In the 4th century B.C. a small gate was built to allow access to a tiny fishing village known as Marina Grande. Built by the ancient greeks that settled the area, it was the only entrance into the town for centuries. Today, it stands as a resting spot for those who brave the stairs up to the main town. The original gate was made out of large limestone bricks and formed a small tunnel with two arches. After passing through this gate, steps offer a descending pathway into the village of Marina Grande.
While Marina Grande may seem like a small and peaceful fishing village, it actually has a very intriguing history. As legend goes, on a dark and serene night, a slave to the Correale family decided to open the gates for the Turks and let them inside the town. Marina Grande was pillaged and sacked leaving the town in ruins. The people who lived in Marina Grande decided then to improve their defense system around the town. This system consisted of a town wall with the original gate built into it that would allow for the people to control who came and went. As the years went on, the village built more and more houses within the village and the wall. Slowly the wall barricading the outside world disappeared and became the walls between houses.
Marina Grande today looks very different than it did when it was built. There are new restaurants standing on the sides of old churches. The beach where fishermen once docked is now used as a public beach to tan and play on. There are hotels and travel agencies that line the streets rather than houses or stores. Walking along the sidewalks you can still hear the locals talking and laughing with each other over Italian life. Many of locals are fishermen still that have had their business passed though the family generations. Because of this, there is a strong sense of community and loyalty in Marina Grande that makes the port worth visiting.
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