Taranto: A Journey Through Beauty and Contradictions

Christian Caliandro explores Taranto, a city of stark contrasts, through a personal and historical lens. He references Pier Paolo Pasolini's 1959 visit, who described Taranto as "a gigantic diamond in fragments" and "a perfect city." In the Cathedral of San Cataldo, a 1160 mosaic by Petroius depicts Alexander the Great's flight, interpreted as either an allegory of pride or of salvation. Caliandro recounts a visit to Antonio Mariano's workshop, a space filled with paintings and model ships, where Mariano shared a 1964 encounter with Elvis Presley at Malpensa Airport. The narrative weaves together the city's layered history, its abandoned yet inhabited buildings, and the personal stories that define its character. The article is published in Artribune Magazine #65.