Approaching Ostuni from the south, one can already make out from a distance the dazzlingly white patch on the hills before the Alta Murgia. Ostuni in the province of Brindisi is known throughout Italy as La Città Bianca the White City, and is famed for its houses, which are entirely whitewashed with lime. Its roughly 30,000 inhabitants live across three hills between the Alta Murgia inland and the Adriatic coast, which lies some eight kilometres away. The white coating of the old town is no mere aesthetic whim: it traces back to a municipal ordinance of around 1800, which continued an older practice of lime-washing as a defence against the plague and remains in force to this day.
Lime against the plague: the history of the white coating
The practice of lime-washing houses is documented in the region as far back as the Middle Ages. Its systematic application as a hygiene measure did not take hold, however, until the 17th century, when plague epidemics struck southern Italy repeatedly. Around 1800, the municipal authorities of Ostuni issued a formal ordinance requiring residents to coat the façades of their houses regularly with white lime. Lime has antibacterial properties, is straightforward to produce, and was affordable for the population of the time.
The white coating served several practical purposes at once: it acted as a natural disinfectant against pathogens, reflected the summer sun, kept the narrow lanes of the old town cooler, and improved visibility along the tight passages between houses. What began as an emergency measure gradually became, over the generations, a defining characteristicthat has given the town its worldwide renown. According to information from the city of Ostuni the ordinance remains in effect to this day, and residents renew the coating at regular intervals.
The historic centre: La Terra
The walled medieval core of Ostuni is known as La Terra. Situated on the highest of the three hills, it is a tight web of lanes, stairways and small courtyards grouped around the cathedral. The Cattedrale Santa Maria Assunta dating from the 15th century, is considered one of the most important examples of late Gothic architecture in southern Italy. Its rose window with 24 spokes is a much-photographed detail and unique in this form throughout Apulia.
At the heart of public life is the Piazza della Libertà, which lies below the old town and is home to the Sant'Oronzo Column, some 20 metres tall and dating from 1771. Sant'Oronzo is the patron saint of the city, to whom the people of Ostuni attribute their deliverance from a plague epidemic. Every year from 25 to 27 August, the Cavalcata di Sant'Oronzo commemorates this event with a historical costume procession. From the piazza, the characteristic lanes with their white walls lead upwards towards the cathedral, past craft shops, small restaurants and panoramic terraces.
Between the Alta Murgia and the Adriatic
Surrounding Ostuni stretches the Piana degli Ulivi Monumentali, a plain of ancient olive treessome of which are over a thousand years old. The region is one of Italy's most important growing areas for extra virgin olive oil, and wine is also cultivated here. The city lends its name to its own designation of origin: the Ostuni DOC encompasses the white wine Bianco di Ostuni made from the local grape varieties Impigno and Francavilla, as well as the rosé Ostuni Ottavianello, whose grape variety originates from the French Cinsaut. Both belong to the extensive universe of Italian wine.
The coastline in front of Ostuni is known for its long stretches of sand and rocky coves, and regularly receives the Bandiera Blu the European certificate for water quality and beach management. The best-known coastal sections bear the names Pilone, Rosa Marina, Costa Merlata and Torre Pozzella. According to information from the official tourism portal of the Apulia region on Ostuni all the beaches are accessible via the coastal road and equipped with bathing facilities. To the north lies the nature reserve Riserva Naturale di Torre Guaceto with around eight kilometres of undeveloped coastline.
Getting there and when to visit
Ostuni has its own railway station on the Trenitalia line between Bari, Brindisi and Lecce; the town itself lies around four kilometres from the station and is connected by a shuttle bus. Those travelling by train to southern Italy can reach Ostuni conveniently from Bari (approximately 45 minutes), Lecce (around 30 minutes), or from Rome with a connecting service. The nearest airport is Brindisi-Salento, approximately 40 kilometres to the south.
The transitional months of April, May, and September to October are considered the best time to visit. The temperatures remain mild, the sea is warm enough for a swim, and the crowds in the old town are noticeably smaller than in July and August. During peak season, a high volume of visitors is to be expected, particularly in the evening hours, when Ostuni is bathed in a warm, golden light and the white walls reflect the last rays of the sun.
