Taranto

Taranto stands between the open Gulf of Taranto and an inner sea, the Mar Piccolo, on the Ionian coast of southern Italy. Founded by Greeks as Taras, it became a wealthy city whose sheltered waters supported ships and fisheries. The old town occupies the narrow land separating the two bodies of water, with a castle guarding its approach from the mainland and the open sea.

In 1481, under Aragonese rule, a navigable channel was cut through the isthmus beside the castle. Narrower than the later passage, it allowed small vessels to pass and strengthened the fortress's position. The work turned the old town into an island and altered the relationship between Taranto's two seas, while the harbour remained central to the city's life.