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    Ostuni

    Italy

    Ostuni

    CityCulture

    Ostuni is situated on three hills at the edge of the Murgia, about 7.5 kilometers from the Adriatic coast. The lime-whitewashed houses of the old town have earned it the nickname Città Bianca, the white city.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. Italy
    7. Apulien
    9. Ostuni
    Ostuni is situated on three hills at the edge of the Murgia, about 7.5 kilometers from the Adriatic coast. The lime-whitewashed houses of the old town have earned it the nickname Città Bianca, the white city.In the old town, alleys, stairs, and arches lead up to the cathedral with its late Gothic facade and a large rose window. Surrounding the city lies the Piana degli Ulivi with numerous monumental olive trees.

    Sights in Ostuni

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Column of Saint Oronzo
    Historic Landmark

    1Column of Saint Oronzo

    The circa 20-meter-high, richly decorated column in Piazza della Libertà was created in 1771 by sculptor Giuseppe Greco of Ostuni as thanks to the city's patron saint, Sant'Oronzo, who reputedly saved the city from the plague. Atop stands the blessing saint's statue, facing the old town.
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    Museum of Pre-classical Civilizations of the Southern Murgia
    Museum

    2Museum of Pre-classical Civilizations of the Southern Murgia

    Archaeological Museum in the former Monacelle convent in the old town. Its most famous exhibit is the 'Donna di Ostuni', the approximately 28,000-year-old skeleton of a pregnant woman, found in 1991 in the Grotte Santa Maria di Agnano near Ostuni; a cast of the burial site is displayed.
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    City walks in Ostuni

    Curated walking tours through the city's highlights, handpicked by experienced travel journalists.

    Through Ostuni's White Lanes: A Walk Through the Città Bianca

    Experience the unique charm of Ostuni, the 'White City' of Apulia. This 2-hour walk leads you from the lively Piazza della Libertà up to the architectural wonders of the old town and offers breathtaking panoramic views as well as hidden, picturesque lanes.

    ~2 Std.
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    Stops (5)

    Food & Drinks

    1

    Il Convivio Bistrot

    Bistro with Italian cuisine and fish dishes on Via Ciro Menotti, just below the Old Town to the south.
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    2

    Osteria del Tempo Perso

    Osteria in the old town with Apulian cuisine and regional wines. Part of the dining areas is set in an old vault.
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    Food and Drink

    Ostuni's cuisine relies on olive oil, vegetables, and durum wheat.

    Olive oil

    In the Piana degli Ulivi, between Ostuni, Fasano, Monopoli, and Carovigno, there are numerous monumental olive trees, especially many around Ostuni.

    Orecchiette

    The ear-shaped pasta is often served in Apulia with broccoli rabe, the cime di rapa.

    Fava & chicory

    Puree of dried fava beans with cooked wild chicory, a classic of Apulian peasant cuisine.

    History and Traditions

    Discoveries from the surrounding grottoes attest to settlement since the Paleolithic Age. The most famous is the Donna di Ostuni, the approximately 28,000-year-old skeleton of a pregnant woman found in the Grotto Santa Maria di Agnano in 1991; a cast of the burial site can be seen in the city's museum.The whitewash of the houses brightened the narrow medieval alleys; during the 17th-century plague, it was also considered a disinfectant.On August 26, the Cavalcata di Sant'Oronzo takes place, where riders in red uniforms on richly adorned horses parade through the streets in honor of the city's patron saint.

    Exploring Locally

    You explore the old town on foot, where the numerous steps and slippery paving require sturdy shoes.Ostuni train station is on the Bari–Lecce Adriatic line, about four kilometers outside the city.For the coastal beaches and the villages in the Itria Valley, a rental car is the most flexible solution.

    Accommodations in Ostuni

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    Campgrounds in Ostuni

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    Nearby

    Alberobello

    Alberobello

    Alberobello is located in the Valle d'Itria in the Metropolitan City of Bari and is known for its Trulli, houses built of roughly hewn limestone using dry-stone techniques without mortar, with conical roofs made of stone slabs. Since 1996, they have been a UNESCO World Heritage site.The two Trulli districts are Rione Monti and Aia Piccola.
    Apulien

    Apulien

    Puglia is the heel of Italy's boot and, with approximately 865 kilometers, has the longest coastline of all mainland regions of Italy. Between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas lie the Trulli villages of Valle d'Itria, the Baroque city of Lecce, Romanesque cathedrals by the sea, and vast olive groves.
    Polignano a Mare

    Polignano a Mare

    Polignano a Mare lies about 33 kilometers south of Bari on the Adriatic coast. The oldest part of its old town sits on a rocky spur, dropping steeply to the sea; beneath, along the coast, lie numerous sea caves.In the town's center, the Lama Monachile cove cuts into the coast, spanned by the early 19th-century Bourbon Bridge; beneath it ran the ancient Via Traiana. Polignano is the birthplace of singer Domenico Modugno, commemorated by a statue on the waterfront.
    Lecce

    Lecce

    Lecce, Salento's provincial capital, has an old town shaped by baroque churches and palaces, built from the region's light, soft, dense limestone, the *pietra leccese*. Its easy workability fostered a unique, richly ornamented Baroque style here in the 17th century.Roman remains, including the Amphitheater on Piazza Sant'Oronzo and the Theater in the old town, lie beside the baroque facades. The city's territory stretches over 20 kilometers of coast to the Adria.
    Bari

    Bari

    Bari is the capital of Apulia and has approximately 315,000 inhabitants. In the winding old town, Bari Vecchia, stand the Basilica San Nicola with the relics of Saint Nicholas and the San Sabino Cathedral; on Via dell'Arco Basso, women shape orecchiette pasta outside their doorways.

    Sources & method

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