Castello
di Taranto (Castle of Taranto)
The Castle dates back to the Aragonese age.
It is a big four-sided fortress overlooking
the sea, equipped with four very large cylinder-sided
embattled towers.
It was built by order of Ferdinand, the
king of Aragon, as a defensive building
and it was completed in 1492; during the
XVIII century the castle was a prison and
afterwards it was given to the Navy.
Not so far from the castle you can see the
popular "Ponte Girevole" ("Swing
Bridge"), which opens quickly thus
allowing you to sail the canal linking the
Mar Piccolo (Small Sea) to the Mar Grande
(Big Sea).
Today the castle is the official seat of
the sea military department Headquarters
of the Jonio Sea and of the Canal of Otranto. |
