Ostuni the White City

Discover Ostuni – The White City

In the 17th century, the plague devastated Puglia and only a few villages survived.

Among them there is Ostuni: the inhabitants had the brilliant idea to cover each house with limestone mixed with water.

They decided to whitewash every single house also with a strategic purpose: the dazzling sunlight reflecting would blind the enemies and give them a clear advantage!

The results were incredible: there was really less illness in the white houses (the white lime do have antibacterial properties)!

So right now when you take a walk in the small alleys of this charming village, all the houses that you can see are whitewashed: the stark white buildings are dazzling in the sun, brightened by the vivid colors of the doors and enriched by smelly colored flowers.

Must-see in Ostuni – The White City

On the top of the hill rises the majestic Ostuni Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, built in the fifteenth century by Ferdinand of Aragon.

This marvelous structure is unique, composed of a distinctive Roman-Gothic style and its large rose window/rosette with 24 rays, one of the biggest ones in all of Europe!

Exactly in front of the Cathedral there is a beautiful Baroque arch, the Arco Scoppa, which links the Bishop’s Palace to the Seminar.

Inside the Bishop’s Palace there is the Diocesan Museum, a Franciscan monastery of the early 1200’s completely restored in neoclassical style in the nineteenth century that contains prestigious pieces of arts.

Going deep into the old city we find the Museum of the Preclassic civilization of the southern Murgia, a former Carmelite monastery where you can admire the remains of the Paleolithic burials.

Once in Piazza della Libertà (the most beautiful Ostuni square), you can admire a majestic obelisk 21 meters high in full Baroque style dedicated to the patron saint of Ostuni, Sant’Oronzo.

Talking about Ostuni, it’s impossible not to mention the extraordinary beauty of its coastline: 20 km of crystal clear seas and white sand that are awarded every year with the Blue Flag Award.

The beaches in this area are included in the Protected Area of the Regional Park of the Coastal Dunes.

How to go:

From Bari to Ostuni:

TAXI/CAR:

– 1 h and 29 minutes crossing State Road SS 16

TRAIN and BUS

– 34 minutes from Bari to Fasano with TRENITALIA (timetables available on the official website)

– 10 minutes from Fasano to Ostuni with S.T.P. Brindisi s.p.a. or SITA SUD s.r.l. (timetables available on the official websites)

From Brindisi Airport to Ostuni:

TAXI/CAR

– 33 minutes crossing State Road SS379

BUS

– around 1h with S.T.P. Brindisi s.p.a. (timetables available on the official website)

Tips:

Most of the beautiful villages placed in the Itria Valley were whitewashed to be spared by the plague: if you want, click to take a sneak peek at the white dazzling Locorotondo!

Ostuni is a village full of beautiful places where you can take stunning pictures (like the famous multicoloured door portrayed in the picture above) but here are a lot of places for Instagram lovers in Puglia: check them in this article!

If possible, the best time to visit it is during the months of May, September and October when the climate is spectacular and you can fully appreciate all the beauty of this village.

Don’t’ forget to see #5FunFact about Itria Valley and..

See you in Puglia!