Taranto, Italy - What is it?

Hi all!

I am new to this forum, and hope i'm posting in the right place...
i've recently been on a trip to Apulia in Italy, and have never seen a region with so many abandonned structures, farms, industrial...
I came accross this one near Taranto and am trying to find information about it for an architecture project.
it's a semi burried concrete structure composed of a central space which links to six semi outdoor vaults. I have no clue whether it used to be industrial, military, or whatever else...

here's a link to its location:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=pun...17.183239&spn=0.001836,0.005407&t=h&z=18&om=0
also, have a look at these pictures, and let me know if this kind of structure looks familiar.





thanking you in advance for your help

thomas

Hi Thomas
I've no idea what these structures are, but really like the look of them (wow factor, methinks! ) Thanks for sharing these...would love to see some more pics if you'd care to post them. Amazing place!
Welcome to Derelict Places, btw.

My best guess (and it's just a guess) is that from the arrangement of the chambers that it would be used for keeping food or wine cool or preserve it longer.

just a guess though

It does look kind of military ish, did you climb up and of the ladder type things in the second pic, there looks to be quite a few of them, up to the arches. Any idea what was the other side of the arches?

The 3rd pic, looks like it had something large resting on the base. Maybe some kind of tube? Does it lean upwards, as from the angle of the picture it looks like it is slightly higher at the top to the bottom end.

Other than guesses - again lol, I really have no idea.

But, good pics, would love to see anymore you may have?

Cheers,

Sal

Hi!

thanks to you all for your guesses
the third picture is one of the 6 vaulted semi outdoor rooms you see when you climb one of the ladders from the central space. from what i remember, the ground looked flat.
There must indeed have been tubes or containers in these arches, but what they contained (oil, gas... ?) and why they would need to be partly open remains very mysterious.
also the central space has some kind of 'gutters' in the ground, as if the space was meant to be flooded (?)
will try to post some more pictures

thanks again, and looking forward to more suggestions if any!

I think given that description i think this is the most likely guess:

j3bu said:

My best guess (and it's just a guess) is that from the arrangement of the chambers that it would be used for keeping food or wine cool or preserve it longer.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I reckon it might be something like a storage area. Could it have been an oil production area for the local olive growers? Just another thought.