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100-712: Paisiello was born in Taranto in the Apulia region and educated by the Jesuits there. He became known for his beautiful singing voice and in 1754 was sent to the Conservatorio di S. Onofrio at Naples , where he studied under Francesco Durante , and eventually became assistant master. For the theatre of the Conservatorio, which he left in 1763, he wrote some intermezzi, one of which attracted so much notice that he

200-410: A European reputation. The fate of this opera marks an epoch in the history of Italian art; for with it the gentle suavity cultivated by the masters of the 18th century died out to make room for the dazzling brilliance of a later period. When, in 1816, Gioachino Rossini set a revised version of the libretto to music, under the title of Almaviva ossia la inutil precauzione the fans of Paisiello stormed

300-717: A crushing defeat of the Neapolitan Royal Army at the Battle of Campo Tenese , effectively destroying it as a fighting force and securing the entire mainland for the French. On 30 March 1806 Napoleon issued a decree installing Joseph Bonaparte as King of Naples and Sicily ; the decree said as follows: "Napoleon, by the Grace of God and the constitutions. Emperor of the French and King of Italy, to all those to whom these presents come, greetings. The interests of our people,

400-715: A deep impression upon the Neapolitan public. The young Mozart and his father met him in Bologna in 1771. In 1772, Paisiello began to write church music and composed a requiem for Gennara di Borbone, of the reigning dynasty. In the same year, he married Cecilia Pallini, and the marriage was a happy one. In 1776, Paisiello was invited by the empress Catherine the Great of Russia to Saint Petersburg , where he remained for eight years, producing, among other charming works, his masterpiece, Il barbiere di Siviglia , which soon attained

500-592: A picture of the condition of his kingdom. Upon returning to Naples , Bonaparte received a deputation from the French Senate congratulating him upon his accession. The King formed a ministry staffed by many competent and talented men; he was determined to follow a reforming agenda and bring Naples the benefits of the French Revolution , without its excesses. Saliceti was appointed Minister of Police, Roederer Minister of Finance, Miot Minister of

600-662: A politician and diplomat, he served in the Cinq-Cents and as the French ambassador to Rome . On 30 September 1800, as Minister Plenipotentiary , he signed a treaty of friendship and commerce between France and the United States at Mortefontaine, Oise , alongside Charles Pierre Claret de Fleurieu , and Pierre Louis Roederer . In 1795 Bonaparte was a member of the Council of Five Hundred . Four years later, he used this position to help his brother Napoleon to overthrow

700-502: A simple, direct and spirited style, latterly with sharper characterization, more colourful scoring and warmer melodies (features that influenced Mozart ). His serious operas have less than the conventional amount of virtuoso vocal writing; those for Russia are the closest to Gluck's 'reform' approach . Works composed for Napoleon's or King Joseph's chapels. (to be completed) Taranto Taranto ( Italian pronunciation: [ˈtaːranto] ; Tarantino : Tarde )

800-637: A straight direction however the side streets were purposely built narrow and winding to impede the passage of an invading army. Incorporating the Aragon Castle , Doric Columns , City Hall, Clock Tower and Piazza Fontana, it is situated and entirely enclosed on the artificial island between the Big and Little Seas and is reached from the New City by crossing the Ponte Girevole ( swing bridge ) from

900-570: A tour of his new realm. The principal object of the tour was to assess the feasibility of an immediate invasion of Sicily and the expulsion of Ferdinand and Maria-Carolina from their refuge in Palermo . But, upon reviewing the situation at the Strait of Messina , Joseph was forced to admit the impossibility of such an enterprise, the Bourbons having carried off all boats and transports from along

1000-605: Is "Chi vuol la zingarella" from I zingari in fiera , which vividly portrays the scene of an attractive gypsy girl with its dramatic music. Paisiello also wrote a great deal of church music, including eight masses; as well as fifty-one instrumental compositions and many stand-alone songs. He also composed the Inno al Re , the national anthem of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Manuscript scores of many of his operas were presented to

1100-704: Is a coastal city in Apulia , Southern Italy . It is the capital of the province of Taranto , serving as an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base. Founded by Spartans in the 8th century BC during the period of Greek colonisation , Taranto was among the most important poleis in Magna Graecia , becoming a cultural, economic and military power that gave birth to philosophers, strategists, writers and athletes such as Archytas , Aristoxenus , Livius Andronicus , Heracleides , Iccus , Cleinias , Leonidas , Lysis and Sosibius . By 500 BC,

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1200-542: Is about the middle height, but round and corpulent. In the form of his head and features there certainly exists a resemblance to Napoleon, but in the expression of the countenance there is none. I remember, at the Pergola Theatre of Florence, discovering Louis Bonaparte from his likeness to the Emperor, which is very striking, but I am by no means confident that I should have been equally successful with Joseph. There

1300-557: Is also called "the city of the two seas". The natural harbor at Taranto made it a logical home port for the Italian naval fleet before and during the First World War . During World War II, Taranto became famous for a November 1940 British air attack on the Regia Marina naval base stationed here, which today is called the Battle of Taranto . The city's name is the origin of the common name " tarantula ", originating from

