A restored Trullo in Valle d'Itria in Puglia - Courtesy of our friend Leo at Typuglia
Story book in appearance, admired by tourists, and cherished by Italians, a Trullo, or many Trulli – as they are called, is a type of round, sometime rectangular, house covered by conical roofs, topped with a finial or ball, and are characteristic of the Puglia region of Southern Italy, and most notably found in the small town of Alberobello. Recognized by the World Heritage Committee as having outstanding universal value and prehistoric construction techniques, mortarless trulli are made with local limestone from surrounding fields. Restored and inhabited today, Trulli are an example of Vernacular Architecture – architecture forced from man’s need to provide shelter and comfort using the natural resources available to him. Present dwellings date back to the 14th Century, although there is room for debate, and tradition has it that this type of limestone construction, which could be dismantled easily, served dual purposes. One, citizens resistant to authority could be dispossessed rather quickly, or two, those seeking to avoid taxation on new property, could, well, get rid of the evidence. Wandering around in a trullo, one can certainly appreciate the degree of work and skill in constructing such a hefty building, placing massive stones in an ever-diminishing circle to maintain the top cone. Most trulli are one-story buildings, although you would find two-story trulli during the 17th Century for the rich. Simple inside, and usually whitewashed, a trullo usually consists of a series of rooms separated by arches. Starting out with one trullo, when additional space was required, another trullo was added on to the current. Very clean and open in terms of style, and true of antique buildings in Italy, where very little embellishing is necessary – one wouldn’t want to distract from the overall beauty of a trullo. MADE IN ITALY
