The patroness of Santa Marina Salina is Saint Marina, celebrated on 17 July, with the church dedicated to her at the heart of the town. The very name of the municipality derives from her cult, which spread on the island from the 16th century: it was probably brought by colonists of Venetian origin, who arrived as exiles in the Aeolian Islands from various places in the Mediterranean because of the gradual shrinking of the territories of the Republic of Venice conquered by the Ottoman Empire, since Saint Marina is precisely co-patroness of Venice.
The town lies on the island of Salina, on the slopes of Monte Fossa delle Felci, the highest point of the whole Aeolian archipelago. In 1867 Salina, the only island in the archipelago densely populated besides Lipari, was made an autonomous municipality with its seat in Santa Marina; in 1909 it was finally split into the current three municipalities of Santa Marina Salina, Malfa and Leni. The town also preserves the archaeological area of the Villaggio di Portella, of Dorian origin.
