The Mar Piccolo of Taranto: the inner lagoon where the famous Taranto mussels are farmed, among underwater springs, mussel farming and biodiversity. The story of the inner sea.
History
The Mar Piccolo is the inner lagoon which, together with the Mar Grande, gives Taranto its name of "city of the two seas". It is an almost enclosed basin, connected to the Mar Grande through the Navigable Canal and the Porta Napoli canal, and divided into two inlets known as the "First Seno" and the "Second Seno".
Its brackish waters are fed by underwater freshwater springs, the "citri", which well up from the seabed creating a unique environment: the right salinity and richness of nutrients have made the Mar Piccolo, since antiquity, the ideal place for shellfish farming.
What to see
The Mar Piccolo is the home of the black Taranto mussel, the shellfish that has become the city's gastronomic symbol. Mussel farming here goes back centuries — the Greeks and Romans already prized its fruits — and today the stretches of poles and ropes still shape the lagoon's landscape.
Beyond the mussels, the Mar Piccolo is an ecosystem of great biodiversity, home to seahorses, fish and waterbirds. Its shores host the Navy base, Villa Peripato and ancient historical remains.
Gazing over the Mar Piccolo — from the "ringhiera" of the Old Town or the gardens of Villa Peripato — means discovering the most intimate, silent Taranto, so different from the open waters of the Mar Grande.
Did you know…
- The Taranto mussels of the Mar Piccolo have been farmed here for centuries.
- The underwater freshwater springs, called 'citri', create the perfect salinity for shellfish.
- The Mar Piccolo is home to seahorses, a sign of its healthy ecosystem.
- It is divided into two inlets: the First and the Second Seno.
Practical information
| Hours | — |
|---|---|
| Ticket | — |
| Accessibility | Best admired from the Old Town's viewpoints and from Villa Peripato. |
| Getting there | The Mar Piccolo laps the northern side of the Old Town and the Borgo. Fine views from Villa Peripato and the 'ringhiera'. |
Tips for your visit
- Admire the lagoon from the Old Town's ringhiera or the gardens of Villa Peripato.
- Taste the Taranto mussels: they are this sea's signature product.
- The mussels are at their best in the months with an 'r' (September-April).