Views of La Città Bianca

With its narrow alleyways and the whitewashed houses that give it the name La Città Bianca, the Apulian town of Ostuni attracts thousands of visitors every year for its views, mild climate, rich culinary tradition, and millennia old history. Set against this highly distinctive backdrop, the Vista Ostuni hotel embodies the essence of the town, reflecting both its history and the striking Apulian landscape that surrounds it.

The 14^th-century building has served different religious functions, including a Dominican convent and the church of Santa Maria Maddalena. Still visible in its medieval walls, traces of these past incarnations mingle with memories of later uses, including the visionary orphanage founded by Sister Maria Raimonda Fuentes, a prisoner of war camp during the Great War, and, more recently, a tobacco factory. When it closed in 1968, the building had lived many past lives.

Architect Roberto Murgia’s project has preserved the site’s historical memory, while converting the building into an elegant five star hotel that balances history, art, and contemporary comfort. The resort covers 6,000 sq. m, including 1,200 sq. m of terraces and a 3 ha garden. The hotel itself comprises five levels, offering magnificent views of La Città Bianca and the broad plain of ancient olive trees. The project interpreted the site with sensitivity, highlighting original details and shaping natural light that, through large openings, crosses and animates the interiors.

Guests enter the hotel via the cloister – now a contemporary lounge where austere monastic columns blend with the flowing lines of the furnishings. Soft draperies in shades from beige to lemon yellow control acoustics while creating theater-like screens that soften the severity of the stone surfaces, producing an elegant fusion of architectural classicism and contemporary design.

The centerpiece of the bar is a striking display of bottles set into a vault. The resort’s dining options include Bianca Bistrot and a restaurant on a sunlit terrace overlooking the sea. Ceramic floor tiles laid in a geometric pattern with green glazed inserts establish a visual rhythm that continues in the furnishings, featuring tables with minimalist lines and green velvet seats. Hanging from a slatted wood ceiling, a series of smoked amber glass lamps cast a soft, warm light, transforming the atmosphere into an intimate, welcoming space, especially in the evening. Completing the range of services, the hotel spa is a private sanctuary where mosaic clad vaults echo sunset tones and invite relaxation in a sequence of spaces marked by wood arches.

The 28 suites each feature a distinctive narrative, telling a specific part of the building’s history. Their unique designs combine compositions of mirrors, woven rattan, and Italian design pieces, all inspired by the Mediterranean Sea. The color palette is calibrated to the original tones of the historic plasters and surfaces, reflecting a sensitive approach that respects materials and reasserts a unique identity deeply rooted in the local landscape and culture.

The garden is threaded with paths in chianche – a traditional Apulian flagstone – which all lead to a pool with a striking checkerboard finish. Hidden away among the olive trees and greenery are quiet spaces for guests, including a rocking chair, a shady stone bench, a large weathering steel brazier, and cabanas tucked into secluded corners.

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Vista Ostuni Hotel

© Davide Lovatti, courtesy of Vista Ostuni

Vista Ostuni Hotel

For the hotel’s wellness suite, Effe supplied a custom sauna in heat-treated aspen and the Tuttovetro Inside shower enclosure, color-matched to the sauna door. Extensive glass surfaces give the sauna a weightless, luminous quality, helping it integrate seamlessly into its setting while providing guests with a private wellness retreat. © Davide Lovatti, courtesy of Vista Ostuni

Vista Ostuni Hotel

© Lea Anouchinsky, courtesy of Vista Ostuni

Vista Ostuni Hotel

Mediterranean-inspired design lends the guestrooms a generous, inviting atmosphere tailored for a restful stay. Inviting, light-filled, and with dual-aspect views of the olive groves and the La Città Bianca, the guestrooms are deeply rooted in their Apulian setting. © Davide Lovatti, courtesy of Vista Ostuni

Vista Ostuni Hotel

Custom oak panels flow seamlessly along the walls, organizing the space through a rhythmic interplay of mirrors, woven wicker, fabric, and colored glass, creating a sophisticated material dialogue. © Davide Lovatti, courtesy of Vista Ostuni

Vista Ostuni Hotel

© Davide Lovatti, courtesy of Vista Ostuni

Vista Ostuni Hotel

For this project, the architects specified BTicino’s Living Now frameless wiring devices, which streamline user interaction and modernize traditional electrical installations into intelligent, connected systems. © Davide Lovatti, courtesy of Vista Ostuni

Vista Ostuni Hotel

Merging classical architecture with contemporary design, the monumental scale of the cloister is softened by natural light and modern comfort. The former monastery’s massive columns and strict geometries are reimagined through sinuous, modular furnishings that trade austerity for a sense of movement and depth. © Davide Lovatti, courtesy of Vista Ostuni

Vista Ostuni Hotel

© Davide Lovatti, courtesy of Vista Ostuni

Vista Ostuni Hotel

Designed to welcome guests year-round, the bar is a timeless retreat. Inside, plush, vibrantly colored lounge seating invites guests to relax by the fireplace in an intimate, comfortable setting. © Davide Lovatti, courtesy of Vista Ostuni

Vista Ostuni Hotel

© Lea Anouchinsky, courtesy of Vista Ostuni

Vista Ostuni Hotel

Clad in a mosaic gradient, the vaults in the wellness area create delicate interplays of light that evoke the hues of sunset. Each glass tile reflects the ambient light with an iridescent effect, enhancing the sense of tranquility and relaxation. © Giovanni Hanninen, courtesy of Vista Ostuni

Vista Ostuni Hotel

© Giovanni Hanninen, courtesy of Vista Ostuni

Vista Ostuni Hotel

Marazzi’s Limestone20 collection was selected for the pool area paving. The timeless quality of limestone provides a natural esthetic and high-performance durability for the contemporary design. The Ivory colorway underscores the authenticity of the stone’s ancient origins, reimagined through an elegant and minimalist texture. © Giovanni Hanninen, courtesy of Vista Ostuni

Vista Ostuni Hotel

© Giovanni Hanninen, courtesy of Vista Ostuni

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