Although, this unique mediaeval town, that was built on a rugged coastline behind the tenuous hills, where the rocky coast alternates to the sandy beaches, own its beauty to the charm of its ‘sperduta’ (remote) location, its distance to the others towns nearby and its exposure to the open sea have always been the causes of unfortunate events, especially in the past. Indeed, due to its position, Vieste was an easy prey for the corsairs from the east attracted by the strategic position of the town. Amongst the many attacks, the most violent was the one at the hand of the Turkish corsair Dragut Reis, who beheaded hundreds of women and children on the nowadays well-known ‘Chianca Amara’, which is located just 200 meters from the main entrance of the old town.
Moreover, its isolation was also making difficult for the surrounding towns to rescue the population of Vieste during these attacks. For this reason, at that time, Vieste was known as ‘La Sperduta’. Until the beginning of the 20th century, indeed, it could be reached only through the Foresta Umbra by undertaking a trip of two entire days to reach San Severo.
The circumstances changed in the 1923, when the Major Diana, a pharmacist who decided to abandon its profession to dedicate his himself to the politic, started the construction of a road with the purpose of linking San Severo and Vieste.
From that point, Vieste has begun its process of growth by becoming one of the most famous summer destination of the entire peninsula.