Ostuni (11 km away)
This city is located in the province of Brindisi. It is perched at a height of 218 m on three hills,
8 km from the Adriatic coast.
After the war, the city developed its agriculture and food industry (olive oil, almonds and wine). It has also become a tourist destination thanks to its cultural and historical assets.
It is nicknamed the "white city" because of the color of its facades. In the historic center mainly, the facades are whitewashed. Since the Middle Ages, the use of lime is favored by the profusion of limestone, from which lime is derived, in the region. It was intended to increase the brightness in the narrow streets and passages of the city. In the 17th century, whitewashing with lime also prevented the plague from spreading through the city. The practice tends to be lost today, the mayor has passed an ordinance to revive it so that Ostuni retains its qualifier of “white city”
To see: the Cathedral of the Assumption and the Coppa Arch in the square, the church of St. Vitus Martyr, the Piazza della Libertà with the town hall and the church of St. Francis of Assisi etc.
The emblematic monument of Ostuni is the column of St. Oronce, measuring 20.75 m, by the sculptor Giuseppe Greco, of baroque decoration with half-height statues of St. Blaise (Biago), St. Irene, St. Gaetano and St. Lucia.