The pure white of the historic center of Ostuni
The historic center of Ostuni. For those arriving from the sea, Ostuni appears magical, an enchanting sight for the orderly layout of the houses, harmoniously modelled on a hill overlooking a vast plain of olive trees, not far from the sea. A town with a thousand-year history, in which every structure, every wall, every stone can recount a different event.
The town stands on the furthest reaches of the south-eastern Murge, in the southern Apennines, and has about 33,000 inhabitants. It is 7 kilometres far from the sea and its coastline is about 20 kilometres long.
It is known as the Crib City (related to Nativity scene) or the Queen of Olives, but it is better known as the White City, due to the fact that the old part of the city is strictly whitewashed.
The old town centre snakes along the steep sides of a hill, surrounded by walls and Aragonese towers. This core is dotted with narrow, winding streets, small squares, alleys and towers. The main street of the town, Città Vecchia, is the one that starts from Piazza della Libertà and reaches the Cathedral, which is why it is called Via Cattedrale (Cathedral Street). The Cathedral stands on the top of the hill and contains Romanesque, Gothic and Venetian elements; one of its precious elements is the rose window, which dominates the main façade. Ostuni is a well-known tourist centre thanks to its clean sea waters, the coastline and for its tourist services.
After the county seat (Brindisi), it has always had the largest territory, and its borders with neighbouring municipalities are precise and determined by natural features, ordinary roads and dividing dry-stone walls. According to some scholars, the etymology of the word Ostuni derives from the Greek Astu neon (New City), alluding to a more recent city, rebuilt on the remains of the ancient one. In fact, the origins of its settlement are very ancient, with prehistoric evidence dating back to the Upper Palaeolithic period, culminating in the discovery of Delia, the skeleton of a pregnant woman found in the Cave of Santa Maria di Agnano in 1991. The body of the woman is in a contracted position and her head is covered by a cap studded with small shells. This discovery was made by Prof. Donato Coppola. The presence of a Messapian settlement is confirmed by the remains of a boundary wall defining an elliptical plan, still recognisable in the perimeter with drystone and brick walls of the so-called vegetable garden area, evenly distributed on the slopes of the hill. The town, one of the most important in the Terra d’Otranto, based its wealth on oil production and trade, favoured by the port of Petrolla, now Villanova, established by the Normans. Ostuni sits on three hills and offers enchanting and unique views… there were four gates to the town, two of which are still visible, even if they have been modified and rebuilt: Porta San Demetrio to the east and Porta Nova to the west. The area towards the sea is called Marina and it is flat, with thousands and thousands of centuries-old olive trees, while the inland area is undulating and is called Selva. The beaches are very wide with beautiful sandy shores, scented by rosemary, thyme, salt and by the waves breaking along the cliffs. The trulli heritage is very important: only Ostuni and Alberobello have the so-called Trullo Sovrano, located in the “Li Sierre” district. There are many rupestrian settlements, Basilian crypts, which still preserve precious frescoes; moreover, on the outskirts of the town, there are five sanctuaries, the destination of writers, poets and pilgrims. Until the 1950s, the population devoted itself almost exclusively to agriculture; in fact, there are about 300 farms in the area, considered to be wool, meat and cereal factories, which played a decisive role in the town’s economy, some of which have now become luxury residences where you can stay. Ostuni is also known as the White City, because of the characteristic colour of its houses in the historic centre, entirely painted in lime. We can define it as a village of lime among centuries-old olive trees, revealing its ancient soul, which attracts and fascinates. Ostuni’s historical centre is visited by thousands of tourists throughout the year.
The historic center of Ostuni is very photogrammable
