Outwit your friends to secure the services of local craftsmen, frantically roll dice to win the Regata dei Rioni, catch fish while avoiding pirate raids,and build the tallest tower in Noli! In the Middle Ages, Noli was a flourishing maritime town under the benevolent ‘patronage’ of the powerful republic of Genoa. This sun-baked fishing community has a richhistory of independence, commerce, and competition. Every September, in order to determine the fishing rights for the following fishing season, the gozzi (typical Ligurianfishing boats) of the four districts of Burgu, Ciassa, Màina and Portellu run a regatta along a path of 1,600 meters, on fractions of 400 meters between the bouys. Not satisfiedwith this single form of competition, the merchant families of each district compete with each other to build tall red-brick towers as a display of their wealth. Their edifices tosuccess give the town of Noli its distinctive look, though no merchant tower can hope to match the proud castle atop Monte Ursino, whose constant vigilance and defensivewalls protect Noli from the raids of the Saracens and the assaults of envious neighbouring towns! D3
