Taranto

Taranto was a very important city of the Magna Graecia. During this period its population reached 300 thousand and people all over the world crowed the town, intensifying its commerce and endowing it with prosperity.

The town was filled with grandiose monuments: baths, theatres, temples and museums. Lysippus built a bronze colossus of Hercules which was considered one of the wonders of the world. Governments were elected following the spirit of wisdom, schools flourished, art and science were held in great esteem.

After a conflict against the Romans the fortunes of Taranto ended as the Romans made a clean sweep of the city's riches. Worse fortune was to come when Taranto set itself against Rome once again, as an ally of Hannibal. She was defeated and reduced to the level of a modest fishing port.

With the fall of the Roman empire the great invasions began: Ostrogoths, Arabs, Saracen and Byzantines. After the latter the Normans came and Frederick II built a great palace over whose ruins lies the Church of San Domenico.

Due to the continuous attacks by the Turks in the Aragonese period, Ferdinand I built the Castle, in order to strengthen the defences of the city.

Of the great constructions of the Magna Graecia only some sporadic and fragmentary remains survived. Of the great amphitheatre the only memory that remains is a street bearing its name while the ruins of the great Doric temple have escaped destruction only because until recently they formed part of another modern building.

The only way to follow the circle of history of the town is by visiting the National Archaeological Museum. It is full of quite extraordinary finds such as terracotta objects, ceramics and priceless jewellery.