Taranto

Things to do in Taranto

Taranto, called "Città dei due Mari" (city of the two seas) is divided in two parts: one on the dry land and the other (the oldest one) on an islet. Taranto is one of the most important commercial and military harbors of Italy, full of history and charm. Its streets and squares are embellished with ancient monuments that remind us of the illustrious past of this city. The old city is a small island surrounded by two seas, Mar Grande and Mar Piccolo, and consists of narrow alleys and sunny squares with elegant houses; in the lower part of the island there is the old maritime hamlet still inhabited by fishermen, while in the higher part there are palaces, churches and monuments from different ages and with different styles that tell us the history of this city.

Taranto is characterized by different styles and cultures: the Church of San Domenico Maggiore with its fourteenth-century facade and the Duomo of the same age; Piazza Municipio square with the column of a sixth-century B.C. greek temple dedicated to Poseidon; the aragonese castle; Villa Peripato, set in a green oasis full of flowers, with a terrace that overlooks the beautiful Mar Piccolo. The tourists can also explore the coasts taking a tour by boat and eat aboard the fishing boats. Taranto's gastronomic tradition is based on fish and vegetables accompanied with local wines.