Republic of Noli

The Republic of Noli was a small maritime republic on the Ligurian coast of north-western Italy, centred on the town of Noli and lasting from 1192 to 1797. Faced with threats from Savona and the Marquisate of Finale, it allied with the Republic of Genoa in 1202. The relationship was in practice a protectorate, but contemporary documents suggest that Noli retained considerable autonomy rather than submitting outright. Genoa's protection allowed the tiny state to prosper, and in 1239 Pope Gregory IX established a diocese at Noli. The republic was governed by a podestà and lived mainly from its harbour, shipyard and maritime trade. Its ships carried goods across the western Mediterranean, and Noli's port also served Genoese fleets. The town supported Genoa in its conflicts with Savona and in 1227 sacked Spotorno, which belonged to the rival city. Noli's flag, a white cross on a red field, reversed the colours of Genoa's flag, although many Noli merchants sailed under the Genoese flag for greater protection. The republic survived for more than six centuries until Napoleon's armies annexed it in 1797. Its territory was later absorbed into the Kingdom of Sardinia and then into a unified Italy, but Noli preserves the street plan and buildings of its independent past.