Alberobello | The Unique Trulli Homes found in Puglia, Italy

Alberobello is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of the 54 UNESCO sites found in Italy. You might be wondering what makes Alberobello such a special town in Italy? The answer is simply – the Trulli homes found here!

The Trulli

Trulli’s are the traditional Puglian stone huts with those wonderful conical stone roofs. They are found only in the Itria Valley, what’s known as the Murge Region of Puglia.

 

You might think that the Trulli is an unstable building but its quite the opposite. The base of the house, which can be round or square, was made with the limestone found in the area and held with mortar. It also has a second stone layer as well. The conical roof is a two-layered process also but the other tiles are layered facing down, making them water and windproof. The single standing round Trulli was mainly used for the farm animals. The Trulli was also built to help collect rainwater since there was no water source available to these residences.

The conical roof’s also told you about the inhabitants who lived there. Three or more roofs meant you were wealthy. They were also painted with a symbol. These symbols were either a sign of the zodiac, religious or primitive symbols of the region. Each Trulli has a spire which was also used as an identification of the people living there.

 

A Different Place to Stay

Many of the Trulli have a “holiday sign” on them indicating that you can stay in one like a hotel. You see several signs when walking the streets, indicating that the Trulli is available for rent. In fact, our friends stayed in one several years ago and said they truly enjoyed the experience.

 

Street Photos

You can spend the day just walking up and down the streets and see some amazing homes. Even though they all have the same “look” they have their own uniqueness about them. Some have cute curtains, flowers in containers or window boxes, and of course for me, it’s all about the doors throughout Italy. The doors here in Alberobello are no different – some are beautiful works of art.

I am obsessed with the wooden doors of Italy. I have a Pinterest board dedicated just to these and now breaking them down by color and if they are rustic or not. We have several posts on our blog – just about the doors. When I photograph a door, I think, “Why were the color and hardware chosen? Did the current family choose it or was it there from a previous owner?”

Conclusion

If visiting the Puglia region of Italy, stop and see the Trulli homes in Alberobello. A few of them are open to the public and worth a visit to see inside. It is a day trip you will always remember.

 

Ilene Modica, Our Italian Journey

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