The charming town, with its long beach of granite sand, owes its origins to the ancient Appian Tower (1596–99), built on the promontory to the south of the gulf to defend against Turkish and Barbary pirate raids, who landed on the coast with the intent of plundering the hill towns of San Piero and Sant’Ilario.

Alongside the tower, a small church was built, dedicated to Saint Cajetan of Thiene, to meet the spiritual needs of the military garrisons. Around it, a few small fishing warehouses were established.

Later, thanks to the reclamation of the malaria-ridden plain behind the beach, the inhabitants of San Piero and Sant’Ilario used the fertile land for cultivation and began to build houses, giving birth to Marina di Campo.

In time, a small harbor was built, marking the beginning of trade in wine as well as granite extracted from the hillside quarries. From the 1600s to the present day, the town has grown along the long beach, with its economy now almost entirely based on summer seaside tourism.

The harbor has been equipped with new piers to support fishing and tourism activities. Among its most notable citizens is Major Teseo Tesei, Gold Medal of Military Valor, inventor during World War II of the slow-running torpedo, nicknamed the “pig.”