Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
but you almost always have to use an agency for booking. The best agencies are
the
Immobiliare Fittatrulli
(
%
0881-722717)
and
Trullidea Case Vacanze
(www.
trullidea.it),
but these can be expensive (over
€
200 a night).
OSTUNI
55
A better place to lodge than Alberobello is the hilltop town of Ostuni, which is
known locally as
la città Bianca,
or “the white city,” for the way its whitewashed
historical center is visible from miles around. This little hilltop village, founded in
the 9th century, oozes character and, in recent years, has made itself into a truly
(not to be confused with
trulli
) worthy destination. Some streets are reminiscent
of the stepped towns along the Amalfi coast, though you've got a distinctively
North African feel here with arched stairways connecting houses and restaurants.
This is a fun city in which to walk, and there always seem to be free concerts,
art exhibits, and the like. Just keep climbing up the maze of winding streets from
the main square at Piazza della Libertà, until you reach the pinnacle of Ostuni, on
which stands a completely out-of-place 15th-century
Gothic church
with a red-
brown exterior and a green-and-yellow-tiled cupola. It's like a peacock among
doves in this whitewashed town. Stand back as far as you can to take in the
detailed Gothic facade, which is divided into three sections with pilaster strips.
Above each door is a carved rose window with 24 external arcades representing
the 24 hours of the day. The inside of the church is standard-issue for Puglia, with
its requisite marble floors and ornate ceiling, but it does offer more than most
churches. Keeping with the calendar theme, the 12 arched internal arcades repre-
sent the months of the year, and the seven angel heads represent the days of the
A Back-Roads Drive from Ostuni to Alberobello
The towns between Alberobello and Ostuni lie along one of the most pic-
turesque highways in all of Puglia. Try the following route (see the map
on p. 525):
1.
Leave Ostuni for
Cisternino,
one of Italy's most beautiful villages
(14km/8
3
⁄
4
miles on Hwy. 604).
2.
Head 9km (5
1
⁄
2
miles) down the highway to
Martina Franca
to take
in some of the area's best baroque architecture outside of Lecce, on
the
Chiesa di San Martino.
3.
Go another 9km (5
1
⁄
2
miles) on Highway 172 to
Locorotondo,
often
referred to as the “balcony” for the way the highway overlooks the
valley below. This is one of the best areas in which to pick up some
local wines like Primitivo.
4.
Now you have an 8km (5-mile) jaunt, on Highway 604, to
Alberobello.
Note:
If you are inclined, stay on Highway 604 and visit Noci, or head up
Highway 172 to see the Grotto di Putignano.
