Salerno, like many other coastal cities, has always felt the need for a stable and efficient maritime harbor that would reconcile the necessities of commercial flows with the interests of the local economy. However, for a long time, the development of the port was hindered by the proximity of Amalfi, which, as is well known, boasted a tradition of maritime trade and which the people of Salerno used for naval operations until the second half of the 9th century.
Another limiting factor to the development of the trading post was the phenomenon of silting, due to the geomorphological characteristics of the Salerno coastline, which made the inner seabeds near the long pier impracticable.
Because of the insufficient knowledge of engineering techniques, only in 1752, under the reign of Charles III of Bourbon, a partial solution to the chronic problem was reached by constructing a pier of pilings that would allow the flow of water and debris while leaving the seabed level unchanged.
Thus, in 1852 Salerno could count on a modest “small harbor” consisting of a pier extending 150 meters from the beach and a protective breakwater 75 meters long, oriented from the sirocco to the maestrale winds. In that year, trade reached that of Amalfi, also stimulated by the growing number of local small industries.
Only at the beginning of the 1900s, thanks to the intervention of the State as part of a national port reorganization plan, were the expansion works completed, creating the first true port structure that would represent the hub of provincial activities for over half a century. A series of relocation, restructuring, and expansion works carried out after World War II enriched its form and efficiency, making it today a significant center for international maritime trade distribution.