1400-581: Is characterised by three natural peninsulas and a man-made island, formed by digging a ditch during the construction of Aragon Castle . The city is known as the "city of two seas" because it is washed by the Big Sea in the bay between Punta Rondinella to the northwest and Capo San Dante to the south, and by the vast reservoir of the Little Sea. The Big Sea is frequently known as the Big Sea bay as that

1500-485: Is hot and humid, with temperatures averaging 29 °C (84 °F). On 28 November 2012 a large F3 tornado hit the port of Taranto and damaged the Taranto Steel Mill ; about 20 workers were injured, and another man was reported missing. It is classified as Geographical zone C and having a degree-day of 30. Taranto was founded in 706 BC by Dorian Greek immigrants hailing from Sparta . Its origin

1600-487: Is nothing about him indicative of high intellect. His eye is dull and heavy; his manner ungraceful and deficient in that ease and dignity which we vulgar people are apt to number among the necessary attributes of majesty. **** I am told he converses without any appearance of reserve on the circumstances of his short and troubled reign — if reign, indeed, it can be called — in Spain. He attributes more than half his misfortunes, to

1700-941: Is one of the most significant late works by the architect. In 2018 it is in poor condition and defaced by graffiti. In the modern districts, but above all in the central Borgo Umbertino , there are also the Fountain of the Rosa dei Venti , Monumento al Marinaio , the War Memorial and the Navy Yard , another symbol of the city, some archeological sites such as the Cripta del Redentore , churches like Maria Santissima del Monte Carmelo , San Pasquale and San Francesco di Paola and 18th- and 19th-century palaces such as Palazzo Magnini , Palazzo delle Poste, Palazzo del Governo , Palazzo degli Uffici and Palazzo Savino D'Amelio . On

1800-468: Is peculiar: the founders were Partheniae ("sons of virgins"), sons of unmarried Spartan women and Perioeci (free men, but not citizens of Sparta); these out-of-wedlock unions were permitted extraordinarily by the Spartans to increase the prospective number of soldiers (only the citizens of Sparta could become soldiers) during the bloody Messenian Wars , but later they were retroactively nullified, and

1900-757: Is where ships harbour. It is separated from the Little Sea by a cape which closes the gulf, leading to the artificial island. This island formed the heart of the original city and it is connected to the mainland by the Ponte di Porta Napoli and the Ponte Girevole . The Big Sea is separated from the Ionian Sea by the Capo San Vito, the Isole Cheradi of St Peter and St Paul, and the three islands of San Nicolicchio, which are completely incorporated by

2000-469: The Appian Way , called it Tarentum . The islets of S. Pietro and S. Paolo (St. Peter and St. Paul), collectively known as Cheradi Islands , protect the bay, called Mar Grande ( Big Sea ), where the commercial port is located. Taranto is known for the large population of dolphins and other cetaceans living near these islands. Another bay, called Mar Piccolo ( Little Sea ), is formed by

2100-594: The Directory . Upon the outbreak of war between France and Austria in 1805, Ferdinand IV of Naples had agreed to a treaty of neutrality with Napoleon but, a few days later, declared his support for Austria. He permitted a large Anglo-Russian force to land in his kingdom. Napoleon, however, was soon victorious. After the War of the Third Coalition was shattered on 5 December at the Battle of Austerlitz , Ferdinand

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2200-656: The ILVA steelworks . The latter form a little archipelago which closes off the arc creating the natural Big Sea bay. The Little Sea is considered to be a lagoon so it presents problems of water exchange. It is virtually divided into two by the Ponte Punta Penna Pizzone , which joins the Punta Penna to the Punta Pizzone. The first of these forms a rough triangle, whose corners are the opening to

2300-717: The Tarantella . In geology , Taranto gives its name to the Tarantian Age of the Pleistocene Epoch. Taranto faces the Ionian Sea . It is 14.5 m (48 ft) above sea level . It was built on a plain running north/north-west–southeast, and surrounded by the Murgia plateau from the north-west to the east. Its territory extends for 209.64 km (80.94 sq mi) and is mostly underwater. It

2400-496: The coral reef . Taranto has a number of sites of historic value. Situated at the angle of the canal, Big Sea and Piazza Castello , the Aragon Castle was built between 1486 and 1492 by orders of King Ferdinand II of Aragon to protect the city from the Turks ' frequent raids. The castle, which was designed by Italian painter and architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini , replaced a pre-existing 9th-century Byzantine fortress, which

2500-599: The weather station situated near the Grottaglie Military Airport , is a hot-summer Mediterranean climate , typical of the Mediterranean with frequent continental features. The spring is usually mild and rainy, but it is not uncommon to have sudden cold spells from the north and east, which often cause snowfall. Average annual precipitation is fairly low (even for southern Italy), measuring just 425 mm (16.7 in) per year. The summer

