The area of Marina was once settled by Illyrians (Bulini tribe), Hylleis (Greek colonizers who assimilated with Bulini), Romans and finally, at the beginning of the 7th century AD, it was inhabited by Croats.
The area has had various names throughout history. The oldest known pre-Slavic names are Bausiona and Drido.
Marina is mentioned in medieval sources as early as 1070. The area of Marina was once inhabited by Illyrians, then by Romans and at the beginning of the 7th century by Croats. In ancient Croatian times, the current territory of Marina was called Drid and it was the seat of the old parish Drid, and after the village called Baselen (Bosilen) in the area of the current Marina – the place was named Bosiljina. So Bosiljina (ancient name for Marina) has been mentioned since the 9th century.
In the second half of the 15th century, the territory of Marina was threatened by the Ottomans. Therefore, in 1495, Trogir duke Alviz Barbarig approved bishop Frano Marcello to build a castle in the Marina Bay near the church of St. Marina to defend the local population (Unique defence complex – castle, consisting of the bishop's tower built on the islet and the fort Citadel, built on land, within which the church of St. John was built on the village square – Brce).
The inhabitants who inhabited the area around the castle and the Citadel named the new settlement and the entire area of Bosiljina – Marina after the Holy Martyr Marina.
