Grand Tour of Italy: The Alberobello Trulli Houses

Little by little, I'm showing the highlights of our 19-day trip!  I can't tell you on any given day what the biggest highlight was of them all, but this is definitely one of them.

I always want to know where a place is, so there it is, Alberobello, 55 km south of Bari.

Alberobello is a small town, a comune of Bari, with a population of ca. 11K.

It's best known for its famous trullo buildings made of dry stone (no cement), with conical roofs,

dating back to the 14th century and designed for the countryside.

This was my first view that day.

[I say "my" because Astrid took a me-day and stayed back at the hotel area in Bari.]

The first houses I saw up close were not whitewashed (top-right and center two).

But as you will soon see, all the others were.

Within Alberobello are dense concentrations of trulli houses,

sometimes viewed at the edges of the larger town.

But once inside a trulli community, you're in a different world.

[As you see, one of the houses is not exactly whitewashed (bottom-left).]

But you get the feel of how close-knit this community is.

Don't you love how they accessorize the nooks and crannies!

Some of the houses are even available for rent, if you fancy the venture.

You've surely noticed that it was a rainy day.

No gutters anywhere to be seen...unless you call that a gutter (bottom-right)?!

Nor were the streets in good repair but there were drains here-n-there.

Lucky for us, there was a "model home" to visit inside.

These houses were originally built as shelters for the poor, agricultural laborers, we were told.

I suppose today some are quite posh inside?

There's even a shopping area for the tourists (and inhabitants?) with restaurants.

Don't you wonder how these towns survive when there are no/few tourists?

Did you notice the symbols on some of the roofs in the shopping district?

They're of religious, astrological and/or mystical significance, meant to protect the inhabitants.

A sign directs us to the only trullo church in town...

...the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua, opened on June 13 (my birthday!), 1927.

As you see, it's built in the same style as the trulli houses. 

Just earlier I had caught a glimpse of this married couple on the street, 

and wondered if they were married in that church?  

Down a side street one is soon brought back to...

...the real world.

Did I mention that the trulli houses of Alberobello

were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996?!

No wonder because once you see them you'll never forget them.