Tropea, Calabria, IT...sun salutation...

...sun salutation..., originally uploaded by zio.paperino.

Tropea (ancient Trapeia; Τράπεια in Ancient Greek) is a municipality located within the province of Vibo Valentia, in Calabria (southern Italy).
The town is a famous bathing place, situated on a reef, in the gulf of St. Euphemia connected with the mainland by a narrow strip in the Tyrrhenian Sea, toward the south with respect to Vibo Valentia and northward with respect to Ricadi and Capo Vaticano.

In the Norman cathedral of Tropea there is a picture of Virgin Mary of Romania, of Byzantine origin, dating from around 1330.
The legend says that a boat coming from the east-Byzantine (hence the name Virgin Mary of Romania) was driven by a storm in the port of Tropea. Repaired the damage, the captain tried to leave but the ship still stood in the harbor. On the same night the bishop of the city, Ambrogio Cordova, dreamed of the Virgin Mary asking him to stay in Tropea and becoming its Protectress. The dream repeated for several nights. Eventually the bishop summoned the senior officials and the citizens, and together they went to the port to take the picture of the Virgin Mary. As soon as the painting was brought to shore the ship departed.
The Virgin Mary promised to defend the city from the pestilence, earthquakes and war, and many events that took place since then seem to testify it.
According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared in dream several times to the bishop, warning of an earthquake that would devastate Calabria. On the 27 March 1638 the bishop established a penitential procession, involving all the people from Tropea. Thanks to the procession an earthquake which stroke in that same day did not procure any harm to anyone.
The citizens of Tropea were also saved from the 1783 Calabrian earthquakes, much stronger and more tragic than the previous one, that affected the whole of Calabria. This event strengthened the devotion to the Virgin Mary of Romania, and the citizens of Tropea proclaimed her the patron of Tropea.
During World War II Tropea suffered a bombing, but the six bombs which fell on Tropea all fell into a hole and remained unexploded.