Two columns of honey-colored stone rising from the pavement of Piazza Castello are all that remain of what was likely a Doric temple dedicated to Poseidon, built in the 6th century BC when Taranto (Taras) was at the height of its power as the dominant city of Magna Graecia. The identification as a temple to Poseidon is traditional; the archaeological evidence points to a major cult building but the dedication remains uncertain.
The columns are the most visible reminder that this city was once Greek. The rest of ancient Taras lies buried under the modern city or was long since dismantled and reused. Standing in the piazza with the columns on one side and the medieval castle on the other — and the Arabic-influenced cathedral not far away — is to experience Taranto's extraordinary layering of civilizations in a single glance.