Glories of the past in Taranto
Опис
Taranto was a Greek colony and became the most important city in the Magna Graecia.
The National Archeologic Museum is one of the few places left to discover the art and history of Greek Taranto and, more generally, of Apulia in the Classical Age. The museum displays quite extraordinary finds (clay objects, ceramics, mosaics, gold jewellery).
In the picturesque old city of Taranto we can admire the remains of the Doric Temple (or Poseidon Temple; the oldest temple of the Magna Graecia), the interesting cathedral (a mix of Romanesque and baroque style) of San Cataldo (the Irish bishop became the patron Saint of the city), the gothic church of San Domenico, some palace in the narrow streets, the fishing port.
It's also worth to visit the Aragonese Castle near the swing bridge.
Some idea for changes to the itinerary
With an half day tour we can only do a quick guided visit of the city (archeological museum and/or the old city) while, thanks to a full day one, it's possible to enjoy the city and to visit also Grottaglie with the ceramics district (with several pottery craftsman with traditional, artistic and design style ceramics), the castle and some interesting churches (the Mother church, Chiesa del Carmine).
We can also visit a winery (to taste some of the most renowned Apulian wines: Negroamaro, Primitivo, etc. ), some typical food producer, a masseria (typical farmhouse), a century old olive grove, enjoy a fish meal in a restaurant, etc. Another option is a boat trip and/or a fishing excursion.
We can also include Taranto in a tour together with Oria, Manduria, Alberobello, Martina Franca, Ostuni, Francavilla Fontana, Gioia del Colle, Altamura, Matera or another Apulian city of rupestrian civilization (Massafra, Mottola, Laterza, Gravina), Castellaneta (the birthplace of Rodolfo Valentino), the natural area of Monks’ salt marsh (with pink flamingos) and the wonderful beaches on the Ionian sea.