Ostuni has been dubbed “the white city”, the reasons for which are obvious from miles away when approaching from land or sea. The city is a mass of whitewashed volumes perched high on a hill just 10km from the Adriatic. Ostuni was originally a Messapic settlement taken over by Greece then Rome. The Middle Ages saw a slew of conquerors, leaving Ostuni with a decidedly eastern feel. Walking the labyrinth of limestone paved streets trimmed by stark white buildings, one could easily be in Bodrum or Sidi Bou Said.

 

Piazzetta Sant’Oronzo, with its Baroque style obelisk-like monument dedicated to the patron saint, is the gateway to the city. Nearby is Piazza della Liberta’ where the  Via Cattedrale and the Via del Castello begin and snake their way up Ostuni’s height towards the Cathedral. Artisan’s shops abound along the way. The Cathedral’s late gothic design dates to the 15th century. Its facade, fashioned from the local white stone, is divided into three panels, each topped with a rose window and concave and convex elements. Following the Vico Castello around the church, one encounters some ancient fortification walls now used as foundations for the Cathedral and surrounding buildings and finally a belvedere with panoramic views over the region.