In the hilltop village of Tropea, in the province of Vibo Valentia, in the Italian region of Calabria

 Tropea, a municipality in the province of Vibo Valentia in the Italian region of Calabria, is considered one of the most beautiful villages of Italy)

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(in a seaside resort on the Gulf of Saint Euphemia, part of the Tyrrhenian Sea on Italy's west coast), a legend suggests that the town of Tropea was founded by Hercules, when returning from his labors at the modern Strait of Gibraltar. (Along its coast, Sextus Pompey defeated  Octavius.) The Romans built a port in Formicoli, some 3 km (1.9 mi.) south of Tropea.

+ The massif of Tropea, with its natural caves and fragments of clay vases, seem to confirm that through classical times, Tropea lived for centuries in tranquility Indeed, the sea was the only viable route both in and out, hence its nickname "bride of the sea." Due to its natural inlets, this condition played a role in giving Tropea a sense of political freedom. From the 6th century, it was memtioned more frequently, (This was the period when the Emperor Justinian, in 535, sent General Belisarius on an expedition to southern Italy.) Having driven the Goths out of Sicily, he landed in Calabria, thus fortifying Reggio, Gerace, Amantea, and Tropea. It became one of the Byzantines' military garrisons in the region. Tropeans soon welcomed the Normans in 1049, and in 1062, the Lombard Sichelgaita, wife of Duke Robert Guiscard. Tropea was rewarded with favorable treatment. (In 1094, Pope Callistus Il arrived.)

+ A painting of the Virgin Mary hangs in the Cattedrale di Maria Santissima di Romania, a church constructed in Tropea in the 12th century. The painting is known as the Virgin Mary of Romania and is of Byzantine origin. The bishop of the city, Ambrogio Cordova, dreamed that the Virgin Mary was asking him to keep her in Tropea and to protect her. The Virgin Mary is said to have warned him of an earthquake that would devastate Calabria. On 27 March 1638, a bishop organized a procession for the people from Tropea, which meant they were out of harm's way when the earthquake struck. Other events have been attributed to the Virgin Mary's protection.

+ La Cattedrale kept its prestige as dynasties came and went; from the Swabians to the Angevins and the Aragonese from 1442. The city kept keep its Romano-Byzantine structure.
+ The historic center was transformed and the palazzi of the patricians built. The economy was based on the goods that flowed in from the surrounding countryside, maritime trade, and the services provided by servants who populated the "hovels."Yet, with every change of ruler, Tropea ran the risk of losing its status as a state town.

+ In the 18th century, despite the revolt of the 'casali' against the socio-economic system under the Bourbons, Tropea retained its status (with its maritime trade.) But, epidemics and the earthquake of 1783 triggered a process of decline.

+The unification of Italy, emigration, and urban expansion from the 1960s onwards has followed. (Today, Tropea depends mainly on tourism.)