Living as in the days of yore in the very heart of the White Town

Sala, Arcuève and Cammarine

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In Ostuni, the wonderful White Town, Arcuève is the synthesis of the housing scheme with very ancient origins, which has remained unchanged over the centuries. The name itself comes from a contraction of “Sala, arcuève e cammarine“, a recurring phrase in the informal language of Ostunin to indicate a comfortable small-sized house suited to the needs of a simple life.

In the picturesque traditional houses of Ostuni, made up of a living room (main room), a sleeping room (alcove) and another small room, the life of ordinary families took place according to an impeccable organisation. While the main spaces of the house were reserved for conviviality, one of the walls of the main room opened into a so-called arcuève, i.e. a small room similar to a niche with a star vault where the bed was placed. The arcuève had no doors, but was separated from the other rooms by a curtain (usually embroidered), called “spriviere”.

From the past we can still learn a lot, and today Arcuève stands out as a gem of tourist hospitality in Ostuni, where the beauty of the typical local dwellings is combined with the comfort of modernity.