2600-575: The "second-finest house in America" after the White House . At Point Breeze, Bonaparte entertained many of the leading intellectuals and politicians of his day. In the summer of 1825, the Quaker scientist Reuben Haines III described Bonaparte's estate at Point Breeze, in a letter to his cousin: "I partook of royal fare on solid silver and attended by six waiters who supplied me with 9 courses of

2700-400: The 5th and 4th centuries BC. The denomination was a Nomos, a die-cast silver coin whose weight, size and purity were controlled by the state. The highly artistic coins presented the symbol of the city, Taras being saved by a dolphin, with the reverse side showing the likeness of a hippocamp , a horse-fish amalgam which is depicted in mythology as the beast that drew Poseidon's chariot. Taras

2800-566: The 6th century BC - such as the remains of a temple dedicated to Poseidon, with its two surviving Doric columns still visible on Piazza Castello in the Città Vecchia . The Promenade ( lungomare ), named after former Italian king Victor Emmanuel III , overlooks the Mar Grande , the natural harbour and commercial port. The Concattedrale Gran Madre di Dio , designed by Gio Ponti , was built in 1967–1971 in reinforced concrete and

2900-580: The Countess of Atri : Bonaparte had two American daughters born at Point Breeze, his estate in Bordentown, New Jersey , by his mistress, Annette Savage ("Madame de la Folie"): Joseph Bonaparte was admitted to Marseille 's lodge la Parfaite Sincérité in 1793. He was asked by his brother Napoleon to monitor freemasonry as Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France (1804–1815). He founded

3000-459: The French invasion force of forty-thousand men crossed into Naples. The centre and right of the army under Masséna and General Reynier advanced south from Rome , while Giuseppe Lechi led a force down the Adriatic coast from Ancona . On his brother's recommendation, Bonaparte attached himself to Reynier . The French advance faced little resistance. Even before any French troops had crossed

3100-682: The ILVA steel plant, part of Gruppo Riva . 7% of Taranto's pollution is produced by the public; 93% is produced by factories. In 2005, the European Pollutant Emission Register estimated dioxin emissions from the Taranto ILVA plant were responsible for 83% of Italy's total reported emissions. Every year the city is exposed to 2.7 t (2.7 long tons; 3.0 short tons) of carbon monoxide and 57.7 t (56.8 long tons; 63.6 short tons) of carbon dioxide . In 2014,

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3200-521: The Interior and General Dumas Minister of War. Marshal Jourdan was also confirmed as Governor of Naples, an appointment made by Napoleon , and served as Bonaparte's foremost military adviser. Bonaparte embarked on an ambitious programme of reform and regeneration, in order to raise Naples to the level of a modern state in the mould of Napoleonic France. Monastic orders were suppressed, their property nationalised , and their funds confiscated to steady

3300-670: The Italian National Institute of Emissions and their Sources, stated that Taranto stands third in the world behind China's Linfen , and Copşa Mică in Romania, the most polluted cities in the world due to factories' emissions. In particular, the city produces ninety-two percent of Italy's dioxin . This is 8.8 percent of the dioxin in Europe. Between 1995 and 2004, leukaemias , myelomas and lymphomas increased by 30 to 40 percent. Dioxin accumulates over

3400-552: The Queen of Sweden [Joseph's sister-in-law Desiree Clary Bernadotte] or ranging [?] through the different appartments of the mansion through a suite of rooms 15 ft. in [height] decorated with the finest productions of the pencils of Coregeo [sic]! Titian! Rubens! Vandyke! Vernet! Tenniers [sic] and Paul Potter and a library of the most splended books I ever beheld." Another visitor a few years later, British writer Thomas Hamilton , described Bonaparte himself: Joseph Bonaparte, in person,

3500-590: The Quintet and then we’ll perform together the grand sonata for two pianos. I shall fetch Paisiello with my carriage for I want him to hear my compositions as well as my pupil." After many vicissitudes, resulting from political and dynastic changes, he was invited to Paris (1802) by Napoleon , whose favour he had won five years previously by composing a march for the funeral of General Hoche . Napoleon treated him munificently, while cruelly neglecting two more famous composers, Luigi Cherubini and Étienne Méhul , to whom

3600-556: The San Agostino church, located near Pendio La Riccia, the buried remains of an ancient Greek temple were discovered. Beginning in 1934 Benito Mussolini embarked on a project of rejuvenation that involved the demolition of the working class Turipenne pittaggio along the Via Garibaldi and ''Discesa Vasto'' which contained the homes of local fishermen as well as the old Jewish quarter. The demolitions, which also razed

3700-624: The Spanish throne, hoping that Napoleon would sanction his return to the Neapolitan Throne he had formerly occupied. Napoleon dismissed Joseph's misgivings out of hand, and to back up the raw and ill-trained levies he had initially allocated to Spain, the Emperor sent heavy French reinforcements to assist Joseph in maintaining his position as King of Spain. Despite the easy recapture of Madrid , and nominal control by Joseph's government over many cities and provinces, Joseph's reign over Spain

