One of the aspects of Italian cultural heritage which is most appreciated and celebrated is her architecture, which is varied and reflects the lengthy history and different periods of building in Italy. The small town of Alberobello in Puglia is particularly famous for its architecture, featuring limestone houses, called “trulli” with distinctive pyramidal, cone-shaped or domed roofs made of corbelled slabs of stone.
These unique buildings are seen as so important and intrinsic to the history and cultural heritage of the town that they have been a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.
These unique buildings are seen as so important and intrinsic to the history and cultural heritage of the town that they have been a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.
If you want to visit a quaint Italian town which looks unlike anywhere else you've ever been, this is just the place! Just find a vacation rental in Alberobello and wander around the town.
The trulli developed due to necessity when peasant workers were moved to the area by a local feudal lord, Count Acquaviva, to clear the surrounding woods and cultivate the land. In order to avoid taxes and laws, they had to ensure that Alberobello would not be classified as an inhabited settlement. The trulli became the housing of choice, as a result, as they could be very quickly dismantled if necessary. It wasn't actually until 1797 that Alberobello was first classified as a town.
The trulli developed due to necessity when peasant workers were moved to the area by a local feudal lord, Count Acquaviva, to clear the surrounding woods and cultivate the land. In order to avoid taxes and laws, they had to ensure that Alberobello would not be classified as an inhabited settlement. The trulli became the housing of choice, as a result, as they could be very quickly dismantled if necessary. It wasn't actually until 1797 that Alberobello was first classified as a town.
Trulli are usually square with very thick stone walls and are constructed without the use of mortar. The thickness of the buildings strengthens it and keeps it together without the necessity of mortar and it regulates the temperature inside.
Similarly, the roofs are built using a corbelling technique which relies on how the limestone slabs rest on and against each other in order to support the structure and keep it upright. Inside there is generally a central room with additional living space inside arched alcoves. The rustic beauty of these limestone buildings is enhanced by the whitewashed exteriors of the residential trulli and the painted patterns sometimes painted on the roofs.
The complexity of the spires, meanwhile, is a status symbol, which reflected the skill of the builders and spending power of the owners.
You can even stay in trulli, or just admire them as you walk around the town, enjoying the local cuisine and popping into cute and kitschy little souvenir stores. Alberobello is a definite “must” for those visiting Puglia.
Similarly, the roofs are built using a corbelling technique which relies on how the limestone slabs rest on and against each other in order to support the structure and keep it upright. Inside there is generally a central room with additional living space inside arched alcoves. The rustic beauty of these limestone buildings is enhanced by the whitewashed exteriors of the residential trulli and the painted patterns sometimes painted on the roofs.
The complexity of the spires, meanwhile, is a status symbol, which reflected the skill of the builders and spending power of the owners.
You can even stay in trulli, or just admire them as you walk around the town, enjoying the local cuisine and popping into cute and kitschy little souvenir stores. Alberobello is a definite “must” for those visiting Puglia.