Alberobello

When you mention Puglia, it is often the fairytale town of Alberobello that springs to mind. Alberobello, literal translation, beautiful tree - albero (tree) and bello (beautiful), is famous for its houses called trulli.

Dating back to the 14th century, the cylindrical trulli are made from white limestone slabs and their conical roofs from thin grey slates, neatly arranged on top of one another. The trulli were built as dwellings for the peasant communities or storage space for livestock, grains and grapes during the harvest. Their thick walls were a welcome respite from hot summers and provided insulation during winter.

Despite their solid structure, the construction, particularly the roofs, was originally intended to be temporary and quickly dismantled. There was a very good reason. It meant that people could avoid paying soaring property taxes implemented by the Kingdom of Naples if they lived in buildings without roofs. Without a roof, the building didn’t qualify as a “home”. Whether the trullo was used as a dwelling or for storage, it could be entirely dismantled by removing just one slab from the roof.

When the tax collector came knocking, all he would find was a circular mound without any covering. Quite often for survival, this was a necessary strategy to avoid the exorbitant taxes.

Across the entire countryside of the Valle d’Itria, there are still hundreds of trulli. They were built here because the town of Conversano, just south of Bari, was home to ruling counts who allowed the local peasants to build temporary, drystone structures across their land.

By the mid 16th century the Monti district was occupied by forty trulli, but it was in 1620 that the settlement began to expand when the Count at the time, Gian Girolamo Guercio, ordered the construction of a bakery, mill and inn. By the end of the 18th century the community numbered over 3,500 people. In 1797, feudal rule came to an end, the name of Alberobello was adopted, and Ferdinand IV, Bourbon King of Naples, awarded Alberobello the status of royal town. After this time the construction of new trulli declined.

The roofs of trulli often feature hand-painted symbols, adding a layer of mystery and tradition. These symbols range from Christian crosses and hearts to astrological signs and pagan markings. Locals believed they offered protection, brought good luck, or warded off evil spirits. Each symbol tells a story, giving every trullo a unique personality.

Alberobello has the highest concentration of trulli, numbering more than 1,500 in two neighbourhoods. Rione Monti is the larger, more touristy neighbourhood with 1,030 trulli in a relatively small area. Rione Aia Piccola has around 590 trulli and feels more authentic without as many tourists.

They weren’t supposed to last for hundreds of years, but now it’s important to protect them as their architecture is unique to Puglia. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, the trulli are part of Puglia’s cultural identity. It is illegal to deconstruct, restructure or alter them in any way. The building of fake versions is also forbidden.

Although a small number of locals live in the trulli, a vast majority have become accommodation for tourists, restaurants and artisanal shops. There is a concept store called Tholos that is a treasure trove of local wines, cheeses, olive oil and cured meats.

The irony is that the trulli were built by some of the poorest people 700 years ago and now have become sought after accommodation that people pay a lot of money to sleep in. This is exactly what has happened in Matera, only an hour away from Bari, where we can experience history sleeping in the restored caves of the ancient Sassi.

As much as Alberobello has become a popular tourist destination, it is well worth a visit, best done early in the day.

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb