This is why these typical Apulian peasant buildings must be visited at least once in your life:
The trulli of Alberobello, the famous stone houses, are a true symbol of Puglia. The origin of the trulli has its roots in prehistoric times, although it is in the 14th century that these typical Apulian houses began to paint the Apulian countryside.
Trulli of Alberobello, Unesco
Due to their uniqueness, in 1996 the trulli were included by UNESCO in the World Heritage List. They are a symbol of the Puglia region, but also of Italy itself in the world.
The History of the trulli of Alberobello
Val d’Itria is rich in remains of tholos, prehistoric vault buildings used to bury the dead. In terms of shape and size, these graves are to be considered as forerunners of the Apulian trullo.
Trulli, as we are used to seeing them today, are the evolution of dry constructions that began to develop in the 14th century. The Apulian cone buildings were built without mortar by the settlers in order to circumvent the laws and taxes issued by the Angevins on the new settlements, exploiting the abundance of limestone in the area. Alberobello, city of the trulli, was born in the seventeenth century and it obtained the name of royal city from King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon.
Where are the trulli in Puglia?
In addition to Alberobello and its surroundings, the trulli have spread to rural and peripheral areas of other towns in the Bari area, including Locorotondo, Castellana, Turi, Noci, Conversano and Monopoli, and also in the Tarantine area such as Martina Franca, Mottola and Grottaglie , or in the Brindisi area like Fasano, Ceglie Messapica and Francavilla Fontana. Typical of the Lecce area are the Salento trulli, called Pajare.
Visit the trulli of Alberobello!
An itinerary in Alberobello cannot be separated from the visit of the Trullo Sovrano, the Casa d’Amore, the Church of Sant’Antonio (needless to say, trullo-shaped) and the charming village of Aja Piccola.
Here are 10 interesting facts about Apulian trulli:
Unlike the neighboring towns, Alberobello is the only country in the world born and raised as a town of trulli. Elsewhere, in fact, the trulli were mostly used as shelters for animals or for tools and not as private houses.
The district of Monti, in Alberobello, is even composed of 1030 trulli.
The Siamese trulli are those characterized by double façade, double pinnacle and low hearth. Furthermore, they have no windows.
Trullo Sovrano is the only trullo with two floors.
La Casa d’Amore was the first house built in lime, in 1797. Today it houses the local tourist office.
Many trulli, especially the oldest, on the front of the cone have strange signs that refer to the pagan tradition, Jewish or Christian, for some of the true esoteric symbols. In most cases these are propitiatory signs.
The white of the walls in lime is instead a symbol of purity.
The name of Alberobello derives from “Sylva Arboris Belli”, a tree of the war tree, and refers to the past centuries, in which the area was covered with dense vegetation.
The pinnacle is the upper end of the trullo and is usually formed by three overlapping stones, one cylindrical in shape, the other in the shape of a plate or bowl, the last in a sphere.
What do the symbols drawn on the Trulli mean?
The symbols drawn by hand and with the use of LIME are linked to different traditions of magical-pagan, Christian origin or even derive from the primitive world. They were painted on the domes of the trulli to send misfortune away or to wish Good luck to the inhabitants and they then tied themselves to the CHRISTIAN FAITH of which they recall the most used symbols.