Marengo
A dark grey or blue-grey shade, once a speckled fabric from northern Italy
Marengo is a dark grey or blue-grey colour, sometimes likened to wet asphalt. The name first referred to a dark brown fabric with white speckles made in Spinetta Marengo, Italy, and later described grey or black cloth with white or grey threads. It became popular in Russia and was used for Soviet uniforms.
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- First made as a speckled fabric in northern Italy
- Named after Spinetta Marengo and the Battle of Marengo
- Used for Soviet Navy and police uniforms
- Sometimes described as the colour of wet asphalt
What colour is Marengo?
Marengo is a dark shade of grey, sometimes with a blue cast, and has been compared to the look of wet asphalt. In textiles, it often means a black or dark brown fabric with small white or grey flecks, or black cloth woven with white threads. The colour stands out for its speckled or mixed appearance, rather than being a flat, even tone.
Where does Marengo come from?
The word marengo appeared in Europe in the 1700s, first describing a dark brown cloth with white speckles made in Spinetta Marengo, a village in northern Italy. In France, it was called marengo ou brun. After Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Marengo in 1800, the term shifted to mean grey or black fabric with white or grey threads, echoing the coat Napoleon wore. The colour later became fashionable in Russia, where a lighter version called marengo-claire also appeared.
Where Marengo is used
Marengo was widely used in uniforms, especially in Russia. The Soviet Navy adopted it for their uniforms in 1921, and the Soviet Militsiya (police) followed in 1923. The colour's speckled look made it popular for cloth and textiles, and it has also appeared in carpets and wallpapers.
Shades and relatives of Marengo
A lighter version, marengo-claire, is light grey. Marengo has also been described as blue-grey or dark brown with white inclusions, depending on the context. It can be confused with other grey shades, but its speckled or mixed-thread look sets it apart.
Colours that go with Marengo
Harmonies are worked out from the value #4C5866. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Marengo
What colour is marengo?
Marengo is a dark grey or blue-grey shade, sometimes compared to wet asphalt. In textiles, it often appears as black or dark brown fabric with small white or grey flecks.
Where does the name marengo come from?
The name comes from Spinetta Marengo, a village in northern Italy, where the fabric was first made in the 18th century. It later became linked to Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Marengo.
What was marengo used for?
Marengo was used in uniforms, especially in Russia. The Soviet Navy and police adopted it for their uniforms in the early 20th century. It was also popular in textiles, carpets, and wallpapers.
What is marengo-claire?
Marengo-claire is a lighter, light grey variation of marengo that appeared in Russia in the early 19th century.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Marengo (color)", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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