustines, Barbaja tagliatelle with prawns and trombetta flowers, and red pappardelle with tuna ragù, all exquisite dishes. We follow these first courses with a lovely sliced tuna, while our friends choose fish baked in salt and morone carpaccio, as well as various other Ligurian fish dishes. We wash it all down with excellent Ligurian wines including Pigato, Vermentino, Rossese and Acerbina. The sweet epilogue of our dinner has us enjoying a bowl of caramelised apples with custard, some chocolate cake and crème caramel.

After dinner we just have to cross the road to enjoy the magnificent view of the sea at night: emotions and images that will soon bring us back to Noli, even out of season.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Ristorante Da Pino Corso Italia, 23 Noli (SV) Tel.: 019/7490065