8 November 2024
Ostuni is known as ‘La Citta Bianca’ – the White City, or also the White Pearl. This is because the buildings in the historic center are whitewashed with limestone. The story goes that this started in the 17th century, to defend against the spread of the plague. Apparently the limestone contains antibacterial properties. To this day, the buildings are whitewashed annually to retain their brightness.
Ostuni, of course, also has a very long history. Evidence has been found of people living here since the Stone Age, and a discovery of a Palaeolithic-era skeleton of a pregnant woman in one of the town’s grottoes was quite notable. I had to google that rather large word. Palaeolithic era – that is really the Old Stone Age, and runs from 2.5 million years ago up to 10 000 B.C. So basically – as old as it gets. 😉 I can say that the pregnant woman was posthumously named Delia. . It is said that Delia and her family and friends would have lived mainly off horses and wild ox that were found in large herds grazing off the vast dry and arid plains below Ostuni. These plains would have been much larger than can currently be seen, because the sea levels were apparently much lower. Delia was found wearing bracelets made from perforated shells. Apparently she (and her co-inhabitants of the caves, of course), were also into the odd ritual. It all sounds a little like a Netflix series. 😊
We spent the morning exploring the maze of narrow roads and walkways in the old town. Yes, stairs, although we managed to avoid most of them. (we could however not avoid steep inclines) Yes, absolutely beautiful. Yes, many churches. The Duomo di Ostuni towers above the old city, with an impressive rose window that apparently is the second largest rose window in Europe.
At times, you really do feel like you are in Greece.
We ventured into the newer parts of the city, in search of a supermarket. Once again, we were caught by what we now know as Pennichella, the Italian version of siesta. Most shops, restaurants, and probably people, shut down between 13h30 and 16h30. Even some of the supermarkets. The word Pennichella originates from Latin, and describes a short nap. (I’m not sure if I can agree that 3 hours constitute a ‘short’ nap, but hey, I can get on board with the concept). Fortunately, we did manage to find an open supermarket, and so supper was Fettine di bovino adulto (slices of adult beef – very thin slices at that – neither of us had the energy to figure out how to ask the butcher to cut a thicker piece of steak for us) in besciamella (they have the best tiny boxes of ready made bechamel sauce!) ai funghi con insalata.
Every day at around 5pm. our brains break a little. Sunset is around 16h55 now. So very soon after 5pm, we feel like we should have had supper, and be winding down for bed. So that’s what we are doing this evening. Winding down a little. That’s needed sometimes.
