ostuni

Ostuni is a picturesque and charming hillside town called la Citta Blanca (The white city) for its white houses and buildings. Originally the practice of lime-washing the town served as a way of lightening up the dark labyrinthine medieval streets but in the 17th century it became a matter of life and death and was used to limit and protect grain from the depredations of the plague. Ostuni was built on the top of the hill to protect from invaders with a maze of alleyways, dead ends and pretty little gardens, and above bright blue skies.

We parked our car about 10 minutes away and now we walking toward the town.

The first thing you see when you reach the town is the Ostuni Square

The Spire of Saint Orontius column is placed in the heart of Ostuni, between the main square of the city, Piazza della Libertà, and the small but beautiful square Piazza Sant’Oronzo. The spire is about 66 ft. in height and was built in Baroque style.

The Spire of Saint Orontius is a column dedicated to Saint Orontius of Lecce. The Spire was built in 1771 by the architect Giuseppe Greco. The column is a strongly desired by the faithful to thank the Saint, who protected the city from the plague and the famine in the 18th century.

Town hall on la Piazza della Liberta

This is the start of the old town.

From the bottom of the town you see the bell tower of the Church of Saint Vito Martyr.

Via Francesco Cavallo

Climbing stairs to get to the upper part of the town.

We are now on via Cattedrale. There is a lot of shops and restaurants in this area.

The streets in Ostuni are narrow so as you can see restaurants set up their tables and chairs right on the street. On the right is the Church of Saint Vito Martyr.

The facade Church of Saint Vito Martyr. We did not get in.

We are continuing our trek on via Cattedrale

We are headed to the Cathedral of Ostuni.

The Cathedral of Ostuni also know as the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and it is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The construction of the Cathedral began after the earthquake of 1456 and was completed in 1495.

It is a beautiful church located on the highest hill of the city, right in the middle of the old town, in Piazza Beato Giovanni Paolo II. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, built in the 15th century, was declared a national monument in 1902

The facade of the church, facing west, with Gothic elements, is divided into three parts by thin pilasters.

The facade is adorned with a large central rosette, in which the Christ is surrounded by seven cherubs.

On the lunette above the main portal, there is a Madonna with Child.

On the lunettes of the side entrances are the bas-reliefs of San Giovanni Battista,

We are now entering the Cathedral

The Cathedral has a Latin cross plan with three naves, delimited by columns with embellished capitals.

On the ceiling of the transept, we can find the paintings of the Preaching of St. Horace, Jesus Healing a Paralytic at the Pool and The Martyrdom of St. Biagio.

Wooden sculpture of the tree wise men from the East.

Beautiful arched columns with embellished capitals.

Fragment painting of Saint Catherine was recovered during the restoration of 1964-1968 from a chapel that is now used as the Baptistery. The painting represent a crowed figure sitting on a throne. It is though to be Saint Catherine of Alexandria to whom an altar was dedicated in the 14th century.