Cloister of the convent of San Domenico

Medieval arches and silences in the ancient heart

Places and Public Services

The Cloister of the convent of San Domenico is one of the most suggestive spaces in the Old Town of Taranto. It is the inner courtyard of the ancient Dominican complex: originally it had a practical and spiritual function, connecting the rooms of the convent and offering the friars a place for passage, meditation, study, and community life. Its compact structure, with arcades and openings towards the central area, preserves the silent atmosphere typical of monastic cloisters. The convent was built between the 13th and 14th centuries next to the church of San Domenico Maggiore, in an area with a rich historical stratification where traces of medieval, Byzantine, and ancient Taranto overlap. For centuries, it was associated with the presence of the Dominicans, an important religious order for preaching and cultural formation. After the suppression of religious orders and changes in the building's use, the complex took on civil and cultural functions, becoming part of the city's monumental heritage. Today, the cloister is a point of interest for those visiting Taranto, especially to understand the city's history beyond its most famous monuments. It is located in the historic center, along the route that includes the Cathedral of San Cataldo, the Aragonese Castle, Via Duomo, and the views of the Mar Grande and the Mar Piccolo. Access may depend on opening hours, institutional activities, or cultural events: it is advisable to check in advance for any visits, exhibitions, or events. The visit is particularly recommended for those who love medieval architecture, quiet places, and cultural itineraries in ancient Taranto.

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Chiostro del convento di San Domenico - Taranto

Photo Credits: Italo Mairo (AI assisted)

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Perchè Visitare

A charming place in the heart of historic Taranto, the Cloister of the convent of San Domenico offers an intimate atmosphere rich with history. Ideal for appreciating architecture, peace, and traces of the city's religious and urban history.

Web Links

San Domenico Cloister - Official page of the Municipality of Taranto

Cloister of San Domenico - Taranto Sea Capital

Cloister of the Former Convent of San Domenico on Tripadvisor

Via Duomo 33, 74123 Taranto IT, Italia

Google Maps Street View

Come raggiungere

From the center of Taranto, you can reach the Swing Bridge and cross it towards the Old Town. Continue along Via Duomo for about 10 minutes, towards the complex of San Domenico Maggiore: the cloister is located next to the church, in the former convent. If traveling by car, it is advisable to park in Borgo or at the entrance of the island and continue on foot.

Info Aggiuntive

In its current configuration, the convent dates back to the mid-14th century, about fifty years after the construction of the nearby church. However, the area was already occupied by older religious structures: at least since the last two decades of the 9th century, the monastery of San Pietro Imperiale is attested, and in 1080 Robert Guiscard granted the Benedictines of Montecassino the prepositure of Taranto. The present appearance of the cloister mainly comes from extensive renovations between the 17th and 18th centuries: it has an irregular layout, arms covered by cross vaults, columns in local limestone with angular leaf capitals, and remnants of flooring in herringbone or linear rows. The restoration works have uncovered elements of the gothic façade of the convent, with portals and biforas; some biforas still show decorated capitals with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic motifs. The green space also preserves two sarcophagi in limestone, linked to the ancient funerary use of the garden. The archaeological investigations carried out from 1989 to 1994 revealed an exceptional continuity of settlement: Neolithic traces from the 6th to the 4th millennium BC, Bronze Age levels connected to the sites of Scoglio del Tonno and Porto Perone-Saturo, Iapygian testimonies from the Iron Age, and especially the remains of a large Greek temple on the acropolis of the Spartan colony. Along the northern wing of the cloister, imposing foundations in blocks of limestone, over five meters high, are visible, relating to the peristyle of the 6th century BC temple, restored in the 5th century BC; parts of the cella are also recognizable, later readapted in Christian times. The Roman phase is documented by inscribed fragments of lintels, reused in the 14th-century façade and in the gothic door jambs, with references to Cormus duoviro and Cneus Pompeius, probably linked to renovation work of the sacred area around the mid-1st century BC. On the upper floor, reachable via a monumental 18th-century staircase, rooms formerly used for daily life, prayer, and living accommodations of the religious are preserved.