Taranto, a spartan Colony

Discovering the ancient origins of Taranto, founded by settlers of mighty Sparta

Overview

The origins of Taranto date back to 706 BC, when, according to the most widespread belief, the city was founded by Doric colonists from the Greek polis of Sparta. The city’s original name was “Taras”, from which the current nomenclature derives. According to one version of mythology, this name is attributed to one of Poseidon’s sons, the god of the sea, to whom the city was devoted. In ancient times, Taras, thanks to its strategic location, gained importance and became a flourishing hub of maritime and commercial routes in the Magna Grecia. Around the 4th century BCE, the polis could boast a powerful naval and military force, which brought it into an inevitable confrontation with the emerging kingdom of Rome in 281 BCE. This particular year was the beginning of the city’s end as a polis. In today’s streets of Taras, the tour will explore ancient walls, a symbolic temple ruin, an underground necropolis, and a rich archaeological museum. Following the footsteps of ancient origins, it will be possible to discover and savour a value that goes far beyond the present-day industrial character of the city, rediscovering a hidden past that still recalls with a loud and clear voice for those who know how to listen.