Where is Tropea located?
The small town of Tropea is the administrative center of the commune of the same name, situated in the province of Vibo Valentia in the Calabria region, along Italy’s gentle Tyrrhenian coast. The town lies to the west of the regional capital, Catanzaro, perched above the Gulf of Sant’Eufemia.
Tropea has a population of just 6,368 people spread over an area of 3.6 km², with a density of 1.9 inhabitants per km². If these numbers don’t mean much to you, here’s a simpler explanation: it’s a compact town, easy to explore on foot within an hour or so. Set dramatically atop a steep cliff overlooking the sea, Tropea offers breathtaking views shaped by nature itself.
The history of the settlement of Tropea
Italy’s coastline is deeply intertwined with ancient Greek mythology and its pantheon of gods. Tropea’s history is shrouded in legend: one version suggests it dates back to the time of the Roman Republic. It was the site of a famous battle between Pompey and Octavian Augustus, after which the victorious Augustus, impressed by the natural harbor, built a trading port here. He named it Tropea — derived from a word meaning "trophy" or "spoil."
Another myth attributes Tropea’s founding to Hercules himself, who, on his way back from Spain, stopped at this divine coastline and established one of his ports here.
A third version links the town’s origins to the Punic Wars, when Tropea served as a Roman outpost counterbalancing the Greek stronghold of Vibo.
These legends, though colorful, are rooted in folklore. Historically verified records trace the origins of Tropea to the 5th–6th century AD.
The town later flourished as a center of Hellenic culture, driven by settlers from the Balkan Peninsula. Until the 9th century, it remained under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople. At one point, locals referred to the town as Vibo, a name that still echoes in the modern province of Vibo Valentia.
Thanks to its strategic coastal location, Tropea held great importance for centuries. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, it became part of the territories governed by the Papal States.
