Standing just outside the old town walls, the Church of San Paragorio is the oldest and most historically significant building in Noli. It is a low, austere Romanesque structure with an attached 13th-century belltower, and its origins stretch back to the early Christian era — some traces suggest a 5th or 6th-century foundation, though the current church dates mainly from the 11th and 12th centuries. The plain stone exterior gives little hint of the treasures within.
Inside, the church preserves a remarkable collection of medieval art including Romanesque frescoes and, most extraordinarily, an 11th-century episcopal throne carved from walrus ivory — one of the oldest surviving examples in Italy. The baptismal font and the carved wooden crucifix also date from the medieval period. This is not a dusty relic: the church is still active and visited regularly by those who know to look for it. Ask locally about opening hours as they can be irregular outside summer.