With the purpose to refute the legend that sees the citizens of Camogli the most parsimonious and thriftiest people between all the Ligurian ones and in order to introduce Camogli outside the narrow regional borders, a manifestation was invented destined to become widely known: the Fish Feast.

This is the first of these lucky events endured till today, performed every second Sunday of May uninterruptedly.

At that time the world’s giant frying pan for which Camogli became famous still did not exist: six small benches scattered along the city fried the fish given free (!) by the fishermen to the camogliese and the tourists.

In the second edition of 1953 the benches were augmented to fifteen to satisfy the increased requirements by the growing visitors.

That one of 1954 was the first Festival to use the giant pan. 

The first giant pan were constructed in few days by the Metallic Workshop of Calata Gadda in Genoa: four meters of diameter, six meters handle (acted as funnel), 2400 pounds heavy. 

Having not enough room on the mainland nor for the pan neither for the crowd of cooks, it was decided to put down it on a mounted metallic frame on the port waters supported on to the sea bed.

The very rare occasion to obtain something free from the people of Camogli, chiefly when they give the better they can offer, as a good portion of fresh fish, were the foreseen key that decreed the fortune of this manifestation that still today attracts tens of thousand visitors every year.

In the Preface I have promised an explanation:  As you will notice I have used, in order to define the inhabitants of Camogli either the adjective "camogliese" and "camoglini" (in the italian edition - n. of. auth.).

The difference is, even if no one "camoglino" will never confess it because that brings in some way in himself a sense of "suspiciousness" against the “non camogliese”, confused by foreigners with  "the typical introverted character of the Ligurian people".

Camoglino is he who descends from generations of old local families whose all is known and therefore having from him expectable reactions.

Camogliese is the simple inhabitant of Camogli or whose father or grandfather origin was not from Camogli.

Although it’s a rough definition because it doesn’t have precise rules:  there is one who remains "foreign" for generations and another that after a decade becomes "an ancient and accepted camoglino".

Perhaps it depends, besides others, also on how much everyone effectively opens himself to the others.

Being from centuries accustomed and "forced" for economic necessities to cohabit and to attend various peoples and races, the camoglini cannot be allowed to be considered snob or in some way a people apart also when they feel so in a subtle way.

It can be misunderstood and finally be annoying at least for economic reasons.

Consequently the difference no one will explain it, never:  if you try to ask to any camoglino, the inevitably answer you will hear is "Camogliese or camoglino is exactly the same, the rest are all tales".

This will only signify that you are still not considered a "camoglino".