From Alberobello to Ostuni – Villages Like Living Nativity Scenes

Puglia, a region of stunning landscapes, culture, and cuisine, boasts among its most beloved destinations two jewels located just 45 minutes apart: Alberobello and Ostuni — places so enchanting they look like living nativity scenes.

Are you ready to discover them with us?

Alberobello – The Land of the Trulli

Located in the province of Bari, Alberobello (population 10,159) is world-renowned for its trulli, the traditional dry-stone dwellings that have made it a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Mentioned for the first time in the 1481 diploma d’investitura under the name Silva Alborelli, Alberobello was settled in the 16th century by Andrea Matteo III Acquaviva d’Aragona, Count of Conversano, who brought about forty farming families to reclaim and cultivate the land. Later, in 1635, Giangirolamo II began the town’s urban development, giving rise to the distinctive trulli that today make Alberobello the cultural capital of the Murgia.

Monuments and Places of Interest in Alberobello

Beyond its iconic trulli, Alberobello offers many other fascinating landmarks:

• Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian, patrons of the town since 1636, featuring a Latin-cross plan and housing the saints’ relics.
• Trullo Sovrano – Corte di Papa Cataldo, the tallest trullo in town (14 meters), once the seat of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament and now a museum-house.
• Cemetery of Alberobello, designed by Antonio Curri in Neo-Egyptian style, with a pronaos of twelve columns, two truncated pyramidal towers, and richly decorated friezes.

During the Christmas season, from December 6 to January 6, Alberobello transforms into a Christmas Village among the Trulli, with Santa’s House, an ice rink, and food and craft markets that fill the streets of Piazza del Popolo and Largo Trevisani with light and music.

Ostuni – Between History and Culture

Situated in the province of Brindisi, Ostuni (population 29,877) is one of the most popular destinations in Puglia. The town has ancient roots — inhabited since the Middle Paleolithic era, as evidenced by the discovery of the “Woman of Ostuni” — and later became a Messapian settlement in the 7th century BCE before passing under Roman control. Through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, it was ruled by the Aragonese, Habsburgs, and Bourbons, who helped shape its distinctive character. Today, Ostuni is celebrated as the “White City” (Città Bianca) for its lime-washed houses, which give it the appearance of a nativity village carved into the hillside.

Monuments and Places of Interest in Ostuni

Ostuni, divided between the old town and the modern district, offers a wealth of artistic and historical sites:

• Monastery of the Carmelites and the adjoining Church of San Vito Martire, a fine example of 18th-century Lecce Baroque architecture with a richly curved façade and tiled dome.
• Church of the Holy Spirit, featuring a Renaissance portal with 15th-century reliefs.
• Co-Cathedral of Ostuni (1435–1495), a masterpiece of late Gothic style with a triple nave and a rose window, the second largest in Europe after that of Santa Maria del Pi in Barcelona.
• Aragonese Walls, which still encircle the old city.
• Tobacco Factory, built in the 1920s for cigarette production.
• Noble Palaces, once home to families such as the Aurisicchio, Ayroldi, Bisantizzi, Falghieri, and Ghionda.
• Masseria Ottava, a fortified 16th-century farmhouse with an Angevin chapel.
• Archaeological and Natural Park of Santa Maria d’Agnano, preserving remains of a Messapian settlement.
• Tower of San Leonardo, an ancient coastal watchtower.

During the holiday season, Ostuni comes alive with special events:

• The Living Nativity Scene,
• A concert by Max Gazzè on December 28 in Piazza della Libertà,
• And the enchanting “Villa Incantata”, a luminous park in the Villa Comunale Sandro Pertini with a traditional Christmas market.

Come and discover these extraordinary villages, so beautiful they seem crafted straight from a dream — or a nativity scene.

Cover photo credits: UNESCO