Where is St. Tropez?
Saint-Tropez is located on the southern coast of France, which is called the Côte d'Azur due to the delightful color of the coastal waters. Saint-Tropez's "neighbors" are the towns of Saint-Maxime, Ramatuelle, Gassin and La Croix-Valme. A little further towards Nice are Fréjus, Cannes, Antibes and Cagnes-sur-Mer (if you drive along the coast). The distance between Nice and Saint-Tropez is about 110 km. The indigenous population of Saint-Tropez is about 5,000 people. Almost all the inhabitants of the town are employed in the tourist sector: they work in hotels, health and youth centers, cafes, cinema, stores and libraries.
History of the city of Saint-Tropez
The ancient settlement where Saint-Tropez now stands was founded in the 2nd century BC. The modern name of the city was given in honor of the Holy Martyr Torpis (Trophimus), who was executed by Emperor Nero together with the Apostle Paul (in some sources - Peter) in the first century AD.
The walls of Saint-Tropez's ancient buildings hold many memories. The town was ruled by pirates in the 10th century and then became part of the County of Provence. The 17th century was the most "fertile" for historical events:
In 1615, the first-ever meeting between the French and the Japanese took place here: due to bad weather conditions, the samurai expedition of Hasekurai Tsunenagaya, on his way to Rome, was forced to enter the local port;
-In 1637, the locals, who had only 4 ships at their disposal, repulsed an attack by 22 Spanish galleons. To commemorate this event, the town's residents gather annually for a traditional festive procession, the Bravadda.
Saint-Tropez became world famous as a resort in the twentieth century, when famous artists (Paul Signac, Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse) and couturiers (Coco Chanel, Elsa Chiapareli) began to come here for vacation.
However, the greatest fame of the city was brought by the cinematography: the famous films "And God Created Woman", "The Swimming Pool", "The Umbrella", as well as the famous "Gendarmiade", which tells about the hilarious adventures of Ludovic Cruchot, played by the inimitable Louis de Funes, were filmed here.
