Its morphology is particular; it is divided into two parts: the upper part, where most of the population is located and where the daily life of the town takes place, and a lower part (called "Marina"), which is located close to the sea and the port of Tropea. Among the other peripheral areas, there are the "Carmine" locality and the "Campo" locality (in turn divided into "Campo di sopra", which is mainly occupied by vegetable gardens and countryside with some residential area, and "Campo di Sotto" , where the local barracks of the Carabinieri Command, the Civil Hospital and the Hotel and Catering address of the IS Tropea are located.
The city, in the upper part, is built on a rock overlooking the sea, at a height s.l.m. which varies between about 50 meters at the lowest point and 61 meters at the highest point. The historic town was once surrounded by walls and set on one side; it could only be accessed through doors equipped with defense systems.
Legend has it that the founder was Hercules when, returning from the Pillars of Hercules (Spain), he stopped on the coasts of southern Italy. In the neighboring areas, graves of Magna Graecian origin have been found.
The history of Tropea begins in Roman times, when along the coast Sesto Pompeo defeated Cesare Ottaviano: to the south of Tropea the Romans had built a commercial port, near the present-day Santa Domenica, in Formicoli (toponym derived from a corruption of Foro di Ercole ), of which Pliny and Strabone speak.
Because of its characteristic position as a terrace overlooking the sea, Tropea played an important role, both in Roman times (attested by the granite quarry that rises about 2 km from the town, in the current municipality of Parghelia) and in the Byzantine era; there are many remains left by the Byzantines, such as the church on the promontory or the city walls (called precisely "walls of Belisario"). After a long siege, the city was torn from the Byzantines by the Normans, under whom it prospered. Tropea continued to prosper even under the rule of the Aragonese. On February 4, 2016 the UNESCO Tropea Costa degli Dei Club is born. [4]
Monuments and places of interest
Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell'Isola on the promontory (2009)
Known seaside resort, it rises on a high tufa promontory, overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the western coast of Calabria, in the province of Vibo Valentia. Of great interest is the historic center of the city, with many noble palaces of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, perched on the sheer cliff with the beach below. Interesting are the "portals" of the buildings that represented noble families; some are equipped with large cisterns dug into the rock, which were used to accumulate the grain from Monte Poro, which was subsequently loaded by terracotta pipelines on the ships moored under the cliff of Tropea. The symbol of the city is the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell'Isola, which stands on a promontory in front of the town.
Of great interest is the Cathedral of Maria Santissima in Romania, a Romanesque building from 1100, containing the sacred effigy of the Madonna of Romania, protector of the city and the Church of the Gesù. The city also houses the diocesan museum, containing gold and silver of the cathedral and several artifacts from various periods. At the church, in the ancient premises of the Vescovato, a Diocesan Museum was established, with interesting paintings, sculptures and frescoes, artifacts and furnishings. Recently, moreover, the archaeological section has been opened. Of great artistic interest is the church of the Gesù located in the historic center and the church of the Annunciation of the sixteenth century.