A historic center characterized by white houses and chianche that pave the pavement of the narrow streets, a countryside characterized by trulli and olive trees. The peculiarity of the village is the presence of houses piled one on top of the other and of arches and underpasses, which create a play of light and shadow, especially on hot summer afternoons.

Like all medieval villages, Cisternino had two access doors to the ancient area, a small door and a large door. Once the main access road was Porta Grande, adjacent to the Torre Grande, today only the tower exists, built by Frederick II as a strategic lookout point for the whole of the Itria Valley. The splendid panorama today cannot be admired so much from the tower but from the belvedere behind the Villa Comunale.

Before entering the maze of alleys, we recommend visiting the Mother Church, not so much for the facade, which has been remodeled several times, but for the remains of the ancient church.

The charm and atmosphere of Cisternino lies in wandering aimlessly between the five districts that characterize the historic center, between the houses of the Isule (Isola) and the other ancient districts (Bère Vècchie, Scheledd, u Pantène) that extend to the beyond the Chiesa Madre and the Torre Grande.

As for all the other villages of the Itria Valley, even in Cisternino there is no single itinerary to follow, what we recommend is to get lost and then find yourself, perhaps in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, with its clock tower, an ideal place to sit. for a coffee or an aperitif and watch the evening comings and goings, thus savoring the real life of the country.

Curiosity could push you outside the ancient walls, so we recommend that you continue outside the town, towards Ostuni, to reach the suggestive sanctuary of the Madonna of Ibernia, whose cult is linked to fertility and abundance.

One of the characteristics of Cisternino is the possibility of buying meat in one of the many butchers in the historic center which is immediately cooked and consumed on the outdoor tables: the so-called ‘ready cooker’.