A few months ago, I heard for the first time about the “trulli” of Alberobello, in the Puglia region at “the heel of the boot” of Italy. After my initial glance at images, I knew that the town had to be added to the itinerary of my South Italy Tour. The trulli are a photographer and artist’s dream with their distinctive conical stone rooftops, whitewashed walls and occasional, broad-painted symbols.

Alberobello became the star on my list of destinations, following Palermo, Taormina, Cefalú, Catanzaro Lido and Lecce. I had traveled by train across the south of Italy, and arrived at the station in Bari, on the Adriatic coast. I then transferred to a “pullman” regional bus, and took a zig-zag ride through the countryside toward Alberobello, stopping at intriguing little towns along the way. The closer we got, the more trulli I saw. There’d be an abandoned trullo, solitary amidst olive trees and half-fallen, and clusters of trulli, adopted, maintained and fully-functioning.

I arrived in town, dropped my bags and started walking, camera-in-hand. All I wanted was one, quintessential shot, though I shot over 500 in my two days there. On my first afternoon, the sky was gray and the light was flat. Rain was forecast. Oh no! The next morning, I had set the alarm for 7:00, awoke to sunshine and set off through the still-vacant streets. The sky was brilliant blue and the buildings stark white. Oh yes! The light changed all day and we did have a spot of rain. The stormy, remnant sky provided beautiful texture with the stone.

Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has integrated its trulli with more contemporary structures, and therefore, has its contrasts: rounded, organic stone walls set against baroque cathedral spires, power lines and apartment buildings. As with any of the world’s favorite places that are “loved too much”, there are the main routes through town, lined with vendors selling tailor-made souvenirs and making a euro off the tourists, small compensation for the inundation they suffer. But I didn’t encounter any disdain or indifference from the shop-owners and local folks. Instead, I met some very dear people of Alberobello, open-hearted, kind and generous.

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From Wikipedia’s entry:

“A trullo (plural, trulli) is a traditional Apulian stone dwelling with a conical roof. The style of construction is specific to Itria Valley, in the Murge area of the Italian region of Apulia. Trulli were generally constructed as dwellings or storehouses. Traditionally they were built without any cement or mortar, thus avoiding taxation.

“The roofs are constructed in two layers: an inner layer of limestone boulders, capped by a keystone, and an outer layer of limestone slabs ensuring that the structure is watertight. Originally, the conical structure would have been built directly on the ground, but most of the surviving structures are based on perimeter walls. In Alberobello atop a trullo’s cone there is normally a pinnacle, that may be one of many designs, chosen for symbolism. Additionally, the cone itself may have a symbol painted on it.

“The walls are very thick, providing a cool environment in hot weather and insulating against the cold in the winter. The vast majority of trulli have one room under each conical roof: a multiroomed trullo house has many cones representing a room each.

“There are many theories behind the origin of the design. One of the more popular theories is that due to high taxation on property the people of Puglia created dry wall constructions so that they could be dismantled when inspectors were in the area.

“…Anyone wishing to restore a trullo needs to conform with many regulations as trulli are protected under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world heritage law.”

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