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 Saint-Tropez
The ancient settlement where Saint-Tropez now stands was founded as early as the 2nd century BC. The modern name of the town was given in honor of Saint Torpes (Trophimus), a Christian martyr executed by Emperor Nero along with the Apostle Paul (in some sources — Peter) in the 1st century AD.
The walls of the ancient buildings of Saint-Tropez hold countless memories. In the 10th century, the town was ruled by pirates, after which it became part of the County of Provence. The 17th century was the richest in historical events:
In 1615, the first recorded meeting between the French and the Japanese took place here: due to bad weather, the expedition of the samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga, bound for Rome, was forced to dock in the local port;
In 1637, local residents, having only four ships at their disposal, repelled an attack by 22 Spanish galleons. In honor of this event, the townspeople gather every year for a traditional festive procession — “La Bravade.”
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 Coup", 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.
