The main reason for my trip to Puglia in early January was to see the strange, cone-shaped roofs of trulli dwellings. There are over a thousand trulli in Alberobello and to my delight, I saw many rural trulli along the way to this Unesco World Heritage Site.
A trullo is built of dry stone which is an age old construction technique practiced in the Mediterranean region. It is an example of "vernacular" architecture, where materials are sourced locally and traditional building methods are used. The conical roof is made from limestone slabs and many are marked in white ash with religious or mythological symbols. A pinnacolo sits atop the cone, like a chess piece. This could be a cross or a ball or a disk or some other design and are supposed to ward off evil spirits.
It was interesting to see many doors hidden behind a mesh curtain.
The Church of Saint Anthony of Padua blends in with its surroundings.
Red and white cyclamen brighten the whitewashed walls of these trulli houses.
Here is a trullo in a state of disrepair. It gives a good idea of how the slabs are laid on the roof. Notice the low clearance doors.
Here is an example of the seamless roof construction taken from the back of the building.
The trulli are truly extraordinary and well worth the visit across the Atlantic.
How to get there:
Take the local train from Bari Centrale for the hour's journey to Alberobello. The fare was 2.90 euros each way in January 2018. The train stops at many small towns along the way. The cluster of trulli is a few minutes walk from the train station.
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Images by TravelswithCharie