3800-722: The United States only intermittently. In 1844, he died in Florence , Italy. His body was returned to France and buried in Les Invalides , in Paris. Bonaparte married Marie Julie Clary , daughter of François Clary and his wife, on 1 August 1794 in Cuges-les-Pins , France. They had three daughters: He identified the two surviving daughters as his heirs. He also fathered two children with Maria Giulia Colonna ,

3900-475: The army sent to dispossess Ferdinand of his throne. Although Bonaparte was the nominal commander-in-chief of the expedition, Marshal Masséna was in effective command of operations, with General St. Cyr second. But, St. Cyr, who had previously held the senior command of French troops in the region, soon resigned in protest at being made subordinate to Masséna and left for Paris. An outraged Napoleon ordered St. Cyr to return to his post at once. On 8 February 1806

4000-845: The artisans and fishermen dwelled in Ponte and Turipenne. An Armenian community was present in the 10th and 11th centuries having arrived in Taranto as troops in the Byzantine Army. The San't Andrea degli Armeni church in Piazza Monteoliveto, located in the Baglio quarter, stands as testimony to the neighbourhood where the Armenians made their homes. In 1746 the entire population of Taranto resided in Old City. This resulted in

4100-610: The battle fleet of the Regia Marina at anchor in the harbour of Taranto, using aerial torpedoes despite the shallowness of the water. The Taranto Prize, defined as the "Biennial of the South", was a biennial cultural event that took place between 1947 and 1951. It was born on the initiative of thirty-year-old veterans who, returning from the Second World War , gathered in the «Cultural Club (Circolo della cultura)» and

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4200-503: The border, the Anglo-Russian forces had beaten a prudent retreat, the British withdrawing to Sicily , and the Russians to Corfu . Abandoned by his allies, King Ferdinand had also already set sail for Palermo on 23 January. Queen Maria-Carolina lingered a little longer in the capital but, on 11 February, fled to join her husband. The first obstacle the French encountered was the fortress of Gaeta ; its governor, Prince Louis of Hesse-Philippsthal , refused to surrender his charge. There

4300-399: The city was among the largest in the world, with a population estimated up to 300,000 people. The seven-year rule of Archytas marked the apex of its development and recognition of its hegemony over other Greek colonies of southern Italy. During the Norman period, it became the capital of the Principality of Taranto , which covered almost all of the heel of Apulia . Taranto is now

4400-440: The city. Another tradition indicates Taras as the founder of the city; the symbol of the Greek city (as well as of the modern city) depicts the legend of Taras being saved from a shipwreck by riding a dolphin that was sent to him by Poseidon. Taranto increased its power, becoming a commercial power and a sovereign city of Magna Graecia , . Its independence and power came to an end as the Romans expanded throughout Italy. Taranto won

4500-480: The clergy. These include Palazzo Calò, Palazzo Carducci-Artenisio (1650), Palazzo Galeota (1728), Palazzo Gallo (17th century), P PMalazzo Latagliata, Palazzo Lo Jucco (1793), Palazzo D'Aquino, Palazzo Delli Ponti, Palazzo Gennarini, Palazzo d'Ayala, Palazzo Visconti, Palazzo Galizia, Palazzo Ciura and Palazzo Pantaleo. The 17th century de Beaumont-Bonelli-Bellacicco palace houses the Spartan Museum of Taranto - Hypogeum Bellacicco which extends below street and sea level to

4600-440: The coast and concentrated their remaining forces, alongside the British, on the opposite side. Unable to possess himself of Sicily , Joseph was nevertheless master of the mainland and he continued his progress through Calabria and on to Lucania and Apulia , visiting the main villages and meeting the local notables, clergy and people, allowing his people to grow accustomed to their new king and enabling himself to form first-hand

4700-522: The competition was the sea. The Municipality of Taranto was declared bankrupt effective 31 December 2005, having accrued liabilities of €357 million. This was one of the biggest financial crises which has ever hit a municipality. The bankruptcy declaration was made on 18 October 2006 by the receiver Tommaso Blonda. He was appointed following the resignation of the mayor, Rossana Di Bello, on account of her sixteen-month prison sentence for abuse of office and forgery of documents relating to investigations into

4800-590: The contract for the management of the city incinerator, awarded to Termomeccanica. Taranto railway station connects the city with Rome , Naples , Milan , Bologna , Bari , Reggio di Calabria and Brindisi . Taranto-Grottaglie Airport is located 16 km away from Taranto, but does not offer any regularly scheduled commercial services. The two closest airports that do offer regularly scheduled commercial services are in Brindisi and Bari , approximately 70 km and 90 km away, respectively. The Ponte Girevole ( swing bridge ), built in 1887, runs across

4900-401: The counsellors. Joseph thus presided over Naples in the best traditions of Enlightened absolutism , doubling the revenue of the crown from seven to fourteen million ducats in his brief two-year reign while all the time seeking to lighten the burdens of his people rather than increase them. Joseph ruled Naples for two years before being replaced by his sister's husband, Joachim Murat . Joseph

