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From a distance Ostuni in Apulia (Puglia to Italians) looks like a mirage, a white walled citadel perched on a hilltop, looking down on the surrounding plains and deep blue sea.
And many who have come to this picturesque town in southern Italy, as well as its 32,000 inhabitants, will testify to its dreamy charm and beauty. Ostuni and Apulia lie close to the heel of Italy’s boot-shaped outline. And the town, which dates from the first century AD, bears the footprint of other cultures.
Its spectacular series of whitewashed buildings – it is nicknamed La Citta Bianca (the White City) – give it a distinct Grecian rather than Italian feel. Indeed, the name Ostuni comes from the Greek Astu Neon, “new city”. And while its 15th century Santa Maria dell’Assunzione cathedral, Ostuni’s most notable landmark, may be one of Italy’s national monuments, it clearly takes its inspiration from Spanish medieval architecture.
Property for sale in Ostuni, Apulia
Nowadays it is welcoming a new influence and influx in the number of foreign buyers understandably keen to buy property for sale in Ostuni. In keeping with Apulia and the rest of southern Italy generally, houses for sale in Ostuni are much more affordable than the rest of Italy.
Unsurprisingly, prices are highest on the beautiful coast. A two-bedroom property in the resort of Marina di Ostuni will tend to start at €200,000. However, head just 15-20 minutes inland, to villages such as Carovigno and San Vito dei Normanni, and the same budget can get you a three-bedroom property with a sizeable portion of land.
Ostuni sits atop three hills, with its historic old town spread venerably over the highest of them. Its medieval heart is a labyrinth of steep, narrow streets, alleyways and steps, which even on their own make the town worth discovering on foot. Not that there’s much choice anyway, as motor vehicles are prohibited from the centre.
The Piazza della Liberta, is the hub of Ostuni, the place where the old town meets the new, and an ideal spot from which to start your exploration.
The square – triangle-shaped, as it happens – is packed with terraced bars and restaurants and is overlooked by the Sant’Oronzo obelisk, nearly 70ft high and erected in 1771. Oronzo is Ostuni’s patron saint for having, according to legend, saved the city from the plague. The piazza is sometimes named after him.
For superb examples of medieval architecture, the town boasts several magnificent churches, notably the Church of the Monacelle, which also houses the 25,000-year-old remains of a pregnant young woman dubbed Delia. But none more magnificent than Ostuni’s famed Gothic cathedral, which took 60 years to build in 15th century. Atop its main entrance sits an exquisite 24-panel rose window.
Other buildings of note are the Church of the Annunziata, the Palazzo Vescovile (Bishop’s Palace) – within which lie the ruins of the 12th century castle destroyed in 1559 – and the Palazzo del Seminario (Seminary), joined to it by an elaborate 18th century loggia.
Beyond the town’s walls you may also wish to stop off at the Sanctuary of Sant’Oronzo, built in 1656-57, and the 12th century Sanctuary of San Biagio. The latter is the scene of the February 3 Feast of San Biagio, when it attracts thousands of worshippers.
There are also notable festivals on the first Sunday after Easter (Feast of the Madonna della Nova) and the second Sunday in August (the Procession of the Grata), featuring a candle-lit march by more than 6,000 worshippers.
Arguably the most spectacular is La Cavalcata on August 26, the feast of St Oronzo. Horse riders in medieval costume accompany a silver statue of the saint in memory of the knights said by folklore to have guarded worshippers in times gone by.
Whether you’re here just to soak up the history and mediaeval splendour, or if you’re looking for property for sale in Ostuni, what better way to relax afterwards than to head for the beaches less than 15 minutes away? They stretch for more than 12 miles and are among the finest in Puglia.
Most tourist sunseekers flock to Marina di Ostuni. Those in the know, however, buck the trend and head for Ostuni Villanova, where the sea and sand are just as inviting but where theres slightly more to do once the sun’s gone down.
How to get there
There are regular international flights to Brindisi, 27 miles from Ostuni, and Bari, 53 miles away.
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