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TARANTO (anc. Tarentum, q.v.)

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Originally appearing in Volume V26, Page 416 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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TARANTO (anc. See also:Tarentum, q.v.) , a seaport of See also:Apulia, See also:Italy, in the See also:province of See also:Lecce, 50 M. from that See also:town W. by N. by road, and 68 m. by See also:rail (44 M. W. by S. from See also:Brindisi). Pop. (1901) 50,592 (town); 60,331 (See also:commune). The See also:city proper is situated on a rocky See also:island 56 ft. above See also:sea-level, which in See also:ancient times was a See also:peninsula, the See also:isthmus on the See also:west having been cut through by See also:Ferdinand I. of See also:Aragon. This island separates the Gulf of Taranto from the deep inlet of the See also:Mare See also:Piccolo, and is sheltered by two other See also:flat islands, See also:San Pietro and San See also:Paolo; the latter is occupied by a lighthouse. This See also:rock is the site of the citadel of the ancient town; its See also:population is confined within small houses and narrow streets. The Strada See also:Garibaldi along the Mare Piccolo is inhabited by See also:fisher-men whose See also:language retains traces of See also:Greek. The See also:cathedral, dedicated to San Cataldo, an Irish See also:bishop, dating from the 11th See also:century, has externally some remains ofSaracenic See also:Gothic; internally it has been completely modernized, and the See also:shrine of the See also:patron See also:saint has been termed " an See also:orgy of See also:rococo." Below it is an See also:early See also:Christian See also:basilica excavated in 1901. There is a See also:fine museum in the former See also:convent of San Pasquale containing antiquities unearthed in the neighbourhood. Adjacent is the Palazzo degli Uffizi, completed in 1896, containing various public offices.

To the See also:

south, outside the Porta di Lecce, is the Citta Nuova, on the site of the See also:main See also:part of the ancient town. The See also:chief See also:industry is the cultivation of oysters in four large beds in the Mare Piccolo; besides oysters, Taranto carries on a large See also:trade in cozze, a See also:species of large See also:black See also:mussel, which is packed in barrels with a See also:special See also:sauce. The other trades are See also:olive-oil refining, See also:barrel-making and See also:soap-boiling; See also:corn, See also:honey and See also:fruit are largely exported. Excellent See also:fish abound in the Mare Piccolo, ninety-three different species being found. The ebb and flow of the See also:tide is distinctly visible I here, Taranto being one of the few places in the Mediterranean where it is perceptible. In 1861 the strategic importance of Taranto was recognized by the See also:Italian See also:government, and in 1864 a See also:Naval See also:Commission designated it as third maritime See also:arsenal after See also:Spezia and See also:Venice. See also:Work was begun on the arsenal in 1883 and continued as the finances of the See also:state permitted; it is capable of turning out new warships and of exe-. cuting See also:repairs of all kinds for the Mediterranean See also:squadron. The arsenal extends for a mile and a See also:half along the See also:southern See also:coast of the Mare Piccolo, which constitutes its chief See also:basin. The receiving-See also:dock and the anchorage for See also:torpedo boats, with its wide landing-See also:stage, See also:form dependencies. The dock, 655 ft. See also:long, 130 ft. wide and 37 ft. deep, is divided into two compartments, each capable of containing a full-sized battleship, and can be pumped dry in eight See also:hours by two 600 h.p. See also:steam pumps. The Mare Grande is connected with the Mare Piccolo by a channel 875 yds. long, large enough to permit the passage of the largest battleship; the channel was bridged in 1887 by an See also:iron swivel See also:bridge, which when open leaves a passage way 196 ft. broad. In its See also:present form the Mare Piccolo provides a well-sheltered anchorage, 36 ft. deep and 6325 acres in extent.

The commercial See also:

harbour lies S. of the railway station outside the Mare Piccolo. In 1905 nearly 18o,000 tons of See also:shipping cleared the See also:port. In 927 Taranto was entirely destroyed by the See also:Saracens, but rebuilt in 967 by Nicephorus See also:Phocas, to whom is due the construction of the bridge over the channel to the N.W. of the town, and of the See also:aqueduct which passes over it. The town was taken by See also:Robert Guiscard in 1063. His son Bohemond became See also:prince of the Terra d'See also:Otranto, with his See also:capital here. After his See also:death See also:Roger II. of See also:Sicily gave it to his son See also:William the See also:Bad. The See also:emperor See also:Frederick II. erected a See also:castle (Rocca Imperiale) at the highest point of the city. In 1301 See also:Philip, the son of See also:Charles II. of See also:Anjou, became prince of Taranto. The castle See also:dates from the Aragonese See also:period. The See also:tarantula (see below), inhabits the neighbourhood of Taranto. The See also:wild See also:dance, called tarantella, was supposed, by causing See also:perspiration, to drive out the See also:poison of the bite. (T.

End of Article: TARANTO (anc. Tarentum, q.v.)

Additional information and Comments

Taranto is not, and It has never been, Province of Lecce! Taranto from the Greek "Taras" then in Latin "Tarentum". Taranto has been the ancient Capital of "Magna" Greece!!!
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