5000-402: The east and the Porta Napoli channel linking it to the Big Sea in the west. The second half forms an ellipse whose major axis measures almost 5 km (3 mi) from the south-west to the north-east. The Galeso river flows into the first half. The two water bodies have slightly different winds and tides and their underwater springs have different salinities. These affect the currents on

5100-424: The education of young girls was established in each province. A central college was founded at Aversa for the daughters of public functionaries, and the ablest from the provincial schools, to be admitted under the personal patronage of Queen Julie . The practice of forcibly recruiting prisoners into the army was abolished. To suppress and control robbers in the mountains, military commissions were established with

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5200-411: The fact that Joseph was abstemious. His arrival as a foreign sovereign sparked a massive Spanish revolt against French rule, and the beginning of the Peninsular War . Thompson says the Spanish revolt was, "a reaction against new institutions and ideas, a movement for loyalty to the old order: to the hereditary crown of the Most Catholic kings, which Napoleon, an excommunicated enemy of the Pope, had put on

5300-474: The first of two wars against Rome for the control of Southern Italy: it was helped by Pyrrhus , king of Greek Epirus , who surprised Rome with the use of war elephants in battle, a thing never seen before by the Romans. Rome won the second war in 272 BC. This subsequently cut off Taranto from the centre of Mediterranean trade, by connecting the Via Appia directly to the port of Brundisium ( Brindisi ). Like many Greek city states, Taras issued its own coins in

5400-417: The first system of public street-lighting in Naples, modelled on that operating in Paris . Although the kingdom was not at that time furnished with a constitution, and thus Joseph's will as monarch reigned supreme, there is yet no instance of him ever adopting a measure of policy without prior discussion of the matter in the Council of State and the passing of a majority vote in favour his course of action by

5500-443: The head of a Frenchman; to the Catholic Church persecuted by republicans who had desecrated churches, murdered priests, and enforced a "loi des cultes" (law of religion); and to local and provincial rights and privileges threatened by an efficiently centralized government. Joseph temporarily retreated with much of the French Army to northern Spain. Feeling himself in an ignominious position, Joseph then proposed his own abdication from

5600-562: The honor of our Crown, and the tranquility of the Continent of Europe requiring that we should assure, in a stable and definite manner, the lot of the people of Naples and of Sicily, who have fallen into our power by the right of conquest, and who constitute a part of the Grand Empire, we declare that we recognize, as King of Naples and of Sicily, our well-beloved brother, Joseph Napoleon, Grand Elector of France. This Crown will be hereditary, by order of primogeniture, in his descendants male, legitimate, and natural, etc." Joseph's arrival in Naples

5700-437: The hypogeum that is a crossroads with other hypogeum of Old City which together form the system of subterranean Taranto. Churches include the San Cataldo Cathedral (10th century) in Piazza Duomo, San Domenico Maggiore (1302), Sant'Andrea degli Armeni (16th century), Sant'Agostino (1402), San Michele (1763), Sant'Anna , the Madonna della Salute sanctuary (1752), and San Giuseppe (16th century). Close to

5800-437: The jealousies and intrigues of the unruly marshals, over whom he could exercise no authority. He admits the full extent of his unpopularity, but claims credit for a sincere desire to benefit the people. Reputedly some Mexican revolutionaries offered to crown Bonaparte as Emperor of Mexico in 1820, but he declined. Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821. In 1832, Bonaparte moved to London, returning to his estate in

5900-479: The library of the British Museum by Domenico Dragonetti . The library of the Gerolamini at Naples possesses an interesting manuscript compilation recording Paisiello's opinions on contemporary composers, and exhibiting him as a somewhat severe critic, especially of the work of Pergolesi. The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music notes that "Paisiello was one of the most successful and influential opera composers of his time. Most of his over 80 operas are comic and use

6000-413: The majestic European swans. Stopping to visit the Aviary enlivened by the most beautiful English pheasants, passing by alcoves ornamented with statues and busts of Parian marble, our course enlivened by the footsteps of the tame deer and the flight of the Woodcock , and when alighting stopping to admire the graceful form of two splendid Etruscan vases of Porphyry 3 ft. high & 2 in diameter presented by

6100-422: The most delicious viands, many of which I could not possibly tell what they were composed of; spending the intermediate time in Charles' private rooms looking over the Herbarium and Portfolios of the Princess, or riding with her and the Prince drawn by two Elegant Horses along the ever varying roads of the park amidst splendid Rhododendrons on the margin of the artificial lake on whose smooth surface gently glided

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6200-407: The navigable ship canal that joins Mar Piccolo ( Little Sea ) with Mar Grande ( Big Sea ) and stretches along 89.9 m (295 ft). When the bridge is open, the two ends of the city are disconnected. In 1991 Taranto was declared a high environmental risk area by the Ministry of Environment . As a consequence of the pollutants discharged into the air by the factories in the area, most notably

