The city of Taranto and the Military Arsenal
In 1860 Taranto cover only the portion of the island between the Mar Piccolo and the Mar Grande, the Porta
Napoli bridge and the current navigable canal. The city was entirely surrounded by a high defensive wall.
In 1865 the government conferred the possibility of expanding outside the walls and the municipal
administration approved an expansion plan, that contemplated the construction of two new suburbs, of
which the eastern one is the current “Borgo”.
In 1882, with a Royal Decree, the installation of a naval base and the construction of a Military Arsenal on
the beach of the Mar Piccolo were decided; then the moat’s depth of the Aragonese Castle were increased
and a new metal bridge were built.
Today it is possible to recognized the organization of the military structure incorporated within
the city, and, through the study of various documents and topographical analysis of the territory, it’s
possible to explore the planning events of the military structure and its conditioning on the social structure
and urban development.
