Noli (Italian: [ˈnɔːli]; Ligurian: Nöi [ˈnɔːi]) is a coast comune of Liguria, Italy, in the Province of Savona, it is about 50 kilometres (31 mi) southwest of Genoa by rail, about 4 metres (13 ft) 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 ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). From 1192 to 1797 Noli was one of the maritime republics, the Republic of Noli.
The Republic of Noli (Italian: Repubblica di Noli; Ligurian: 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 protect itself from possible attacks and invasions by Savona and Marquisate of Finale, Noli allied in 1202 with the Republic of Genoa in a sort of protectorate, in fact, documents of the time show that the relationship was equal and not one of submission. The alliance allowed the Republic of Noli to have such growing importance that in 1239, a diocese was established there by Pope Gregory IX.
The Italian Riviera or Ligurian Riviera (Italian: Riviera ligure [riˈvjɛːra ˈliːɡure]; Ligurian: Rivêa lìgure [ɾiˈveːa ˈliɡyɾe]) is the narrow coastal strip in Italy which lies between the Ligurian Sea and the mountain chain formed by the Maritime Alps and the Apennines. Longitudinally it extends from the border with France and the French Riviera (or Côte d'Azur) near Ventimiglia (a former customs post) eastwards to Capo Corvo (also known as Punta Bianca) which marks the eastern end of the Gulf of La Spezia and is close to the regional border between Liguria and Tuscany. The Italian Riviera thus includes nearly all of the coastline of Liguria. Historically the "Riviera" extended further to the west, through what is now French territory as far as Marseille.
The Italian Riviera crosses all four Ligurian provinces and their capitals Genoa, Savona, Imperia and La Spezia, with a total length of about 350 km (218 miles). It is customarily divided into a western section, the Ponente Riviera, and an eastern section, the Levante Riviera, the point of division being the apex of the Ligurian arc at Voltri. It has about 1.6 million inhabitants, and most of the population is concentrated within the coastal area. Its mild climate draws an active tourist trade in the numerous coastal resorts, which include Alassio, Bonassola, Bordighera, Camogli, Cinque Terre, Lerici, Levanto, Noli, Portofino, Porto Venere, Santa Margherita Ligure, Sanremo, San Fruttuoso, and Sestri Levante. It is also known for its historical association with international celebrity and artistic visitors; writers and poets like Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron, Ezra Pound, and Ernest Hemingway were inspired by the beauty and spirit of Liguria.