“La Marina” Regiment was established in 1713by King Vittorio Amedeo II of Savoy.

In the following years the Unit was renamed “La Marine” Brigade, and with this name it took part in the First Italian Independence War; subsequently it was known as “Real Navi” Battalion and finally as “Fanteria Real Marina.” It was officially disbanded in 1878.

However, sailors acting as infantrymen, trained in the use of small arms, continued to operate aboard ships. Between  late 1800s and  early 1900s, the marines took part in a number of war campaigns fighting bravely. In particular, they  played an important role in the Boxers’ riots in Peking and during the Italian - Turkish War.

In 1915 the “Marine” Brigade was reformed and included an Artillery and an Infantry Regiments , both organized in three battalions, raised to five during World War I. The Naval Riflemen experienced the tragic period of the trenches contributing to the final victory. They distinguished themselves in the defense of the city of Venice, whom the Austrians attacked several times by sea and by land (for this reason the landing force’s motto is “Per mare e per terram”). On March 17, 1919, during a solemn ceremony, the city of Venice, grateful for the heroic sacrifice of the Navy Riflemen, awarded the Regiment with its own coat of arms, the winged lion, and the name of its Patron Saint: San Marco. Since 1919, the Naval Riflemen Corps have been called San Marco.

During the Colonial Wars and World War II, the Italian Marines were engaged in the front line, performing extraordinary heroic deeds. In particular, the San Marco Regiment fought in the Islands of the Aegean Sea and in Africa in the defense of Tobruk.

In the aftermath of the war, the naval Riflemen merged with the Army “Lagunari,” thus forming the “Joint Amphibious Force.” In 1951, the Regiment took part in the disaster relief operations assisting the flood-affected  population of Polesine, an Italian north-eastern region.

In the past decades, the regiment has participated in several peacekeeping missions and disaster relief operations.

In the fall of 1982, the San Marco Battalion was deployed to Lebanon, together with ITALCON (Italian Contingent), as part of the multinational Peace Force Enforcing Operation. The Navy marines were operational until February 1984, paying a high toll with one dead, Filippo Montesi, and 18 injured.

In the period 1987 – 1988, during the Iran-Iraq war, the Naval Riflemen were embarked on two Italian Navy units to protect them from the attacks of the; Pasdaran small fast boats in the Persian Gulf. Three years later, the Marines were engaged in boarding and inspection activities within the embargo imposed on Iraq before the Operation Desert Storm.

In 1991 the San Marco was deployed to Somalia for the first time: the Marines embarked on two Italian Navy units to assist the evacuation of dozens of civilians from the Italian embassy in Mogadishu where they had taken refuge. In 1992 the Regiment was re-employed in Somalia for three months participating in the Operation Restore Hope. Finally, in 1995 the Unit took part in the UNO-led Operation United Shield to protect the disengagement of the last blue helmets from the African Country.

From 1992 to 2000, San Marco teams took part in the Operations SHARP FENCE – SHARP GUARD in the Adriatic Sea, carrying out inspections on merchant vessels to prevent arms trafficking to former Yugoslavia countries.

Further to bilateral agreements between Italy and Spain, in 1996 the Unit joined the SILF (Spanish-Italian Landing Force) designed to be employed in the NATO-led international operations. The SILF is an amphibious Brigade-sized group consisting of: two Maneuver Regiments, artilleries and anti-tank/anti-aircraft support weapons , scout and demolition teams, engineers, helicopters and air support, IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicles) and combat or assault vehicles.

Following the civil war in Albania, in March 1997 the Unit was engaged in the evacuation of Italian citizens (NEO) from Albania and was deployed to Durazzo, Valona and Sazan Island with the 28th Naval Group.

From January to June 1997, during the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, the Unit was deployed to Sarajevo (Bosnia), under UN mandate (SFOR) to protect the civilian population.

During the Operation ARCOBALENO, from April to June 1999, the Unit took part in humanitarian relief operations, providing the Albanian population with basic necessities. Between June 1999 and May 2000 the San Marco was involved in the Operation JOINT GUARDIAN (KFOR) in Kosovo.

On October 1, 1999, the “ITALIAN NAVY LANDING FORCE” was rationalized within the reorganization process which involved the Italian Navy. It included: the SAN MARCO REGIMENT, the CARLOTTO REGIMENT and the ASSAULT  VEHICLE GROUP. In October 1999, the San Marco contributed to the UN-led contingent to restore peace in the Island of East Timor, threatened by the bloody fights among different ethnic groups.

Since 2000, the San Marco personnel have been watching over the security of the Sharm El Sheik Naval Base (Sinai), where the Italian Navy ships are engaged in peace enforcing operations under a UN mandate. After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, within the Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, teams of the San Marco Regiment embarked on ITN ships, carrying out patrols and inspections on merchant vessels in the Arabic Sea.

On October 31, 2002, the San Marco was able to readily intervene in the aftermath of the earthquake that struck San Giuliano di Puglia, a town near Campobasso; setting up camps to shelter the displaced population.

In the years 2003 – 2005, after the downfall of the Iraqi regime, the San Marco Unit participated in the Operation Antica Babilonia designed to restore the rule of law in the country.

In 2005, the San Marco Battalion took part in the Operation ISAF, providing 5 Operational Mentor and Liaison Teams, 3 Military Advisor Teams, 1 Maneuver Task Force, the “Leone” Task Force, which operated in the South-East area, falling within the Italian competence.

At the dawn of September 2, 2006 the Rapid Reaction Force, consisting of the San Marco Regiment and Army Detachments, landed near the Lebanese southern coasts, between the cities of Tyre and Naqura, a few kilometers off  the Israeli border , acting as Interposition Force within the UN Resolution designed to defend and consolidate peace.

In the night of April 6, 2009, a devastating earthquake hit the city of L’Aquila (capital of Abruzzi and nearby municipalities, causing buildings to collapse and many casualties. The San Marco Marines were readily deployed to cooperate with the Italian Civil Protection, setting up an Advanced Medical Post and tent camps.

Within the anti-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa, - the EU- led Operation ATALANTA and the NATO-led Operation OCEAN SHIELD enforcing the UN resolution - the San Marco Marines were pivotal in protecting merchant vessels transiting the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the  Indian Ocean.

In January 2010, within the Operation White Crane, a San Marco company was engaged in disaster relief operations, to support the population of Haiti hit by the earthquake.

In the aftermath of the Libyan civil war, the NATO-led operation Unified Protector was launched to enforce an arms embargo and a No-Fly Zone (March-October 2011). In this context, the San Marco Teams were embarked on Italian Navy ships to protect personnel and oil platforms off the Libyan coasts.

In 2011, due to the persistence of piracy attacks against merchant vessels passing through the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, the Italian Shipping Companies asked the Italian Government to protect the Italian merchant vessels. To meet this requirement, the Italian Navy has organized the San Marco personnel as Vessel Protection Teams.