Ostuni - the White City of Southern Italy

The White City

From an even plane and an ever expanding vista of green fields the white city of Ostuni rises up out of nowhere. It is just as they say, - pure and white, It flows over a tall hillside, its cathedral topping the hill in a moment of gleaming glory. It is eye catching, road-stopping, breath taking.














Ostuni is a clustered mass of pure and ancient urban architecture. It is about the forms and shapes understood hundreds, - maybe thousands - of years before tv programmes painted whole house interiors white to understand the spaces. This is organic architecture which has flowed out and over the available spaces and in a completely unselfconscious way created architecture which is memorable for all who come across it.






Inside Ostuni the sense of 'whiteness' is not so profound. The charms of Ostuni are not just about pure white architecture. They are about a town which flows and expands through arches and tunnels; through narrow streets opening to expansive plazas.; through layers of white on white. The flashes of colour in Ostuni may be subtle but they are all the more outstanding because of this. An artist who displays a handful of colourful canvasses in a small cul-de-sac of neutral walls catches the attention of all who pass by.

In Ostuni the town dwellers understand the subtle charms of their small town. Ostentation is avoided. A restaurant provides white settee seating under pure white gauze canopies. Many of the whitewashed older buildings have only the dun coloured flagstones in contrast.








Ostuni's streets are often narrow - too narrow for vehicles - made for foot traffic or for bicycles at most. These streets weave snake-like between the buildings and disappear around a corner in the distance. It is deceptively easy to get lost in Ostuni but also easy to re-find oneself, as a glimpse down the hillside to the nearby coast provides instant re-orientation.












Ostuni speaks of Mediterranean sun and summer skies. Bright clusters of bougainvillea climb up the sides of buildings. Geraniums and petunias flash from terraces and window boxes. In the plazas the time is always right for a coffee or a glass of wine under the golden sun. La Citta Bianca - the White City - is a seasonal town swelling significantly in size in the summer months.

 To enjoy the charm of Ostuni without the crowds of high summer it is late spring and early autumn that capture the White City at its best.

Also Pip McCurdy's New Zealand posts:

On Blogspot, Pip McCurdy on the Road

Website: http://www.unusualstays.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Stay-Somewhere-Strange-273777766054597/