In the south of Italy, on the Adriatic coast, there is a small fabulous town called Alberobello. Its name comes from the Latin words "arbor"and"bellum", which translates as" tree "and" war. "In ancient times, oak groves used to produce reliable military mechanisms grew on this place. Today, having arrived in this city in the province of Bari, you can get not only the obligatory South Italian tan, but also a lot of impressions. A trip here can be an unforgettable highlight of your trip.
The city became famous for its unique white-stone city buildings - Trulli (trulli). What is it? Trulli are small houses with a mandatory conical roof. Indeed, translated from Greek “trulli” is a dome (τρούλος). Although the locals like to joke that the name of their houses comes from the characteristic sound of "trrul!" with which the house crumbled when removing the locking stone. Such buildings are not found anywhere else in the world and therefore, for their uniqueness, were included in the UNESCO list of cultural heritage in 1996.
History of the appearance of trulli
In history, the Yttria Valley was first mentioned in the 16th century. Around this time, Andrea Matteo III, belonging to the Aquaviva dynasty (Acquaviva), brought here his peasants for cultivating land. However, the feudal lord did not want to pay tax to the King of Naples, who was supposed to pay for the settlement. Because of this, residents had to collect pieces of limestone in all the surrounding fields and use them to build a dwelling without using a bonding solution.
A feature of this structure was the ability to quickly and easily destroy it. For this, a special stone was used, laid in the base. Upon its removal, the house turned into a pile of stones, for which it was not necessary to pay tax.
The approach of the royal tax collectors became known in advance. And by his arrival, the settlement no longer existed. This for a long time allowed the local dukes to flourish, but their peasants had to rebuild their roof over their heads each time. In 1797, King Ferdinand of the Bourbon dynasty, the city of Alberobello was granted freedom and tax exemption. After that, some really began to build their homes using fasteners. But most of the inhabitants were able to fully believe in the granted freedom, because the king at any moment could pick up the gift. And classic houses with a domed roof continued to appear until 1925, when the Italian government passed a law prohibiting the construction of trulli. It operates in our time. 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 both sold and bought. The price will depend on the location and, of course, the state of construction. On average, it is about 5 ... 30 thousand euros.
With all the external similarities, the trulli are still somewhat different from each other. For example, the presence or absence of a poppy seed with the image of the sign of the master. Moreover, buildings with poppies are considered male, and without - female. You can also notice the difference in the figure on the masonry of the dome. The most common signs of the zodiac, religious or pagan symbols.
Today Alberobello is the only city in the world in which entire neighborhoods with trulli have been preserved. From what it is considered the cultural capital of the Yttria Valley. Narrow streets, small houses with round domed roofs annually attract many tourists who want to see the cultural Italian heritage.
We advise you to see: Record of our live broadcast from Alberobello and video with subtitles below:
Use of trulli
Not all such houses are just houses. Some of them have museums. The largest of these museums is called Trullo Sovrano. It was built by the Perth family around the middle of the 18th century. And since then the whole living environment has been preserved in its original form. The cost of visiting the museum is quite symbolic - only 1.5 euros.
Other buildings that have something to offer for inspection by visitors report this with special signs at the entrance. In most cases, these are still souvenir shops, but some still serve as a place of residence for the indigenous population.
One can only be amazed at the skill of those people who can build a house of several rooms with their own hands, with a fireplace without using cement. In addition to trulli museums, the city has trulli workshops, trulli hotels, trulli shops, trulli exhibitions, and even ... trulli temple. About 1400 urban trulli fall on 11 thousand inhabitants. In total, in the vicinity of the city there are almost 20 thousand.
A pleasant feature of the troll houses, especially in very hot weather on the southern coast of Italy, is the internal coolness. At noon, the entire population quickly hides inside, so as not to melt in the scorching sun. For lunch, guests can enjoy trulli restaurants serving local specialties. True, visiting such institutions will not cost as cheap as visiting a museum. For example, restaurant Il Poeta Contadino completely immerses visitors in the atmosphere of the Middle Ages, but the cost of a simple two-course breakfast is approaching 30 euros.
Many tourists create a constant demand for housing, souvenirs and food. Therefore, local residents do not want to part with their trulli business for any money. After all, if in the 16th century such quickly destroyed buildings brought only a headache, today, thanks to tourism, they bring only considerable profit.
