Taranto

March 3, 2014

We drove to Taranto from Rome.  It's about a six hour drive w/o any stops.  We make this trip every six weeks for zone conference.  This time of year it seemed more alive because fruit trees are starting to bloom and the hillsides are very green from all the rain.  Grape vines are all pruned and ready for a new year.  In a couple of months there will be so much foliage along the roadside that we won't be able to see all the beautiful sights.

How can you drive past a town named after Michael without taking a quick peek!

Street in Sammichele

What will they think of next?

Sunflower Restaurant in Sammichele

Il Girasole mens "The Sunflower"

Rock walls separating the fields

TARANTO

Taranto's pre-history dates back to 706 BC when it was founded as a Greek colony, established by the Spartans. The ancient city was situated on a peninsula on which the modern city has been built over the ancient Greek city of which only a few ruins remain including part of the city wall, two temple columns dating to the 6th century BC and tombs.

The islets of S. Pietro and S. Paolo (St. Peter and St. Paul), collectively known as Cheradi Islands, protect the bay, called Mar Grande (Big Sea), where the commercial port is located. Another bay, called Mar Piccolo (Little Sea), is formed by the peninsula of the old city, and has flourishing fishing. Mar Piccolo is a military port with strategic importance.

At the end of the 19th century, a channel was excavated to allow the military ships to enter Mar Piccolo harbour, and the ancient Greek city become an island connected to the mainland by bridges. In addition, the islets and the coast are strongly fortified. Because of the presence of these two bays, Taranto is also called “the city of the two seas”.

The Greek colonists from Sparta called the city Taras (Τάρας), after the mythical hero Taras, while the Romans, who connected the city to Rome with an extension of the Appian way, called it Tarentum.

The natural harbor at Taranto made it a logical home port for the Italian naval fleet before and during the First World War. During World War II, Taranto became famous as a consequence of the November 1940 British air attack on the Regia Marina naval base stationed here, which today is called the Battle of Taranto.

Taranto is also the origin of the common name of the Tarantula spider family, Theraphosidae, even though strictly speaking there are no members of Theraphosidae in the area. In ancient times, residents of the town of Taranto, upon being bitten by the large local Wolf Spider, Lycosa tarentula, would promptly do a long vigorous dance like a Jig. This was done in order to sweat the venom out of their pores, even though the spider's venom was not fatal to humans. The frenetic dance became known as the Tarantella.

Stained glass window in church in Taranto

Shopping plaza or piazza in Taranto

Aragon Castle

The Aragon castle in Taranto, known as Castel Sant’Angelo, overlooking the sea is a splendid construction designed by the architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini from Siena on commission by Ferdinand of Aragon towards the end of the XV century. The King of Naples’ project was to construct a defence castle.
The castle was built on the foundation of a Norman-Suevian-Angionian structure created by the Normans to defend the city, even if the original court dates back to the Byzantines, who built a fortress to protect themselves against the Saracens.
The distinctive towers are of particular interest with their large and low dimensions that compose the castle and emphasise its fortification function. The castle was also used as a jail under the Augsburgs and is currently the office of the Navy.

Aragon Castle of Taranto, Italy

View from castle courtyard out to the sea.

Tempio Greco Arcaico

 The Tempio Greco Arcaico or Archaic Greek Temple was built in the old city center or centro of Taranto which is actually connected to the mainland by a bridge that connects the main part of Taranto to the area right in front of the Aragon Castle.  An ancient Greek Temple was unearthed in the 1970's while an old church was being demolished.  It is estimated the columns that remain were constructed between 580 BC and 570 BC.

Taranto Centro

The centro or center of old Taranto is on the island part of Taranto.  The island is home to the castle, ancient duomo or old church and a university. 

Duomo of San Cataldo in old Taranto is thousands of years old.