Ruins of the Greek Temple

As with the Church of the Holy Trinity (now demolished), the medieval church of San Domenico Maggiore was also built on top of the remains of a large Greek temple which probably dates back to the Archaic period.

In recent times, the remains of the substructures of the western wall of the Greek temple (already known and investigated by the archaeologist Felice Gino Lo Porto) have been found inside the rooms of the monumental staircase of the church.

The wall perimeter, corresponding to the western side of the building of the Greek age, extends for about 12 meters (39 ft.), setting itself directly on the rocky bank. The blocks of local stone, well worked, were laid dry (i.e., without the use of binders or mortar). According to archaeologists, the remains found inside the eighteenth-century stairway leading to the church of San Domenico Maggiore belong to one of the two large temples of the Archaic era, built on the acropolis of the polis of Taranto. From the analysis of the masonry works identified in these rooms and those clearly visible inside the Cloister of San Domenico, it is possible to assume that the structure had considerable dimensions and an absolutely monumental appearance. Even if the archaeological investigation works carried out over the years have shown that this great place of worship underwent a series of renovations (the most important one during the fifth century B.C.), they did not give us the possibility to identify the divinity to which the temple was dedicated.