The entrance to Marina Piccola was closed by a gate. Although it was a minor port for the city, shipbuilding and commercial activities were flourishing even before the construction of today’s touristic port, completed in 1929. The steps going down to Marina Piccola were cut along the side of the cliff and full of spontaneous vegetation.
At the gate at the top was a clearing called “di Sopra Mare” (above the sea) where the fishermen used to go to check the marina below.
However, the need to make the original winding lane down to Marina Piccola suitable for traffic, was already felt at the end of the 19th century when, with numerous resolutions, the construction of the present Via Luigi De Maio went ahead. During this period, communications with Naples by sea intensified. Citrus fruit, dairy products, fish and various products from local artisans were the main exports.
The only evidence nowadays of the time when this was an important means of access to the city is a small chapel dedicated to Santa Maria del Soccorso.