Alberobello, Puglia, Italy. Trulli: unusual stone houses in the Italian city of Alberobello. The best cafes and restaurants

Alberobello - capital of the trulli

Passing numerous olive groves, orchards and vineyards along the Strada dei Trulli (on car maps it is designated as SS172), you will find yourself in an absolutely fabulous White City Alberobello, unique in its unusualness and beauty.

Alberobello is one of the most popular tourist places in Apulia (Puglia), thanks to a complex of 1000 trulli, recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Trulli are bizarre round structures with vaulted ceiling and a conical roof, built using the dry masonry method (i.e. without the use of any binding solution) from roughly processed limestone blocks collected from local fields.

The walls of trulli are usually whitewashed, and the stone tiles on the roofs of the houses are often painted with religious, pagan or magical symbols. Such symbols can be stars, hearts, crescents, crosses, etc. On the roofs you can often see various patterns, which also have special symbolism.

The origins of trulli are unclear, but this was the common name given to round ancient Roman tombs in the countryside. There is another version, according to which their name comes from the Latin word “trulla”, which means dome.

The history of the trulli and their capital Alberobello dates back to the 15th century, when, by decree of the King of Naples Ferdinand of Aragon, these lands were transferred to the Acquaviva family from Conversano for the suffering they suffered in the war against Turkey. Under the reign of Count Andrea Matteo d'Acquaviva, the secret construction of the town of Alberobello began, since the count, in fact, violated the royal decree in force at that time, according to which for the creation of each new urban settlement it was necessary to obtain royal permission, and for each more or less significant building - pay a considerable tax to the treasury

Alberobello began to develop as a city only in 1635 thanks to Count Giangirolamo, called “Cross-eyed Puglie”. The count wanted to create a fief independent from the Aragonese court of Naples, so he was interested in increasing the population and building an urban settlement. And in order not to pay royal taxes for the construction of new houses, he ordered his subjects that the houses be built in a dry manner, using only stone without lime and other binding materials. In the case of the royal inspection, such buildings were presented as temporary, which could easily be destroyed. With the help of three horses aimed at different sides, they removed the stone at the base of the roof, on which the whole house rested, and instead of a structure, there was a pile of stones. After the royal inspection was removed, the trulli were also restored quite easily...

In total there are about 20 thousand trulli in Apulia; there are special maps where all existing buildings are indicated. The first trullo was built in 1635, and in 1925 a law was passed to stop the construction of such houses.

The most interesting part of trolls is undoubtedly their strange domed roofs. Trulli roofs were built from two layers: the inner layer was made of limestone blocks, and the outer layer was made of limestone plates. This design prevents water from penetrating into the home. As a rule, the roof of one trullo consists of several cones. The trulli roofs were once white, but over time they changed color and darkened. Trulli domes are masculine and feminine. The "males" have crowns called "pinaccolos". Previously, by the structure of the domes, they knew what kind of master built the house

The trulli walls reach about 1 meter in width and this creates a comfortable atmosphere inside the house. In winter, the inside of the trulli is quite warm, and in summer it can be cool. In most cases, inside the trullo there is a central room with additional rooms in the form of niches. A multi-room trullo house has several cone roofs, under each of which there is a separate room. Many trulli are protected by UNESCO, the oldest of which date back to the 16th century

Almost all trulli are privately owned and, accordingly, are bought and sold.

The price of a trulle depends on the condition and location and ranges from 5 to 30 thousand euros.

The Church of St. Antonio (built 1926-27), located in the Rione Monti area, was also built in the form of a trulli.

Every year millions of tourists come to this fairytale city to wander through its narrow streets... Let's take a little walk along it...

In the south of Italy on the Adriatic coast is located the small fairy-tale town of Alberobello. Its name comes from the Latin words " arbor" And " bellum”, which are translated as “tree” and “war”. In ancient times, oak groves grew in this place, used for the production of reliable military mechanisms. Today, when you come to this city in the province of Bari, you can get not only the obligatory southern Italian tan, but also a lot of impressions. A trip here can be an unforgettable highlight of your trip.

The city became famous due to its unique white stone urban buildings - Trulli ( trulli) . What is it? Trulli are small houses with a mandatory conical roof. Indeed, translated from Greek, “trulli” means a dome (τρούλος). Although local residents They like to joke that the name of their houses comes from the characteristic sound “trrrul!” with which the house fell apart when the locking stone was removed. Similar buildings are not found anywhere else in the world and therefore, due to their uniqueness, were included in the list in 1996 cultural heritage UNESCO.

History first mentions the Yttriya Valley in the 16th century. Around this time Andrea Matteo III, belonging to the Acquaviva dynasty ( Acquaviva), brought his peasants here to cultivate the land. However, the feudal lord did not want to pay the tax to the King of Naples, which was supposed to be paid for the settlement. Because of this, residents had to collect pieces of limestone from all the surrounding fields and build their homes from them without using a fastening solution.

