Villa Comunale Sandro Pertini

Beneath Ostuni's historic centre, the Villa Comunale Sandro Pertini occupies a five-hectare public garden created over an old rain basin known as the foggia. Pines, palms and other trees shade the park, which is one of the city's principal green spaces.

Why it matters

The garden's history links urban growth with the reuse of a natural depression that once collected rainwater. It was inaugurated in 1930 and dedicated to former President of the Republic Sandro Pertini in 2009. The park remains an important green space below the old town.

What to notice

The garden combines mature trees with open paths and a central fountain-stage created during a 2000 restoration. Its planting includes pines, palms and cedars, while the neighbouring Parco della Rimembranza continues the green space towards the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

Context and history

The site was once a rainwater basin, or foggia. The area was renamed in 1917 and filled in over the following years before the garden's inauguration in 1930. A later restoration reshaped its central area and added the fountain-stage. The name Sandro Pertini was adopted in 2009, giving the garden its current civic dedication.