Sant Martí d’Empúries is a village in the area of the Alt Empordŕ (Girona) right at the heart of the Costa Brava. It is within the municipality of L’Escala and was the original nucleus of this town. It is situated 200 m. North of the archaeological site of Empúries, and was built around the remains of Palaiŕpolis. It became one of the first colonies of the Phocaean colony (575 B.C.), when it was known as Emporion. According to the 2009 census, Sant Martí has 61 inhabitants, however there are only 15 people resident all year round!
The name ‘Empúries’ is derived from the Latin ‘Empuriae’ which in turn comes from the Classic Greek word ‘Emporion’ meaning ‘market,’ which is how the Greeks spoke of the colony, the initial purpose of which was to have the advantage of being a commercial power. From the early Middle Ages it had always been known as Empúries, or Vila d’Empúries, which would change to Sant Martí d’Empúries (for the arrival of its church) from 1766, when L’Escala became the municipal capital.