A feature of this structure was the ability to quickly and easily destroy it. For this purpose, a special stone was used, laid in the base. When it was withdrawn, the house turned into a pile of stones, for which there was no need to pay tax.

The approach of the royal tax collectors became known in advance. And by his arrival the settlement no longer existed. This allowed the local dukes to prosper for a long time, but their peasants had to rebuild a roof over their heads each time. In 1797, King Ferdinand of the Bourbon dynasty granted the city of Alberobello freedom and tax exemption. After which some actually began to build their houses using shoring. But the majority of residents were able to fully believe in the freedom granted, because the king could take away the gift at any moment. And classic houses with a domed roof continued to appear until 1925, when the Italian authorities passed a law prohibiting the construction of trulli. It still works today. This means that you can only reconstruct existing buildings, and in no case build new ones.

By the way, the trulli tax was officially abolished only in 1979. Today, almost all trulli are privately owned. Accordingly, they are sold and bought. The price will depend on the location and, of course, the condition of the building. On average it is approximately 5...30 thousand euros.

Despite all the external similarities, trulli are still somewhat different from each other. For example, the presence or absence of a dome with the image of the master’s sign. Moreover, buildings with a crown are considered masculine, and those without are considered feminine. You can also notice the difference in the pattern on the masonry of the dome. The most common ones are zodiac signs, religious or pagan symbols.

Today Alberobello is the only city in the world in which entire neighborhoods with trulli have been preserved. What is it counted from? cultural capital Yttrian Valley. Narrow streets and small houses with round domed roofs annually attract many tourists who want to see the cultural Italian heritage.

View on map of Italy

When should I arrive?

The tourist season in Alberobello begins in April and ends at the end of October. At this time, numerous events are held in the city. music festivals, concerts of famous performers, performances of theater troupes and even poetry evenings. It is also worth remembering that, as in any other place, prices for everything are much higher during the season. Therefore, it is best for tourists on a limited budget to get acquainted with the history of the trulli in the off-season. This fabulous city is definitely worth spending 1-2 nights in.

Hotels in Alberobello

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Our ancestors were famous for their ability to build wooden log houses without a single nail, but the Italians have long mastered the dry masonry method. Without using mortar, they built huts from limestone slabs, topped with domed or conical roofs. Such dwellings were called trulli, they were preserved in the town of Alberobello in the province of Bari.

The trulli houses (which literally means "dome") are a real business card city of Alberobello. Many travelers come here to look at unusual architectural structures. The peculiarity of trulli is that these houses are durable, but at the same time can be dismantled very quickly. It is believed that to do this it is enough to remove one stone from the roof.

In Italy, for a long time, real estate construction was subject to high taxes, so local residents had no choice but to invent a structure that could be dismantled in the shortest possible time. Local officials turned a blind eye to the construction of the trulli, but the buildings had to be immediately dismantled when the tax inspectors arrived. It is known for certain that the trulli were dealt with in 1644, when an inspector sent by the King of Naples came to check the Italian cities.

The trulli are built from limestone boulders collected from the surrounding area. A monolithic rock is often used as a load-bearing wall, from which a layer of black soil is first removed. The trulli have small windows, fireplaces, stoves and alcoves “recessed” into the thickness of the walls. The roofs are double-layered, they are sealed and protect from rain. By the way, all houses are equipped with special gutters for collecting rainwater.

The interior is dominated by wooden furniture; most of the houses are one-room, but built in two tiers; you ascend to the second floor via a ladder. Thick stone walls protect from the summer heat, but in the winter months the trulli are very cold. Due to high humidity, rooms are often cold, so in winter many people prefer to keep their doors open.

The first trulli appeared in the 16th century, the newest - at the beginning of the 20th century. Construction has sharply declined as the price of building materials has risen and wages for the work of craftsmen who know the intricacies of constructing a structure have risen. In Alberobello, trulli built between the 18th and 20th centuries have been preserved; today they are used as shops, restaurants, and some of them are still lived in by local residents. There are about 1,500 similar houses in the city; they are classified as monuments World Heritage UNESCO.

- a city in southern Italy in Puglia, famous white stone buildings without cement, called trulli.
In 1996 trulli were taken under UNESCO protection.

Alberobello. Apulia.

The first mention of the Yttriya Valley dates back to the 16th century. Andrea Matteo III of the famous Acquaviva dynasty, Duke of Conversano, brought peasants here to cultivate and cultivate these lands. They began to build a house for the peasants using limestone. Limestone stones were placed into the walls dry, without the use of cement or other material. They did this in order to avoid the tax that they were required to pay to the Kingdom of Naples if a new settlement was built.
How did it work? They were warned about the inspection in advance and one day was enough to dismantle houses without cement, and if there is no house, there is no tax.

Alberobello. Apulia.

