Taranto (/təˈræntoʊ/, also US: /təˈrɑːntoʊ, ˈtɑːrəntoʊ, -rɑːn-/; Italian: [ˈtaːranto]; Tarantino: Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: Tarento; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) 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. During the Norman period, it became the capital of the Principality of Taranto, which covered almost all of the heel of Apulia.