You will find Ostuni, or the Città Bianca, in the Val d’Itria, in Eastern Puglia. It lies 218m above sea level, and sits around the top of a small hill. Its incomparable beauty is partly indebted to its white-washed buildings, a tradition that started centuries before. Though mainly an aesthetic choice, this habit of white-washing buildings actually took on a vital role in the 1800s. When the Plague arrived in Ostuni, this method helped to prevent it from sweeping across the town in swift succession.
The White Town of Ostuni boasts a magical combination of medieval architecture, stunning panoramic views, and impressive monuments to history. You can easily get lost in its small side streets, but you can always use the cathedral as a point of reference. This 15-century romanesque-gothic structure sits at the very top of Ostuni’s hill. It moreover exhibits a beautiful rose window with 24 rays cut out of the stone.
You can also take a walk down the Via Cattedrale. Here you will find the Museum of Pre-Classical Civilization of Southern Murgia. This museum sits on the site of an old Carmelite Monastery, and now owns the calque of the 25,000 year-old Delia. Make sure you also save time for the Largo Trinchera. Here the Arco Scoppa bridges the gap between and old Seminary and the Bishop’s Palace, both dating back to the 18th Century.
Fortified walls surround this charming town. These boundaries still keep the two Ancient entrances, the Porta Nova and Porta San Demetrio, which offer passage through these Aragonese walls. The Aragons are just one of the families that touched Ostuni, which has known an extremely varied past. Almost all the civilizations that passed through Italy left their mark on this town. For example, just some of the names include Romans, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Angevins, and Bourbons. Most of what you can still see of these civilizations, however, dates to the 15th-18th Centuries.
If history doesn’t interest you as much, Ostuni also offers gorgeous sweeping views. It boasts panoramic views of the Adriatic sea and the surrounding landscapes, which are dotted with masserie (old farmhouse estates).
You can access Ostuni fairly easily. It is only 42km from Brindisi, and 8km from some of the Adriatic coast’s most beautiful beaches.
Reservations are made in the interest of the property’s owner at the prices listed in the website of SopranoVillas.com.
The minimum stay is one week, preferably from Saturday to Saturday. In some properties, there is a minimum stay of 14 days, which will be stated during the booking process. Sopranovillas reserves the right to change the rates of the properties list if it is necessary due to a change of the market conditions or following special offers. The customer must not sub-let the rented property. Customers are liable for their personal belongings such as jewellery and other precious items. Customers are also liable for the rented property, taking care to lock the property at all times when vacating it. The property is equipped with an initial supply of soap and toilet paper (may vary depending on property). The customer must not practice any activity that can be of annoyance to the Owner or to the neighbours.
To secure a reservation, the Tenant is obliged to fill out the Rental Agreement that SopranoVillas.com will send via email. To validate a reservation, it is necessary to send a 50% prepayment of the total rental amount upon booking, at the latest within 3 working days after the Rental Agreement signature. These prepayments can be sent by bank wire transfer, by PayPal or paid directly by credit card (Visa/MasterCard) over the phone or on our secure online payment system. As soon as we receive the prepayment we will immediately send you the booking confirmation email. Only after this process is the reservation secured. The total remaining balance (50% of the total rental amount) is to be paid using the same method as previously stated no later than 60 days prior to your arrival date (may vary depending on property). Final payments made with delays exceeding seven days can invalidate the contract.
The security deposit is to be paid upon arrival or via bank wire transfer one week before the arrival. The method of payment is dependant on the property. In the case that the Tenant books within 60 days prior to arrival, Tenant will be required to pay the total amount of the rental at the time of booking.
Arrival: Saturday between 16.00 and 20.00 (may vary depending on property).
Departure: Saturday between 07.00 and 10.00.
Any change to the arrival time must be advised as soon as possible before the arrival. Depending on the property, late arrivals may incur a late check in fee. In the unforeseen event of a late arrival that the owner cannot accept, the customer is responsible for the extra cost of a hotel room.
Upon the arrival, you will need to bring with you a copy of the confirmation email as well as a copy of your ID or passport, from all the members of your party, in order to register yourself in accordance with the Italian laws.
Any cancellation must be notified in writing to our email address info@sopranovillas.com. The cancellation date is when we receive your email.
Cancellation sanction policy:
Within 60 days or more prior to the arrival, 20% of the 50% deposit amount is refundable.
Within 59 days prior to the arrival the entire rental fee is non-refundable.
All bookings need a security deposit for eventual damages (the amount of the deposit depends on the property rented). It is due upon arrival if paid in cash, or paid via bank wire transfer one week before arrival. The customer is responsible for any damages to the property (external and internal areas) during the rental stay. This deposit will guarantee damages that might occur to the property. The Tenant is also responsible for any further damage costs that surpasses the original security deposit amount. The deposit will be refunded up to one week after departure (unless there is any charge due to damages of the property or agreed extra services). The access to the villa will be refused in the event that the deposit is not paid upon the arrival. SopranoVillas cannot be held liable in the event of a conflict between Tenant and Owner regarding the security deposit or any damages.
SopranoVillas is not responsible for any accident, injury, or loss suffered by customers.
SopranoVillas is not responsible if your stay is compromised by a natural disaster (earthquake, hurricane) and won’t issue travel insurance coverage.
The provision of extra services is dependent on the rented property. SopranoVillas will communicate the extra services that are available as provided by the Owner. Once the booking has been confirmed, additional services can be arranged with due notice. These extra services will generally be paid upon arrival directly to the property manager.
It may be possible for SopranoVillas to arrange additional services with due notice that are not provided by the Owner at a commissionable rate. In this case, payment for these services must be paid via a bank wire transfer to SopranoVillas.
Any lock-out must be communicated to the onsite staff of the rented property. This may incur a key and lock replacement and service fee for anyone who locks themselves out of a unit. The fee (that may vary) will be deducted from the security deposit. Furthermore, anyone who loses the keys will be responsible to pay for new locks. The fee will be deducted from the security deposit as well.
The Tenant is obliged to advise SopranoVillas at the moment of booking if he/she desires to bring any pets to the property. Pets are not permitted in some of the properties listed. There may be an additional surcharge on the cleaning fee at the end of your stay.
SopranoVillas accepts no responsibility in the case that the Owner of a villa decides to remove his/her property from the website after the point of booking. SopranoVillas will do its utmost to provide the Tenant with a comparable property at the original rate. If this is not possible due to unavailability or if the proposed villa does not suit the Tenants needs, the Tenant agrees to accept a full refund of the amount that has been paid for the rental of the property.
The Owner reserves the right to evict any individual from a rented property in the case of disruptive or inappropriate behaviour.
In the case that the booked property becomes unavailable due to maintenance issues, necessary building works or other issues, SopranoVillas will do its utmost to provide the Tenant with a comparable property at the original rate. If this is not possible due to unavailability or if the proposed villa does not suit the Tenants needs, the Tenant agrees to accept a full refund of the amount that has been paid for the rental of the property.
There must be at least one individual 25 years of age or older who will occupy the property during the entire stay.
SopranoVillas acts as a selling agent for Property Owners/Managers. In the case of complaints, please notify immediately the Owner/Property Manager and SopranoVillas. SopranoVillas cannot be held responsible for issues stated to us during the Tenants stay but will do its utmost to rectify said issues by collaborating with the Owner. Complaints notified after your stay are not valid.
In case of controversies, the Italian Court can deal with the matter and Italian laws apply.
SopranoVillas Terms and Conditions listed above are intended as automatically accepted by the Tenant with the confirmation of the booking and signature of the rental agreement.