Ostuni tourist information
Ostuni
Ostuni is situated on the Murgia coastline, just on the edge of the coastal shelf. It is known as the "white city", or sometimes as the "manger city" because of the shape and the whiteness of the houses which make up the ancient nucleus of the town; it is a genuine, charming example of Mediterranean architecture. It probably grew up on the site of a very ancient neolithic settlement, followed by a Messapian one - as witness the evidence found in Contrada Lardagnano and in the Grotta Sant'Angelo. The etymology of Ostuni's name is probably derived from "hastu-neon", the new city -the mediaeval name was in fact Hastunium. In the fifth century it was a flourishing city; then it was stripped of its marble works and its monuments by Theodoric, who was keen to adorn h/s own royal city of Ravenna. It remained under Byzantium, and only began developing again after the tenth century when it became the see of a bishop. In 1071 it was occupied by the Normans who began the work of fortifying the inhabited area. It was first added to the County of Lecce, and then later to the Principality of Taranto. In this period (13th -15th century) came the city's greatest time of economic development, which brought with it a great enrichment of its buildings, both civil and religious. In 1489 it became a feudal possession of the Sforzas, and then in 1528 it was seized by the Venetians, and came under threat from the Turks. Then it passed into the domains of the Kingdom of Naples, and from 1639 and throughout the seventeenth century, it was a feudal possession of the Dukes of Zevallos. Ostuni is spread over three hills; it includes a historic centre (The Terra district), with a circular town plan, which grew up around the cathedral and is completely surrounded by fortifications built by the Aragonese and dating to the fifteenth century. In addition to this there are the newer residential quarters, which have grown up mostly on the lower slopes of the Murgia rock-shelf. The highest point of the city is 229 metres (about 700 feet) above sea-level. The characteristic white houses of the old town are reached by narrow little streets and pretty steps leading up the hill; these are often decorated with archways, vaults and verandas. The remains of the Messapian settlement consist of a necropolis, while among the mediaeval remains still to be seen, are those of the castle, built in 1198 and demolished in 1559, but used to form part of the bishop's palace. The late Gothic cathedral is particularly noteworthy; it was begun in 1435 and finished between 1470 and 1495. It has its original tripartite façade, divided up by pilaster strips, in which there are ogival doorways crowned with rose-windows. The eighteenth century baroque interior has some important paintings, including one by the younger Palma (Jacopo). Little remains of the original building of the Church of San Giacomo (Saint James of Compostella), dating from 1423, but the splendid Renaissance doorway of the church of Santo Spirito is worth seeing. Santa Maria Maddalena and the Ducal Palace are examples of the baroque style. The steeple of Sant'Oronzo, by the Ostuni artist G.Greco decorates the central square, Piazza della Libertà. The ancient sanctuaries of San Biagio and Sant'Oronzo are well worth a visit, and we should mention lastly the church of the Annunziata, where a "deposition" by Paolo Veronese can be found. The economic life of the people of Ostuni, (which is in industrial and commercial terms the second city of the province, after the capital, Brindisi) is very varied; there are textile and clothing manufacturies, mechanical and chemical works, and timber-yards and building and construction works. Although the city's tourist industry is of quite recent date, it has already reached a very satisfactory standard. There have been many undertakings aimed at taking advantage of the most attractive places in the hills, and at the same time the establishments along the coast have been extended and improved; they include the holiday villages of "Rosa Marina" and the "Lido Fontanella" and the "Costa Merlata" as well as the Valtur hotel complex, and the International Camp Site at Pilone, all situated near Villanova and the Marina di Ostuni.
Ostuni aerial map
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