{{Short description|Coastal district of Naples, Italy}} thumb|right|250px|Coastal view of Mergellina '''Mergellina''' ({{langx|nap|Margellina}}) is a coastal district of the city of Naples, Italy. It is located in the quartiere of Chiaia. It stands at the foot of the Posillipo Hill and faces the Castel dell'Ovo. Some people say the name derives from ''mergoglino'', a local name for the smew,<ref>{{cite book |last=Du Cange |first=Charles du Fresne |title=Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis |publisher=Firmin Didot Frères |location=Paris |year=1886 |volume=6 |pages=col. 596 (s.v. "mergus") |language=la |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_2_UtAAAAIAAJ |access-date=2025-07-02}}</ref> others believe it is a corruption of {{lang|it|Mare Giallo}} ("Yellow Sea"), which would refers to when the sea turned yellow due to floating tufa rock dust following an eruption of the Vesuvius.<ref name="Artioli1992">Artioli, Umberto (1992). “Mergellina: note toponomastiche”. In: _Rivista Storica Napoletana_, Vol. XX, pp. 45–52.</ref> However, very likely the real origin of the name is from Latin {{lang|la|mare ialinum}}, which stands for "clear, transparent sea".<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.quicampania.it/ilregno/toponomastica-napoletana.html|title = La toponomastica napoletana|language= it |last = De Falco|first = Renato|date =|website =|publisher =|access-date =}}</ref>

==Overview== {{unreferenced section|date=November 2024}} Historically, it was a small fishing village and port, and was quite distinct from Naples itself.<ref>{{cite book |last=Sirago |first=Maria |title=Gente di mare. Storia della pesca sulle coste campane |publisher=Intra Moenia |location=Napoli |year=2014 |page=232}}</ref> The expansion of Naples to the west under the Spaniards in the 17th century and subsequent development under the Bourbons and then by the national Italian government between 1880 and 1915 gradually led to the incorporation of Mergellina into greater metropolitan Naples.<ref>Mergellina, ''Naples Life, Death & Miracle'', https://www.naplesldm.com/mergellina.php, accesso 2 luglio 2025.</ref> Today it is still a fishing port but also a secondary tourist harbor for hydrofoil traffic to the islands in the bay of Naples and to various tourist destinations along the Campanian coast. The port also serves as a mooring for private pleasure craft.

Mergellina was home to the poet Jacopo Sannazaro. The main square, one block from the harbor, faces the church of Santa Maria del Parto with his elaborate tomb.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Smith |first=Nicholas |title=The Genre and Critical Reception of Jacopo Sannazaro's ''Eclogae Piscatoriae'' (Naples, 1526) |journal=Humanistica Lovaniensia |volume=50 |year=2001 |pages=199–219 |publisher=Leuven University Press |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23973830 |access-date=2025-07-02}}</ref>

During the 1960 Summer Olympics, it was used as Olympic Harbor for the Finn (at Sea Garden) and Flying Dutchman sailboats (at Posillipo).<ref>{{cite book |title=Official Report of the XVII Olympiad Rome 1960 |publisher=Organizing Committee |year=1960 |volume=II}}</ref>

== In popular culture == Mergellina is a local cultural landmark in Naples. It is known for great energy, people watching, and food. It is home to the first 50 Kalo, one of the world's most famous pizzeria amongst many other hotspots.

Lungomare Mergellina is home to a port, Molo Luise, frequented by locals in the evenings for stunning sunsets.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Naples Travel Tips From Local Experts |url=https://thetourguy.com/travel-blog/italy/naples/naples-travel-tips/ |access-date=2025-12-02 |website=thetourguy.com}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==Sources== * {{cite book |title=The Games of the XVII Olympiad Rome 1960, The Official Report of the Organizing Committee Volume One|author=The Organizing Committee of the Games of the XVII Olympiad|year=1960|url=http://la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1960/OR1960v1.pdf|format=pdf}} * {{cite book |title=The Games of the XVII Olympiad Rome 1960, The Official Report of the Organizing Committee Volume Two (a)|author=The Organizing Committee of the Games of the XVII Olympiad|year=1960|url=http://la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1960/OR1960v2pt1.pdf|format=pdf}} * {{cite book |title=The Games of the XVII Olympiad Rome 1960, The Official Report of the Organizing Committee Volume Two (b)|author=The Organizing Committee of the Games of the XVII Olympiad|year=1960|url=http://la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1960/OR1960v2pt2.pdf|format=pdf}}

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Category:Zones of Naples