The name of the town is of ancient, though of disputed origin.
Afolk etymologic story suggests it comes from the shortenedCasa de Moglie. When the ship captains sailed, they put their wives (mogli) in a sort of home for all of them (casa), and the town was well known for this.
In thelate Middle Ages, Camogli was a considerable seaport. In its heyday, its fleet consisted of hundreds of Tall Ships, and it was called the "city of a thousand white sails". In 1798 the city hosted a large contingent ofNapoleon's fleet, which was then beaten in the Egyptian waters of the Nile byAdmiral Nelson. The prestigious naval college "Cristoforo Colombo" was founded in Camogli in 1874, named after the Genoese navigatorChristopher Columbus.
In 1880, the former fishing village had, in a population of 12,000, 500 registered as ship captains. Camogli now relies mainly on tourism and is known for its colorful houses that line the beach. The house colors once helped the fishermen of Camogli find the way back to their port.
The local swimming club water polo RN Camogli has won several Italian championships and is known nationwide.
In February 2021, the cliff collapsed below the cemetery that is sited 70m above the water, andcoffins fell into the sea. 11 caskets were recovered from the water, and more from the landslide.[3]
Camogli Hospital on the South Atlantic island ofTristan da Cunha is named after the town, to commemorate the fact that it was the home of Andrea Repetto and Gaetano Lavarello, who settled on the island in 1892.[4]
