Taranto

Taranto is a city in Italy. It sits by the sea. The city is known as the city of two seas. One is called the Big Sea. The other is called the Little Sea.

The Big Sea is where ships stay. The Little Sea is a good place for fishing. You might see dolphins swimming near the islands. People even grow mussels in the water there.

It is a busy place by the water.

Taranto is a coastal city in southern Italy. It sits in the region of Apulia. The city is known as the "city of two seas."

One sea is called the Mar Grande, or Big Sea. This is a large bay where ships use the port. The other is the Mar Piccolo, or Little Sea. This area is a lagoon and is great for fishing.

Small islands called the Cheradi Islands protect the Big Sea. Many dolphins live near these islands. In the water, people grow mussels called cozze.

Taranto has a very long history. Greek people from Sparta founded the city a long time ago. They named it after a hero named Taras. Legend says Taras was saved by a dolphin.

The city grew into a great power. Later, the Romans took control of the area. Today, Taranto is a busy place. It has many large factories. It also has a major naval base for the Italian navy. The city will host the 2026 Mediterranean Games.

Taranto is a coastal city located in the Apulia region of southern Italy. It is a very important place for trade and the military. The city serves as a major commercial port for the area. It is also the main naval base for the Italian navy. Taranto is the second-largest city in the Apulia region. As of 2025, about 185,909 people live there. The city is famous for being the "city of two seas."

The city sits between two different bodies of water. One is the Mar Grande, which means Big Sea. This large bay is where the commercial port is located. A group of small islands called the Cheradi Islands protects this bay. These islands include S. Pietro and S. Paolo. Many dolphins and other sea animals live near these islands. The other body of water is the Mar Piccolo, or Little Sea. This area is a lagoon and is a popular place for fishing.

In the water, people grow Mediterranean mussels called cozze.

Taranto has a very old and interesting history. Greek people from Sparta founded the city in the 8th century BC. They called the city Taras after a mythical hero. One legend says Taras was saved from a shipwreck by a dolphin.

The city became a great power with many famous thinkers and athletes. It was once one of the largest cities in the world. By 500 BC, it may have had 300,000 people. Later, the Romans took control of the city. They called it Tarentum and connected it to Rome with a road.

Throughout its history, Taranto has seen many big changes. During the Norman period, it was the capital of a large area. In the 20th century, the city saw action during the Second World War. A famous naval battle took place in the harbor in 1940. This was the first time planes were used to attack ships at sea. In modern times, the city has many large industries. It has steel and iron works, oil refineries, and chemical plants. It also has many food-processing factories.

Today, Taranto is a busy place that looks toward the future. It is the third-largest continental city in southern Italy. The city will host the 2026 Mediterranean Games. People can still see signs of the old Greek city today. You might see beautiful pottery or ancient coins. Some of these coins show the hero Taras riding a dolphin.

The city's layout includes a man-made island at its heart. This island is connected to the mainland by special bridges. One of these is the Ponte Girevole, which can turn to let ships pass.

Taranto is a significant coastal city located in the Apulia region of southern Italy. It serves as the capital of the province of Taranto. The city is a vital commercial port and the primary naval base for Italy. As of 2025, the population is approximately 185,909 people. This makes Taranto the second-largest city in the Apulia region. It is also recognized as the third-largest continental city in southern Italy, which is the area south of Rome.

The geography of the city is defined by its relationship with the sea. Taranto is often called the "city of two seas" due to its unique coastal layout. The Mar Grande, or Big Sea, is a large bay that houses the commercial port. This bay is protected from the Ionian Sea by an archipelago. This group includes the Cheradi Islands, specifically the islets of S. Pietro and S. Paolo.

These islands provide a habitat for many cetaceans, such as dolphins. The second body of water is the Mar Piccolo, or Little Sea. This area is a lagoon formed by the peninsula of the old city. It is a popular location for fishing and local industry.

Water characteristics in these two areas differ significantly. The Mar Piccolo is a lagoon, which can cause challenges with water exchange. The two bodies of water have different winds, tides, and salinities. In the Mar Grande and northern Mar Piccolo, there are underwater springs called citri. These springs carry undrinkable freshwater mixed with salt water. This specific mix creates ideal biological conditions for cultivating Mediterranean mussels, known locally as cozze.

The Galeso river also flows into the first half of the Mar Piccolo.

The history of Taranto began in the 8th century BC with Greek colonization. Specifically, Dorian Greek immigrants from Sparta founded the city in 706 BC. These founders were known as the Partheniae, or "sons of virgins." They were the children of unmarried Spartan women and Perioeci. Because of the Messenian Wars, these individuals were eventually forced to leave Greece. Their leader, Phalanthus, consulted the oracle at Delphi before they settled in Apulia. They named the city Taras after the mythical son of Poseidon.

During its height, Taranto was a massive cultural and military power in Magna Graecia. By 500 BC, the population may have reached 300,000 people. The city produced famous philosophers, strategists, and athletes like Archytas and Aristoxenus. Archytas was a dominant figure who served as strategos, or general, for seven consecutive years. This was a rare feat that required changing local rules. However, Roman expansion eventually ended Taranto's independence. After the death of King Pyrrhus in 272 BC, the city surrendered to the Roman Republic. The Romans renamed the city Tarentum and connected it to Rome via the Appian Way.

Taranto's ancient legacy is visible through its art and architecture. The city was a center for decorated Greek pottery known as Basilican ware. These vessels often featured red figure decoration with white, pink, and yellow accents. Scholars identify different workshops by nicknames like the Iliupersis Painter or the Darius Painter.

The city also issued its own silver coins called Nomos. These coins often depicted the legend of Taras being saved by a dolphin. In the modern era, the city's architecture includes the old city's man-made island. This island is linked to the mainland by the Ponte Girevole, a bridge that turns to allow ships to pass.

In the 20th century, Taranto experienced significant historical shifts. During the Second World War, the Battle of Taranto occurred in November 1940. This was a major naval engagement between British and Italian forces. The Royal Navy conducted the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history. They used 21 Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers to strike the Italian fleet. Following the war, the city hosted the Taranto Prize between 1947 and 1951. This biennial cultural event focused on literature and painting with the theme of the sea. Today, the city remains an industrial hub with steel foundries, oil refineries, and chemical works. It is also preparing to host the 2026 Mediterranean Games.