It remained in the fief of Acquaviva until 1797, when King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon annexed the small town to the kingdom, freeing it from feudal payments.
Trulli built before the beginning of the 20th century.
Now Alberobello is the only city where an entire block of trulli houses has been preserved., it is called the cultural capital of the Yttriya Valley.

Round domed roofs with decorative tips stick out funny along the city streets. The tips have different shapes, most often they were religious symbols or zodiac signs.

Alberobello. Apulia.

Some trulli house museums of everyday life. For example, the largest trullo is called Sovrano. It was built by the Perth family in the mid-18th century and preserves the residential furnishings of that period.
But the residential atmosphere has been preserved in other trullo, as indicated by signs located at the entrance and inviting you to go inside.

Alberobello. Apulia.

Most of the white stone houses house souvenir shops, but some continue to be inhabited by people.

Alberobello. Apulia. Italy.

It is difficult to imagine that these houses with several rooms, a place for a fireplace, an attic and a well were built without cement; in any case, only a true master can do this.

Alberobello. Apulia. Italy.

This unusual town, protected by UNESCO, should be looked for on the map of Italy at the very “heel”, above the heel of the “Italian boot”.

Location of Alberobello on the map of Italy

The city of Alberobello in Italy is primarily known for its housing, unlike any other in the world.

Low, rounded buildings, made of stone, with a round stone roof, these are trulli houses, known to tourists all over the world.

Beautiful Alberobello (Italian: Alberobello) looks like a city of a vanished civilization. Snow-white, with round houses everywhere, all in greenery and flowers... Alberobello - translated from Italian language, means: “albero” - “tree” and “bello” - “beautiful”.
The city was founded between 1400 and 1500 on an area covered entirely by forests. Alberobello occupies land subject to high erosive action of rainwater, both on the surface and in the depths of the limestone strata. It is for this reason that the buildings were made not of wood, but of stone.

Since in those days the legislation acted in such a way that the tax was calculated on a building with a roof, the residents resorted to a trick.

The houses were built in a circle with a roof made of rough, flat stones. With this method of construction, no mortar was used. When they noticed approaching tax collectors, they quickly dismantled the roof. This way they avoided paying an unaffordable tax.

You will learn more about these amazing buildings from the video:

Various symbols depicted on the conical roofs of trulli, using lime, are still emblazoned on houses. Some of them mean protection of the family living in that house, others against the evil eye, the following were used to worship the deity to get a good harvest.

What to see

Getting around Alberobello exclusively without a car. Upon arrival in the city, you can leave your car in one of the many parking lots. Usually at the reception of the selected hotel, they will give you advice and lead you to the parking lot.

Just a walk around the city of Alberobello in Italy, exploring its streets, round trulli, shops and craft stalls is already a pleasant excursion, although without a guide.

The differences from the generally accepted tourist places in Italy are very large.

In Alberobello you should definitely see:

Souvenir shops and workshops are scattered along the narrow streets of the city, where you can try liqueurs, wine, or watch how embroiderers work, and immediately buy something you like.

Holidays and Events

In Alberobello, as throughout Italy, they love festivals:

Where to stay

Arriving in Alberobello, of course, the most interesting thing is to stay at the trulli hotel (trullo):

What to try

The local cuisine in Alberobello, the “city of the trulli”, as in the entire province of Bari, is easy to prepare and uses local ingredients.

The dishes are an expression of the culinary tradition of medieval peasants. Short cooking using fresh vegetables, olive oil, and legumes is encouraged.

Must-try dishes:

Several Alberobello restaurants especially noted by visitors:

Climate

Alberobello is located in a warm and temperate climate zone.

In this zone, comfortable for life, there is precipitation, even in the driest month. 13.7 °C - average annual temperature.

In the hottest summer months - July/August the temperature reaches 29-31C, in the coldest - December/January 5-7C.

Where else

When going to Alberobello, you should plan to visit the following places:

Shopping

Alberobello is an area of souvenir shops and craft shops. But there are also ordinary shopping centers and stores of famous brands. Main shopping streets: Via Monte S. Michele, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Piazza XXVII Maggio, Via Fiume.

Neighborhood

If you are interested in visiting cities located near Alberobello, you can go to:

How to get there

When traveling around Italy, Alberobello can be reached as easily as all major tourist cities.

Airplane. The closest airport to Alberobello is Bari Airport (Aeroporto Internazionale di Bari-Karol Wojtyla). Website: aeroportidipuglia.it. The distance from Bari to Alberobello is 70 km.

Automobile. By car, the route to Alberobello is from the A14 North, Tranto.
Distance to Alberobello from:

935 km;
482km;
316 km;
409 km.

Train. Using the website trenitalia.it, it is easy and convenient to calculate the time and cost of travel from any Italian city to Alberobello. From Bari to Alberobello the ticket price is 10 euros (round trip).

Bus. You can also get to Alberobello from Bari by bus. The page www.marinobus.it or fseonline.it has all the information about flights intercity buses and flights from Bari.