6300-425: The necessity of building additional stories on the narrow houses. It is still inhabited with a number of people living in juxtaposition to the old palazzi. By 2013 the population of the Old City was just 1000 at a time when the wider city had more than 200,000 inhabitants. There are a number of 17th and 18th-century palazzi in Old City. For years, they served as the main residence of local aristocratic families and

6400-420: The new favourite transferred the hatred he had formerly borne to Cimarosa, Guglielmi and Piccinni. Paisiello conducted the music of the court in the Tuileries with a stipend of 10,000 francs and 4,800 for lodging, but he entirely failed to conciliate the Parisian public, who received his opera Proserpine so coldly that, in 1803, he requested and with some difficulty obtained permission to return to Italy, upon

6500-411: The newspaper 'Voce del Popolo'. The coordinator, Antonio Rizzo, was a physicist who graduated with Enrico Fermi. He intended to promote a new cultural impulse of a pacifist nature for the city. The event was structured into two sections: literature and painting. Several artists of international calibre, such as Pier Paolo Pasolini , Carlo Emilio Gadda , and Giorgio de Chirico , participated. The theme of

6600-432: The night of 11–12 November 1940 during the Second World War between British naval forces, under Admiral Andrew Cunningham , and Italian naval forces, under Admiral Inigo Campioni . The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history, employing 21 Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier HMS  Illustrious in the Mediterranean Sea . The attack struck

6700-485: The old medieval wall and three churches out of the four within the area, continued until the outbreak of World War II. Modern edifices and apartment blocks were erected to replace the demolished structures. Joseph Bonaparte Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte (born Giuseppe di Buonaparte , Italian: [dʒuˈzɛppe di ˌbwɔnaˈparte] ; Corsican : Ghjuseppe Napulione Bonaparte ; Spanish : José Napoleón Bonaparte ; 7 January 1768 – 28 July 1844)

6800-506: The outskirts and in the countryside there are several traditional ancient country houses called masseria , like Masseria Capitignano . The Old City or Città Vecchia is where the Greeks built their acropolis. Today it retains the same street layout of 967, when the Byzantines under Nicephorus Phocas rebuilt what the Saracen troops led by the Slavic Sabir had razed to the ground in 927 AD. There are four main arteries (Corso Vittorio II, Via Duomo, Via di Mezzo and Via Garibaldi) which run in

6900-420: The peninsula of the old city and has flourishing fishing . At the end of the 19th century, a channel was excavated to allow naval ships to enter the Mar Piccolo harbour, and the ancient Greek city become an island connected to the mainland by bridges. The islets and the coast are strongly fortified and Mar Piccolo is a naval port with strategic importance. Because of the presence of these two bays, Taranto

7000-514: The plea of his wife's ill health. On his arrival at Naples Paisiello was reinstated in his former appointments by Joseph Bonaparte and Joachim Murat , but he had taxed his genius beyond its strength and was unable to meet the demands now made upon it for new ideas. His prospects, too, were precarious. The power of the Bonaparte family was tottering to its fall, and Paisiello's fortunes fell with it. The death of his wife in 1815 tried him severely. His health failed rapidly, and constitutional jealousy of

7100-422: The popularity of others was a source of worry and vexation. Paisiello is known to have composed 94 operas, which are known for their gracefully beautiful melodies. Perhaps the best-known tune he ever wrote is " Nel cor più non mi sento " from La Molinara , immortalized when Beethoven composed piano variations based on it. Paganini also wrote violin variations based on the same tune. Another favourite vocal piece

7200-408: The power to judge and execute, without appeal, all those brigands arrested with arms in their possession. Public works programmes were begun to provide employment to the poor and invest in improvements to the kingdom. Highways were built to Reggio . The project of a Calabrian road was completed under Bonaparte within the year after decades of delay. In the second year of his reign, Bonaparte installed

7300-552: The royal finances. Feudal privileges and taxes were abolished; however, the nobility was compensated by an indemnity in the form of a certificate that could be exchanged in return for lands nationalised from the Church . Provincial intendants were instructed to engage those dispossessed former monks who were willing to work in public education, and to ensure that elderly monks no longer able to support themselves could move into communal establishments founded for their care. A college for

7400-641: The service of Ferdinand IV of Naples , where he composed many of his best operas, including Nina and La Molinara . The Irish tenor Michael Kelly witnessed another meeting between Paisiello and Mozart when he visited Vienna later that year. Mozart had just finished a string of piano concertos, K. 449 and 453, written for his pupil Barbara Ployer . When Ployer’s father arranged a performance at his summer estate in Döbling, Mozart wrote to his father, "Fräulein Babette will play her new concerto in G and I shall play

7500-584: The sons were then obliged to leave Greece forever. Phalanthus, the Parthenian leader, went to Delphi to consult the oracle : the puzzling answer designated the harbour of Taranto as the new home of the exiles. The Partheniae arrived in Apulia, and founded the city, naming it Taras after the son of the Greek sea god, Poseidon , and of a local nymph , Satyrion. According to other sources, Heracles founded

