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.
What a wonderful post this is, Ginnie. And yes I had seen all of your pictures after you came home and I was impressed with them. What a unique place to visit. You did a great job making this a wonderful overview of how people live in that part of town. You were fast on you feet with the married couple, love it. I like the last picture that shows the other part of town with "normal" houses. A wonderful day out for you, too bad of the rain, but that did not keep you from taking pictures and making this post. IHVJ
ReplyDeleteI especially liked that you were able to have your own blissful day back in Bari, Astrid, which meant we both could appreciate each other's photos. That ended up being a win-win for us both. Bedankt.
DeleteHow unique and so beautifully captured. I knew there would be at least one church in there!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marie, and YES on the church. HA!
Deletei looove those houses, seems very italian to me! and what a great find to see the newly married couple rushing off to.. well you know haha... thanks for the tour!
ReplyDeleteHA! The wedding couple was definitely the cherry on top of this day, Elaine. :) Thanks.
DeleteAmazing! I never knew. What struck me was how empty the streets were until the tourist pictures. I thought maybe it was inhabited by Smurfs.
ReplyDeleteI never knew of this place either, Ted, before our trip. Makes you wonder about all the other UNESCO sites around the world that would be equally incredible to see! I think we were early enough to avoid too many visitors that day, but the rain helped. Smurfs and Hobbits would LOVE living there. :)
DeleteThese houses remind me of the fairy chimneys in Turkey where people carved out dwellings to escape the powers that be. Also, my Indian friend Rauf shows similar houses in India where people carve out shelves and nooks decoratively. It's a fascinating architectural phenomenon. Thank you for documenting it for us!
ReplyDelete