The sailors monument is right across the swinging bridge from the castle. Two bronze large Navy…read moresailers are standing at the waterfront. In 1974, it was commissioned by the commander of the fleet in Taranto during World War II.

Right on the waterfront in Taranto we wandered across the moat into the courtyard. There wasn't a…read morefee, but we were asked to sign a release before going inside. We peeked inside rooms from the main courtyard, Visiting the barracks, kitchen, and lots of ruins seeing broken pottery and coins. The castle was built on the site of an older fortifications dating back to Greek occupation in the 3rd & 4th centuries BC. In 1481 the low ground in front of the fortification site was excavated to allow the passage of boats, & to create a moated defensive position. The present fortress was built for the then-king of Naples, Ferdinand II of Aragon in 1496 to reinforce the naturally low-lying link between the old town of Taranto on a peninsula, and the mainland.

Fourteen century Byzantine church holding a Sunday morning Service. Music was heard from the…read morestreet below.

We stayed in the south for a few nights. Only 30' away was Gallipoli, so we thought we should check…read morethis old town out. And what a great visit it turned out to be. Parked our car not far from the old town and crossed the bridge leading to the Centro Storico. The impressive Castello welcomes you when you enter this amazing historic town. Take the Via Antoniette de Pace or the smaller Via XXIV Maggio and head to the impressive Duomo, the Basilica Concattedrale di Sant'Agata Vergine e Martire. The streets and lanes are quite narrow, so you have to step back a bit to appreciate the beauty of the Duomo. Countless shops and restaurants can be found. It's sure worth to get lost a bit in this maze - especially when you head a bit to the western part of the old town. That's where many locals have their homes. Less tourists, but just fun to wander the small streets. Also nice to walk around this peninsula. Amazing ocean views with the bluest and greenest water you could think of. Some good restaurants with ocean views (try the Trattoria Scoglio delle Sirene). Besides the big sights, the whole old town itself is a sight of its own. We loved it. Fantastic town, sure well worth a (longer) drive.