7600-473: The south and the Ponte di Porta Napoli from the north. Almost rectangular in shape, it is divided into four pittaggi (quarters) that are delineated by the cross formed between Via di Mezzo and postilier Via Nuova. These are "Baglio" and "San Pietro" in the upper section which face the Big Sea; and "Turipenne" and "Ponte" in the lower part fronting the Little Sea. The nobility, clergy and military personnel made their homes in Baglio and San Pietro, whilst

7700-490: The stage. Rossini's opera, now known as Il barbiere di Siviglia , is now acknowledged as Rossini's greatest work, while Paisiello's opera is only infrequently produced—a strange instance of poetical vengeance since Paisiello himself had many years previously endeavoured to eclipse the fame of Giovanni Battista Pergolesi by resetting the libretto of his famous intermezzo, La serva padrona . Paisiello left Russia in 1784, and, after producing Il Re Teodoro at Vienna, entered

7800-440: The subject matter consists of naiskos scenes (scenes showing the statue of a deceased person in a naos, a miniature temple or shrine). Most often the naiskos scene occupies one side of the vase, while a mythological scene occupies the other. Images depicting many of the Greek myths are only known from South Italian vases, since Athenian ones seem to have had more limited repertoires of depiction. The Battle of Taranto took place on

7900-404: The surface and in the depths of the Big Sea and the two halves of the Little Sea. In the Big Sea and in the northern part of the Little Sea, there are some underwater springs called citri , which carry undrinkable freshwater together with salt water. This creates the ideal biological conditions for cultivating Mediterranean mussels , known locally as cozze . The climate of the city, recorded by

8000-429: The terms tarantella , tarantism and tarantula — although no spider species of the family Theraphosidae inhabit the area. In ancient times, residents of Taranto bitten by the large local Wolf Spider , Lycosa tarentula , would promptly do a long vigorous dance like a jig , in order to sweat the venom out of their pores — even though the wolf spider's venom is not fatal to humans. The frenetic dance became known as

8100-486: The third-largest continental city in southern Italy (south of Rome, roughly the southern half of the Italian peninsula), with well-developed steel and iron foundries, oil refineries, chemical works, naval shipyards and food-processing factories. Taranto will host the 2026 Mediterranean Games . Taranto's pre-history dates back to 706 BC when it was founded as a Greek colony, established by the Spartans . The ancient city

8200-623: The title Lieutenant General of the Empire. As a result, he was again in nominal command of the French Army that was defeated at the Battle of Paris . He was seen by some Bonapartists as the rightful Emperor of the French after the death of Napoleon's own son Napoleon II in 1832, although he did little to advance his claim. Bonaparte travelled to America onboard the Commerce under the name of M. Bouchard. British naval officers had searched

8300-666: The vessel three times but never found Bonaparte on board and the ship arrived on 15 July 1815. In the period 1817–1832, Bonaparte lived primarily in the United States (where he sold the jewels he had taken from Spain). He first settled in New York City and Philadelphia , where his house became the centre of activity for French migrants . In 1823, he was elected as a member to the American Philosophical Society . Later he purchased an estate, called Point Breeze and formerly owned by Stephen Sayre . It

8400-1023: The works, or individuals who have distinguished the works from others. Some of the most famous of the Apulian vase painters at Taras are now called: the Iliupersis Painter , the Lycurgus Painter , the Gioia del Colle Painter , the Darius Painter , the Underworld Painter , and the White Sakkos Painter , among others. The wares produced by these workshops were usually large elaborate vessels intended for mortuary use. The forms produced included volute kraters , loutrophoroi , paterai , oinochoai , lekythoi , fish plates , etc. The decoration of these vessels

8500-597: The years. Over 9 kilos of dioxin have been discharged into the city's air by its factories. Grazing is banned within 20 km (12 mi) of the ILVA plant. In 2013, the ILVA plant was placed under special administration when its owner, the Riva family, was accused of failing to prevent toxic emissions, which caused at least 400 premature deaths. Emissions of both carbon monoxide , carbon dioxide and dioxin have decreased. Animal species have returned that had left, including swallows , cranes , dolphins , seahorses and

8600-540: Was red figure (with figures reserved in red clay fabric, while the background was covered in a black gloss), with overpainting ( sovradipinto ) in white, pink, yellow, and maroon slips. Often the style of the drawings is florid and frilly, as was already the fashion in 4th-century Athens. Distinctive South Italian features also begin to appear. Many figures are shown seated on rocks. Floral motifs become very ornate, including spiraling vines and leaves, roses , lilies , poppies , sprays of laurel , acanthus leaves . Often

8700-571: Was a French statesman, lawyer, diplomat and older brother of Napoleon Bonaparte . During the Napoleonic Wars , the latter made him King of Naples (1806–1808), and then King of Spain (1808–1813). After the fall of Napoleon, Joseph styled himself Comte de Survilliers and emigrated to the United States , where he settled near Bordentown, New Jersey , on an estate overlooking the Delaware River not far from Philadelphia . Joseph

