Area description for Villa Giulia

Countryside close to town

VILLA GIULIA is part of a village located in a famous tourist zone comprised in the following areas:
- Apulia, region of southeastern Italy;
- Brindisi, province of Apulia region;
- Ostuni, the "White City", town of Brindisi province;
- Valle d'Itria, the valley of trulli;
- Alto Salento [High Salento], also known as the "heel" of the Italian "boot";
- Bassa Murgia [Low Murgia].

VILLA GIULIA is valued also for the barycentric location as regards Ostuni (the "Città Bianca [White City]", with its award-winning seaside), Cisternino (one of the "I Borghi più belli d'Italia [The most beautiful Villages of Italy]"), Martina Franca (the place of the "Festival Nazionale della Valle d'Itria [National Festival of Valle d'Itria]") and Ceglie Messapica (with its typical gastronomy), and for the relative proximity to other tourist places such as Fasano (with its Zoosafari [Safari park] and its Selva [Wood]), Alberobello (the capital of trulli [it is the name of the typical ancient Apulian small round houses of stone with a conical roof]), the Grotte di Castellana [Caves of Castellana], etc.

The village is about 10 km / 10 minutes by car from the town of Ostuni and about 15 km / 15 minutes by car from the Marina di Ostuni [Seashore of Ostuni] (seaside awarded "Bandiera Blu [Blue Flag] 2008" by Foundation for Environmental Education and "4 vele Guida Blu [4 Blue Guide sails] 2008" by Legambiente and Touring Club Italiano) which boasts both (free and pay) fine sand beaches and cliff.

Ostuni

An important cultural centre in Salento, Ostuni is also known as the “white city” and is located eight kilometres from the Adriatic coast, in the southern Murgia.

Ostuni’s charm lies in the characteristic white walls of the houses in the old town. In fact, all the houses in the historic centre are only painted using white lime paint. This feature led to the town being called "the white town", the queen of the olive groves" and the "city of the crib".

The entire old town, known as the “Terra” to distinguish it from the more recent "Marina", is worth a visit. It is presented as collection of age-old buildings coated in white limestone and one on top of the other.

Other attractions in Ostuni are the 17 kilometres of beach that alternates between sandy little bays, rocks, pebble beaches and dunes covered in Mediterranean maquis. The coastline also hosts a nature reserve.

Puglia/Molise

APULIA - NATURAL LANDSCAPES
Apulia, a protected environment. With its National Parks of Gargano and Murge, Tremiti Island and Torre Guaceto marine reserves and several more protected areas, Apulia has a diverse natural landscape that is also perfectly protected.
Apulia, a land of stones. Human kind world heritage Trulloes, to be found either in Alberobello or scattered over Itria valley countryside, bring drystone tradition to our era.
Apulia, underground landscape. Beautiful as dreadful caverns such as Castellana caves often give birth to popular legends: one of them tells thant Cupid was born in Castelvenere Cave.

APULIA - FOOD and WINE
Apulia, a land of flavors and fragrances. With their mastery, bakers, dairymen, and farmers turn land fruits into products that owe their rich flavors and fragrances to their simpleness. One cannot leave Apulia without tasting Altamura bread, widely renowned thanks to its unmistakable taste and yellow color derived from wheat flour. Aleatico, Primitivo di Manduria and Negroamaro wines represent the glory of a qualified, world-famous winemaking tradition.
5 PDO oils coming from magnificent, centuries-old Apulian olive trees and bringing out the flavors of typical regional dishes.

APULIA - SEASIDE
Sea cities unveil their hidden charm with alleys and mansions. Here, nightlife, cultural events, art and food act as background for one of the most beautiful and clean sea stretches in Italy. Tourist harbors, landing places and mooring points allow to spend your holidays on board.

APULIA - ART and ARCHITECTURE
Apulia, a land for conquest. Castles are veritable architectural masterpieces: among these, Castel del Monte, is a UNESCO world heritage, with its Saracen watch towers on Southern coasts.
Apulia, a land of art. Both cities and smaller towns host nobiliary mansions built in Romanesque and Baroque styles.
Apulia, a land of faith. Basilicas, cathedrals and sanctuaries, different artistic expressions united by the same faith.

APULIA - HISTORY and CULTURE
Apulia, a cradle for ancient civilizations. Prehistoric graffitos in Porto Badisco caves, important traces of the Messapi civilization, the 7 towns of Greek Salento: all of them represent the last existing signs of Graecia Magna.
Apulia, a land of dominations. Nobiliary mansions, towns and squares designed by emperors who left their mark in history.
Apulia, a pagan and religious land. Taranta, the traditional dance of Salento, and religious processions tell the story of a civilization and of its relationship with its own territory.