The priest Espitalier believes behind the bravado of St. Tropez in this use arose from the need of security, because of the popular excitement natural to Southerners, which would place the first demonstrations in the mid-sixteenth century.
It was at this time that the city, taking life, devoted himself to the cult of San Torpes with much more enthusiasm, perhaps because the new Tropéziens knew of Genoa, their country of origin, where he was already venerated May 17.