8800-512: Was also the centre of a thriving decorated Greek pottery industry during the 4th century BC. Most of the South Italian Greek vessels known as Basilican ware were made in different workshops in the city. Unfortunately, none of the names of the artists have survived, so modern scholars have been obliged to give the recognizable artistic hands and workshops nicknames based on the subject matter of their works, museums which possess

8900-513: Was always tenuous at best, and was plagued with near-constant conflict with pro-Bourbon guerrillas . Joseph and his supporters never established complete control over the country, and after a series of failed military campaigns, he would eventually abdicate the throne. King Joseph's Spanish supporters were called josefinos or afrancesados (frenchified). During his reign, he ended the Spanish Inquisition , partly because Napoleon

9000-472: Was at odds with Pope Pius VII at the time. Despite such efforts to win popularity, Joseph's foreign birth and support, plus his membership of a Masonic lodge, virtually guaranteed he would never be accepted as legitimate by the bulk of the Spanish people. During Joseph's rule of Spain, Venezuela declared independence from Spain. The king had virtually no influence over the course of the ongoing Peninsular War: Joseph's nominal command of French forces in Spain

9100-541: Was born in 1768 as Giuseppe Buonaparte to Carlo Buonaparte and Maria Letizia Ramolino at Corte , the capital of the Corsican Republic . In the year of his birth, Corsica was invaded by France and conquered the following year. His father was originally a follower of the Corsican patriot leader Pasquale Paoli , but later became a supporter of French rule. Bonaparte trained as a lawyer. In that role and as

9200-499: Was deemed unfit for 15th-century warfare. In 1707 it ceased to be used as a military fortress and was converted to a prison until under Napoleon Bonaparte it reverted to its original military function. To date it is the property of the Italian Navy and is open to the public. Twenty-first-century excavations revealed the castle's earlier Byzantine foundations which can be viewed. There are several Greek temple ruins - some from

9300-531: Was in Bordentown, New Jersey , on the east side of the Delaware River . It was located near the confluence of Crosswicks Creek and the Delaware. He considerably expanded Sayre's home and created extensive gardens in the picturesque style. When his first home was destroyed by fire in January 1820 he converted his stables into a second grand house. On completion, it was generally viewed – perhaps diplomatically – as

9400-443: Was invited to write two operas, La Pupilla and Il Mondo al Rovescio , for Bologna , and a third, Il Marchese di Tidipano , for Rome. His reputation now firmly established, he settled for some years at Naples, where, despite the popularity of Niccolò Piccinni , Domenico Cimarosa and Pietro Guglielmi , of whose triumphs he was bitterly jealous, he produced a series of highly successful operas, one of which, L'idolo cinese , made

9500-513: Was mostly illusory, as the French commanders theoretically subordinate to King Joseph insisted on checking with Napoleon before carrying out Joseph's instructions. King Joseph abdicated the Spanish throne and returned to France after the main French forces were defeated by a British-led coalition at the Battle of Vitoria in 1813. During the closing campaign of the War of the Sixth Coalition , Napoleon left his brother to govern Paris with

9600-412: Was no meaningful delay of the invaders, as Masséna detached a small force to besiege the garrison before continuing south. Capua opened its gates after only token resistance. On 14 February Masséna took possession of Naples and, the following day, Bonaparte staged a triumphant entrance into the city. Reynier was quickly dispatched to seize control of the Strait of Messina and, on 9 March, inflicted

9700-485: Was situated on a peninsula ; the modern city has been built over the ancient Greek city of which only a few ruins remain, including part of the city wall, two temple columns dating to the 6th century BC, and tombs. The Greek colonists from Sparta called the city Taras ( Τάρᾱς , gen. Τάραντος Tárantos ) after the mythical hero Taras , while the Romans , who connected the city to Rome with an extension of

9800-474: Was subject to Napoleon's wrath. On 27 December 1805, Napoleon issued a proclamation from the Schönbrunn declaring Ferdinand to have forfeited his kingdom. He said that a French invasion would soon follow to ensure 'that the finest of countries is relieved from the yoke of the most faithless of men.' On 31 December Napoleon commanded Joseph Bonaparte to move to Rome, where he would be assigned to command

9900-480: Was then made King of Spain in August 1808, soon after the French invasion. Joseph somewhat reluctantly left Naples, where he was popular, and arrived in Spain, where he was extremely unpopular. Joseph came under heavy fire from his opponents in Spain, who tried to smear his reputation by calling him Pepe Botella (Joe Bottle) for his alleged heavy drinking, an accusation echoed by later Spanish historiography, despite

10000-489: Was warmly greeted with cheers and he was eager to be a monarch well liked by his subjects. Seeking to win the favour of the local elites, he maintained in their posts the vast majority of those who had held office and position under the Bourbons and was anxious to not in any way appear a foreign oppressor. With a provisional government set up in the capital, Joseph then immediately set off, accompanied by General Lamarque , on

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