Ostuni – the white town

Ostuni has one of the most interesting old town of Italy and it’s well-known all over the world for its authentic architecture and the white colour of its houses. In fact the peculiarity of Ostuni was the whitening of the houses up to the roofs, with the use of lime. This habit was common since the Medieval time, and comes not only
from the easy availability of the material (lime) as raw material, but also from the need to light up the narrow streets and spaces. 
During the XVII century, the whitening had a very important role from the historical point of view, because it was the only way to avoid the diffusion of the plague in the town, which is surrounded by centuries-old olive trees.