The Blue Town — Casamassima
A village painted in shades of azure to ward off plague, Casamassima remains Puglia’s singular “Paese Azzurro”—the Blue Country—where centuries-old buildings bear witness to a vow made to the Virgin of Constantinople.
At a glance
Casamassima stands apart among Apulia’s whitewashed villages for its distinctive blue architecture. The town’s defining colour derives from a seventeenth-century response to catastrophe: after plague claimed over 20,000 residents in 1658, local lord Odoardo Vaaz commissioned the painting of buildings, monuments and churches in blue—created using quicklime and probably copper sulphate—as both a cleansing measure and a votive offering to the Blessed Virgin of Constantinople.
History
The 1658 plague devastated Bari and its region, killing vast numbers of Casamassima’s inhabitants. Odoardo Vaaz responded by initiating an ambitious repainting campaign in blue, a colour chosen for its spiritual significance to the Virgin of Constantinople. A small church dedicated to the Most Holy Mary of Constantinople was subsequently built as part of this votive undertaking.
In the 1960s, Milanese painter Vittorio Viviani visited Casamassima and was struck by its chromatic uniqueness within the Apulian landscape. He immortalized scenes of village life in paintings, coining the enduring epithet “Il Paese Azzurro”—the Blue Country.
What you see
Walking through the ancient village’s alleys reveals layers and traces of blue lime on weathered buildings—tangible evidence of Casamassima’s singular past. Unlike the canonical white villages of Apulia, the town displays multiple shades of blue across its architectural fabric, creating a cohesive visual identity rooted in seventeenth-century devotion.
Cultural significance
Casamassima’s blue architecture represents an exceptional response to historical trauma, transforming plague survival into spiritual and aesthetic expression. The village’s uniqueness within the Apulian vernacular has made it a subject of growing scholarly interest and the foundation of contemporary cultural tourism initiatives including the “Blue Country” project, supported by regional institutions, local associations and organizations such as the Association “Authentic Villages of Italy.”
Key facts
- Address: Piazza Santa Croce, 70010 Casamassima, Puglia
- Coordinates: 40.9555655, 16.9190704
- Phone: 3450491067
- Official website: http://comune.casamassima.ba.it/
Practical information
Opening hours and admission details are not listed; check the official municipal website for current visitor information.
Getting there
Casamassima is located in the province of Bari, in southern Puglia. You can reach the town by car or regional public transport from Bari city centre, approximately 30 kilometres away.
Sources & resources
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