The Ancient Port

The ancient port of Gallipoli is located behind the chapel of Santa Cristina, enclosed between the castle and the Canneto church. Before 1804 it had the size of a roadstead where a single rock, the “Scoglio del Porto” gave the inlet the form of a port.

The Venetians, the Aragonese and the Bourbons resettled this bay several times over the centuries. Originally the Venetians opened a navigable passage by cutting off the mainland stretch that made Gallipoli a peninsula, to allow the passage towards the shelter of tramontana (north wind), now site of the new port. In 1603 the isthmus was closed again with the existing bridge, leaving the passages under its arches for small boats. Nowadays the “paranze” and the fishermen’s small boats moor here.

(translation by: Rocco Merenda)