The capital of Magna Graecia

Bathed by two seas, the Mar Piccolo and the Mar Grande, Taranto is an extraordinary city that manages to impress even the most discerning tourists thanks to its multi-millennial history, its many fine works of art and its rich biodiversity.

The oldest heart is undoubtedly the Old City, where the Acropolis of Taranto once stood, the only Spartan colony, founded 706 years before the birth of Christ.

As soon as you enter what is now an island, you are greeted by the bulk of the Aragonese Castle built on the remains of an ancient Byzantine fortress that, according to tradition, inspired the adventures of the 'Count of Montecristo', and by the soaring Doric columns of Piazza Castello, evidence of one of the temples of ancient Taras and, above all, the oldest in Magna Graecia.

Strolling along Via Duomo is an experience to be had with one's nose turned upwards to lose oneself in the decorations of the ancient noble palaces and the hubbub of the island's inhabitants. In the heart of the Old City is the Cathedral dedicated to San Cataldo, the oldest in Apulia, with the Cappellone dedicated to the patron saint: a kaleidoscope of marble inlays, mother-of-pearl and precious stones that serve as a backdrop for eight statues by Giuseppe Sammartino and a fresco by Paolo de Matteis.

Continuing along Via Duomo is the MuDi (Diocesan Museum) which, alongside statues, canvases and sacred vestments, houses the world's largest artistic jewel: an engraved topaz weighing over a kilo and a half.

The walk through the historic centre of Taranto cannot but end with the entrance to the Church of San Domenico Maggiore, a lofty example of Angevin architecture that preserves the sacred effigy of Our Lady of Sorrows, the protagonist of the Easter procession on Maundy Thursday night, and the entrance to Palazzo Pantaleo, a perfectly preserved 18th-century residence that houses the Ethnographic Museum.

After crossing the Canale Navigabile with its iconic Ponte Girevole (swing bridge), we enter the Umbertino district. A stroll along the city's seafront, embellished by the architecture of the twentieth century signed by the greatest architects of the time (Bazzani and Brasini, to name but a few), is a must. Then, after a stop at the beautiful Church of the Carmine, which houses the statues that make up the Good Friday Mysteries procession, enter MArTa, Taranto's National Archaeological Museum.

Housed in an ancient monastery, called one of the most important archaeological museums in the world, it boasts a rich collection of jewellery from the Hellenistic period, the tomb of the athlete, marvellous Roman mosaic floors and one of the richest collections of vases in the world.

Taranto also knows how to amaze outside the standard tourist circuits: not far from the centre is the Co-cathedral, Gio Ponti's last and perhaps most beautiful work; an interesting itinerary linked to Street Art (Progetto T.R.U.St.) in continuous evolution; and the 'La Vela' marsh where it is easy to encounter seahorses, herons and the splendid pink flamingos.

Texts by Luca Adamo / photos by Luca Adamo and Peppe Carucci