Gulf of Taranto

The Gulf of Taranto opens into the Ionian Sea between the southern Italian shores. At its northern end, Taranto's fortress guarded the meeting of the open Mar Grande and the protected waters of Mar Piccolo. The widening reach of artillery changed the defence of this harbour. Between 1487 and 1492 Ferdinand of Aragon, king of Naples, rebuilt the older castle with low, massive round towers and thick walls suited to cannon warfare.

A triangular projection towards Mar Grande strengthened the defence of the moat, while the water passage helped separate the old city from the mainland. Spanish authorities continued adapting the fortress after taking over in 1502. The castle repelled an Ottoman assault in 1594, an episode that connects the gulf's sheltered harbour with the naval rivalries of the wider Mediterranean. Later advances in artillery reduced its military usefulness. Its changing form records the practical work of protecting a port approached from these Ionian waters.