The Valle d’Itria is an explosion of colours, but it is the white that stands out above everything and remains embedded in the memory of those who decide to spend their holidays there. It is white that illuminates the memories and emotions of a holiday that we are sure will be unforgettable!
In Puglia, white is not just a colour, it is a custom that is repeated and unaltered every year, when the warm weather arrives, when the residents take care of their homes and as they say in local jargon, they “nurse” the walls with lime milk.
Thus, white is primarily that of lime, which defines rural architecture, such as the façades of ancient farmhouses (masserias) or the walls that support the grey cones of the trulli. It is the white that covers the stones of the dry-stone walls, which outlines a sense of order and precision typical of our countryside, creating timeless landscapes. It is the white that covers the hard stone like cream and accompanies a silent coolness.
It is the white that covers the narrow and bristling staircases that characterize the houses of the ancient villages, which designs the small streets and the parts of our historic centre.
This is the white of the lime, an atavistic white, which tells a story of slow brushstrokes, care gestures that layer after layer, year after year, have transformed a sanitary choice, in an act of love for one’s own home, for one’s own earth, for its own past.
The whiteness that we find in the Valle d’Itria is something unique and unrepeatable, able to illuminate even the narrowest alleys and the simplest houses, turning what is simple and essential into sumptuous and elegant.
If you too, like us, love the contrast between a blue sky of our land and the white of the houses, you must undoubtedly visit the villages of the Valle d’Itria.
This article does not want to show you a list of important monuments and buildings to see, but wants to show you what it means to immerse yourself in the white and timeless details of the land of the trulli.
In Valle d’Itria there is Ostuni, the white city with excellence, which stands out white from the top of its hill and supports the walk of passers-by along its little streets. Once it was entirely painted white, now no longer, but the historic centre remains a blinding white.
There is also Locorotondo, where white settles like milk and draws the perfect profile of a circular village, and supports the pointed roofs of its characteristic houses, the cummerse. Lose yourself in the narrow streets of this little gem of the Valle d’Itria: quiet, rich in flowers, and of course white!
There is Cisternino, where white is amplified by the bright colours of the flowers that adorn the balconies. We suggest you that you go for a stroll in the late afternoon, when the light is tinged with a warm white.
There is Alberobello, with its innumerable trulli and magic, which always manages to amaze and attract visitors. To enjoy the magic of the place even more, visit Alberobello at sunset, the atmosphere will be even more magical!
There is Martina Franca, where the narrow streets and white houses are perfectly integrated with the baroque style of noble palaces.
There is Ceglie Messapica where white is dominant and the choice was made in order to give some light to the alleys.