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Saint Tropez - History |
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In ancient times, Saint-Tropez was populated by Phoenicians who set
up anchorages along the coast to facilitate their commercial navigation.
Amongst these was the Antique town of Athenopolis which was perhaps
situated on the emplacement of the present town of Saint-Tropez. During Roman times, the town took the name of Heracl?a.In the year
68 A.D. Torpes who was the highest stewart of the house of Nero, was
converted to Christianism by Saint-Paul while he was his
custodian.Torpes solemnly professed his Christian Faith during a feast
given by the emperor in honour of the godess Diana in Pisa. This angered the emperor so much that he had Torpes tortured and
beheaded. His body was put on a boat with a cockerel an a dog and set on
the Arno river. The ligurian current pushed the boat over to th shores
of Saint-Tropez thus becoming the Patron Saint of the inhabitants of the
town. After the downfall of the roman empire, Provence was regularly
invaded by various populations, sweeping away the local inhabitants.At
the end of the 1st millennium, all of them had fled the area. In 972 Guillaume of Provence drove the last invaders away and built
what is now known as " La Tour Suffren".During the 15th
century, King Ren? of Provence, "Good King Ren?", dedicated
himself to reviving and repopulating Provence, devested by invasions and
plague.
He entrusted with the task an Italian nobleman Raphael Di Garrezzio,
who called over 21 Genoese families, they rebuilt the town and its
batlements, part of which can still be seen nowadays. As a compensation
for defending and populating the town, the inhabitants were free of all
taxes and levies. In 1558, the king granted them the privilege of raising an army
under the authority of a town Captain elected by major citizens. In
1637, the tropezian army drove away 21 spanish gallions.All those
privileges were abrogated by King Louis the XIVth in 1672, when a royal
garisson was posted at the Citadelle ( it is now a Naval Museum). During the XIVth Century, besides traditional activities such as ; fishing, shipbuilding, commerce and agriculture, many tropezians were sailors and navigators to protect and defend tropezians and later French shores. The most famous of them was " Pierre Andr? Bailli de Suffren"1729-1788, he was appointed commander of the Royal Navy by Louis the XVIth. Another one was le" General Allard", 1785-1839, who was born and died in Saint-Tropez, he was a staunch supporter of Napoleon and " aide de camp" to Marshal Brune.After he fell out of favour in 1815, he went to the Indies were he led an adventurous life. His indian Sikh widow, survived him for 40 years in Saint-Tropez. Also, Queen Marie de Medecis called at Saint-Tropez in 1600 and was presented with a coral branch fished off " La Moutte".In 1615 the Shogun's brother and his retinue sought shelter from a storm in the bay. In 1793, during the French Revolution, Barras persuaded the tropezians to give back the town its ancient name Heraclea. During the XIXth Century, all activities linked with the Navy took on a significant importance. In 1860 a three masted 740 tons ship was built in Saint-Tropez it was the jewel of the Navy.Saint-Tropez expands and thrives. The statue of "Le bailli de Suffren" is erected on the Harbour in 1866.Emilie Ollivier minister of Napoleon the 3rd dies in 1913 and is buried in the vault he had built overlooking" les Salins" opposite his estate at la Moutte. Each year the whole population in honour of their ancestors and worship of their Patron Saint commemorates some of the most important historical and religious events in Saint-Tropez during the Bravades the 16th, 17th, and 18th of May.
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