Taranto Castle
Taranto, known as “the city of two seas”, sits in a strategic position between the Mar Grande (Great Sea) and the Mar Piccolo (Small Sea). This location has put it at the heart of important historical events.
The city’s most valuable ancient artefacts are conserved in the National Archaeological Museum, known as MarTa. Here, you can admire the renowned “Ori di Taranto” (Taranto’s golden treasure), a series of refined gold pieces produced locally between the 4th and 2nd centuries BC, as well as a collection of archaeological finds from across the Ionian province.
The history of the city runs along the two bridges that connect the old city to the new part of town. There’s a stone bridge, built after the flood of 1883, and then there’s the ponte girevole (swinging bridge), a marvel of mechanical engineering which opened in 1887.
The municipal location dedicated to civil marriages is the Aragonese Castle, located on the side of the swinging bridge and entirely surrounded by the sea. Currently managed by the Italian Navy, the Castle is also known as Castel Sant’Angelo and its first nucleus is very ancient, dating back to the year 1000. At that time the Byzantines thought to build this fortification to protect themselves from the Saracen attacks that came from the sea.
The choice of venues for reception is definitely wide, starting from one of the many, amazing beach clubs to a villa or masseria in the countryside.