Thrull wine store
Tourists who come to Alberobello are also given a unique opportunity to visit the thrull bar vinotheque. Indoors, you can enjoy the coolness, and below, in the wine cellar, you can even feel the cold. But there you can taste the exclusive wine of southern Italy. For one glass of drink they ask for 5 euros. But after the first sip you will understand that it is certainly worth it.
These wines are called "Dolce Naturale". What is the secret here? Up to eight grapes can grow on one branch of a young vine. Moreover, all the power received from the sun and the earth is divided equally into all branches. But the old vine has no more than four clusters, which, according to experts, makes its taste much better. It is customary to harvest the crop not immediately after ripening, but to let it slightly dry under the rays of the southern sun.
Further production of wine from such grapes does not require the addition of sugar. It is already enough in the collected clusters. Therefore, the name appeared that means "natural sweetness" in translation. Wines made using this technology must have a sticker on the bottle. A bottle of such a product costs at least 20 euros. The final price also depends on the yield in each year. After all, old vineyards die over time, and there is no way to replace them with new plantings.
Those who have tasted southern wine are trying to return to Italy in their car in order to be able to bring home a stock of this great product.
In addition to winemaking, other crafts are also well developed in Alberobello. Many workshops are located next to shops in which the products are sold. Friendly sellers are happy to offer a wide range of hand-made products on-site. This and the mentioned wines and liquors, and pasta, and various sweets, and much more. Any souvenir purchased in a trulli shop will remind you of a visit to a small "fabulous" town.
Sights
Alberobello stands on two hills. East occupies a modern city with new architecture. Its main attraction is the temple of Cosmas and Damian, the patrons of the city, in which fragments of their relics are stored. The main street of this part of the city is Avenue Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Passing through the city center, he rests on Piazza del popolo. Along the avenue are many shops and restaurants. And you can admire the beautiful square, sitting in the open air at a table.
The western hill is almost entirely occupied by districts with trulli buildings. One of the most popular among them is Rione monti. About a thousand different trulli are concentrated in it. Going through Via Monte Michele past the commercial city center, you can see the church Chiesa di sant'antoniodating from the 12th century and built in the style of trulli.
A less touristy area is Aia piccola. But it is in him that Alberobello's life appears in the same form as in the Middle Ages.
Around the amazing buildings built more than 400 years ago, there are always crowds of admiring tourists. Guides in various languages tell the story of Alberobello - the trulli of the city. And local sellers invite buyers to buy environmentally friendly products. Almost everything is in demand and quickly sold out.
The domed roofs of houses with pagan symbols printed on them have long been loved by professional photographers. Photos of Alberobello repeatedly adorned the covers of the world's most popular travel magazines. Many show business and cinema stars own trulli homes. Therefore, do not be surprised to meet some celebrity on the street.
How to get there
The nearest village from which you can get to Alberobello is Bari. A train from the train station leaves every hour and costs 5 euros. A train ticket can be booked in advance online, or bought on the spot. The duration of the trip will be 1.5-2 hours. From the arrival station, the city center with its sights can be reached on foot in 15 minutes.
If you plan to get around by car, then it's worth leaving from Bari Airport. In this case, the road itself will take about an hour, and the path will run through Conversano, Locorotondo and Martina Franca. Passing through them, you can at least casually get acquainted with their sights. You can find the most profitable option on the car search site in Italy and Europe.
View Alberobello on a map of Italy
When to come?
The tourist season in Alberobello begins in April and ends at the end of October. At this time, the city hosts numerous music festivals, concerts of famous artists, performances of theater troupes and even poetry evenings. It is worth remembering that, as elsewhere, prices are much higher for the season. Therefore, tourists with a limited budget are best acquainted with the history of trulli in the offseason. This fabulous city is definitely worth it to spend 1-2 nights in it.
Hotels in Alberobello
There are not so many accommodation options in Alberobello, but if you take care of booking for several months you can find a decent option in the range of 80-100 euros. There are only 7 3-star and 8-star 4-star hotels in the city. In addition to hotels, we advise you to pay attention to the villas and apartments. At the booking there is an opportunity to read traveler reviews about hotels. Try to choose a hotel with a rating of at least 7.5, the recommended 8.5-9, and also use the "smart offer" filter.
If you like to enjoy rural landscapes, want to relieve stress, enjoy the "real" taste of organic products, then you certainly need to come to the south of Italy in the municipality of Alberobello. Appreciate the uniqueness of amazing trulli houses, feel the hospitality of local residents, try the quality of national cuisine and get acquainted with the history of this small but very attractive city.
