Puglia’s White City Ostuni and Taranto’s Mar Piccolo Lagoon Highlight Regional Heritage

Ostuni, the hill‑top town in Italy’s Puglia region often called the ‘White City’, features a historic centre of narrow streets, baroque cathedrals and medieval walls. Visitors can explore the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the Civic Museum with artefacts from prehistoric to modern times, and the nearby archaeological park of Santa Maria di Agnano.

North of Taranto, the Mar Piccolo lagoon is a semi‑enclosed water body that supports a mixed landscape of traditional shellfish farming, industrial and military sites, and a diverse marine ecosystem. The lagoon’s slow‑moving waters enable mussel and oyster cultivation, while also providing habitat for fish and migratory birds, making it a distinctive cultural and natural landmark of the region.