I was visiting with a friend a few years ago and I noticed a travel magazine on the table. I picked it up and started to flip through it. The magazine feature was of a town I had never seen before. I was mesmerized. I asked my friend about this town. “Alberobello! In Puglia!” she said. Alberobello! It is in Italy! I was living in Italy at this time and Puglia is next to the region of Calabria where I lived. At that moment, Alberobello made it to my bucket list.
Alberobello is a small town in Puglia, Italy. It is part of the metropolitan city of Bari. This unique town is famous for its trulli houses, and since 1996, the trulli of Alberobello have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Alberobello is also a member of I Borghi più belli d’Italia (The most beautiful villages of Italy), which is a private association committed to safeguarding and maintaining small villages that are at risk for depopulation and abandonment. A trullo (the plural of trullo in Italian is trulli) is a dry stone hut with a conical roof. There is usually a pinnacle at the top of the cone, and a whitewashed symbol painted onto the cone. The trulli symbols are generally religious or astrological.
The different types of pinnacles on the trulli houses
The different symbols found on the trulli cones
Trulli houses with symbols painted onto the cones
There are many theories about the history of the trulli houses. One theory is because of the high property tax. It is believed they used this design so that when tax inspectors were near, they could dismantle the structure quickly and avoid paying tax. Trulli houses are made from limestone, and because of this, another theory is simply that they used the natural materials that were available in the area at that time.
Trulli houses in Alberobello
It was mostly peasant families that lived in the trulli houses. It was common for a family to share more than one cone, and if the family owned any farm animals, the animals would have their own trullo. Trulli houses were built with thick walls to keep the trullo cold in the summer and warm in the winter. Generally, there would be a fireplace in the center of the trullo to be used for cooking and for a source of heat.
Trulli houses in Alberobello
I am grateful that I had the opportunity to visit Alberobello. It did not disappoint. The town is truly magical. Now the trulli houses are mostly souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes, etc. If you are planning a trip to Italy, try to put Alberobello on your itinerary. Puglia is full of beautiful towns and it is worth the journey south.
Trulli houses in Alberobello
