Taranto: a flickering landscape of illusory progress, vanished hope, and invisible beauty

Abstract The article investigates the difficult and controversial landscape of Taranto, a recently industrialised city of southern Italy, which in the last 70 years has undergone dramatic changes. We analyse what the landscape is in material, cultural, and symbolic terms, what it does, and what it means in and for Taranto. In particular, by analysing bibliographic, cartographic, and audiovisual sources, we trace the evolution of contemporary Taranto, indicating the main factors which enabled its material transformation during the second half of the twentieth century. Then, we reflect on how the landscape has been shaped in different times and at different scales through dominant narratives and counter-narratives. Finally, we identify specific elements of Taranto’s landscape and their symbolic meaning. The study offers a paradigmatic case of a flickering landscape, modified by political forces and cultural constructs.