74123 Taranto TA
Again, for the fastest route, take the A3 from Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi (Naples) via Via Galileo Ferraris. Continue along the A3 and A2/E45 to Sicignano degli Alburni, taking the exit for Potenza. Then proceed along the E847 and later the Jonica State Road 106 (E90) to Viale Magna Grecia in Taranto.
From there, you will need to use the waterway service to reach the Cheradi Islands.
Several bus routes are available from Naples Central Station, operated by Trenitalia and FlixBus. Depending on the service chosen, the final stop may vary slightly, but all routes arrive in central Taranto. From there, the waterway service must be reached to continue to the Cheradi Islands.
You can reach the center of Taranto by train from Naples Central Station. The train will stop at Potenza station before ending its journey on the west side of Piazza della Libertà in Taranto. From there, you need to reach the waterway service.
The archipelago of the Cheradi Islands, composed of the islands of San Pietro and San Paolo, has historically played a significant military role thanks to its strategic position that closes the Mar Grande roadstead of Taranto to the southwest. The location has made the islands a key point for the defense of the city and its port. Over the centuries, the Cheradi have been fortified to protect Taranto from enemy incursions. Towards the end of the 18th century, during the Napoleonic period, the Forte de Laclos was built on the Island of San Paolo, named after the artillery general Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, who was buried there in 1803. With the unification of Italy, the islands came under the control of the Kingdom and were further fortified. On the Island of San Pietro, the Batteria di San Pietro was built, while on the Island of San Paolo, the Batteria Ammiraglio Aubry and the Torre Corazzata Umberto I were built, designed between 1883 and 1901 by the lieutenant of the Military Engineers Emilio Marrullier. These structures were intended to defend the naval base of Taranto, which at the end of the 19th century became a cornerstone of the defense works of the Italian Navy. During the Second World War, the islands hosted military installations used for the defense of the city, some of which are still present, although abandoned. Today, the Cheradi Islands are part of the military domain; the Island of San Paolo is closed to the public, while the Island of San Pietro has been partially opened to visitors, offering a large beach reachable from the city by means of the Municipalized Transport Company.
