Maritime republics
Noli
### Noli

[left\|thumb\|upright\|The Noli flag bears the Cross of San Giovanni Battista](/wiki/File:Flag_of_the_Republic_of_Noli.svg "Flag of the Republic of Noli.svg")
[thumb\|Panorama di Noli](/wiki/File:Noli-1941_%28cropped%29.jpg "Noli-1941 (cropped).jpg")
[thumb\|[San Paragorio](/wiki/San_Paragorio "San Paragorio")](/wiki/File:Noli-IMG_1620.JPG "Noli-IMG 1620.JPG")
[left\|thumb\|upright\|Palazzo della Loggia](/wiki/File:Noli-IMG_1594.JPG "Noli-IMG 1594.JPG")
[Noli](/wiki/Noli "Noli")'s fortune began with the [Crusades](/wiki/Crusades "Crusades"): its particular geographical position in fact made it an important port for the construction of ships and the transport of men and provisions directed to the [Holy Land](/wiki/Holy_Land "Holy Land"). By participating in the Crusades, Noli obtained numerous privileges from the Christian sovereigns of [Antioch](/wiki/Principality_of_Antioch "Principality of Antioch") and [Jerusalem](/wiki/Kingdom_of_Jerusalem "Kingdom of Jerusalem") and above all enormous wealth, with which it was able to gradually buy the various marquis rights from the Marquises of the Carretto House, on whom it depended. Noli gained complete independence in 1192, made official four years later by [Henry VI](/wiki/Henry_VI%2C_Holy_Roman_Emperor "Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor").

Just ten years after its founding, the consuls of the newborn municipality decided to ally themselves with the nearby and much more powerful Republic of Genoa: in 1202 Noli became its protectorate, a condition that would last for its entire existence. This made Noli an anomalous maritime republic compared to the others: it never minted its own money nor had independent warehouses, relying on the Genoese for these assets, while maintaining total internal independence.

The small republic experienced a period of flourishing expansion throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, in which it built many new towers, built a wall and extended its borders to the neighboring towns of Orco, Mallare, Segno and Vadocittà. A strongly Guelph city, it adhered to the [Lombard League](/wiki/Lombard_League "Lombard League") against [Frederick II](/wiki/Frederick_II%2C_Holy_Roman_Emperor "Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor") and was rewarded for this by [Pope Gregory IX](/wiki/Pope_Gregory_IX "Pope Gregory IX") with the establishment of the [Roman Catholic Diocese of Savona\-Noli](/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Savona-Noli "Roman Catholic Diocese of Savona-Noli") in 1239 and the donation of the island of [Bergeggi](/wiki/Bergeggi_%28island%29 "Bergeggi (island)").

But the prosperity of Noli was linked to the Crusades: when these ended, its geographical position, so useful in the 13th century, proved unsuitable for the traffic of greater cabotage of 15th\-century ships. The people of Noli, cut off from maritime trade, ceased all mercantile activity and they became fishermen. This is another peculiarity of the history of Noli: from 1400 onward, it ceased to be a seafaring state, while retaining its independence for another four centuries.

Commercial isolation was added to continuous wars with the neighboring towns of [Savona](/wiki/Savona "Savona") and [Finale Ligure](/wiki/Finale_Ligure "Finale Ligure"), which condemned Noli to a long decline destined to last until the end of independence, which took place in 1797 with the annexation to the [Ligurian Republic](/wiki/Ligurian_Republic "Ligurian Republic").

According to some scholars, the navigator [António de Noli](/wiki/Ant%C3%B3nio_de_Noli "António de Noli"), an explorer of the African coasts, was born in Noli, but this is debatable.


When did Noli cease to be a seafaring state?