A treasure chest of history art and culture
Alberobello with its wonderful white trulli, that stand out in the blue sky, is an unmissable destination for those, who are in Apulia on holiday. Alberobello has been declared Unesco Heritage for its ancient beauty and also the ENCI defined it as one of the most beautiful hamlets in Italy, Alberobello is a small town that is worth a visit, street after street.
How was born the History of Capital of Trulli
The characteristic village of Alberobello has a quite old story: its trulli, in fact, date back to XIV century, when the earl of Conversano decided to introduce in this area- initially uninhabited- about forty peasant families, who- successively- have to settle there permanently, merging at the bordering villages. In this way started the story of this hamlet and the birth of its two main quarters: Aia and Monti. The earl, not to pay taxes to the Kingdom of Naples on the new settlements, asks to build houses with dry technique, without using cement, in order to be easily dismantled. It was decided to use the typical white calcium stone, that is present in great quantity in the area of “Itria” Valley, that is in the mid-south of Apulia: in this way trulli were born: a retread of prehistoric thòlos, but that has survived.
Sightseeing in Alberobello
The best way to visit the characteristic centre of Alberobello is by foot, letting yourself be carried away by the beauty of this hamlet, street after street. We suggest you to reach the city center by train or, if you are on a traveling journey along Apulia, you can leave your car at the big parking lot that is right at the beginning of the ZTL: your walk to discover Alberobello starts from here. Two are the main quarters that made up this ancient hamlet: Rione Monti and Rione Aia Piccola, both worth a visit. Rione Monti consists of almost 1030 trulli, all out along the eight main streets, up to the top of the hill: here there is the Church of Sant’Antonio da Padova, that is a trullo, as well. Inside the quarter you will find trulli, most of them designated as bars and shops, where you can spend your time buying souvenirs and local products.
…The Charm continues
Typical of this quarter are the so called Trulli Siamesi, trulli characterized by the fact that they have the roof in common, even if the rest of the structure is made of two separate parts, that overlook on two different streets. Going in Gian Giacomo D’Acquaviva D’Aragona Square you can reach the panoramic viewpoint that offers a breathtaking sight all over the Rione Monti, giving you beautiful images: if you have the chance to visit Alberobello in sunny days, indeed, you will be astonished by the incredible chromatic contrast between the sky and these particular white stone buildings with gray roofs. Once the visit of the Rione Monti finished, also the Rione Aia is worthwhile, because its peculiarity is that all its trulli are inhabited for the major part and without any commercial activities inside them. Through the little streets of the quarter, you will bump into the so-called Trullo Sovrano, that is a two-story trullo, that can be visited paying a small tribute: going upstairs, on the terrace you can enjoy an incredible sight on the roofs of the town.
To complete the visit of Alberobello, a lunch in one of the typical restaurants cannot be missed, to taste the characteristic orecchiette with cime di rapa; instead, if you want to spend the night in town, you can sleep in one of the many trulli belonging to the scattered hotel of the quarter : it will be an incredible experience!
