The life of Saint Trofimena, who died around 640 AD, is narrated by a legend that adds charm and mystery to her martyrdom. According to the tradition handed down in the town of Minori, where she is highly venerated, Saint Trofimena suffered martyrdom at a young age, perhaps at only twelve or thirteen years old, for refusing to marry a pagan. According to the legend, her body, enclosed in an urn, was thrown into the sea and washed ashore on the beach of Minori.
The urn containing her remains, discovered by a washerwoman, was carried by two white cows - which later became the symbol of the Saint - to the place where a church was erected in her memory, later rebuilt.
Confusion about the name of the Saint still persists today: in Minori she is venerated as Trofimena, while in Patti as Febronia. Some scholars hypothesize that Trofimena is her given name, while Febronia could be her surname.
In 1673, the bishop of Minori, Antonio Botti, established that the correct name was Trofimena.
Since 1793, her relics have been housed in the modern crypt of the basilica, where they are still venerated today.
