History

Despite the relatively recent origins of Porto Santa Margherita, which developed as a resort in the late 1960s, it played a part in a fascinating historical event known as the “Abduction of the Maidens”. In the 10^th century, a group of Dalmatian pirates snatched some young women and their dowries from Venice on the night of 1 February. Led by the Doge, the Venetian fleet pursued the pirates and caught up with them on the coast by Porto Santa Margherita, where they had stopped to eat. The young women were freed and the area was subsequently known as “Riva delle Donzelle” (“Maidens’ Shore”) for many years, until the local tourist scene began to emerge.