The Trulli of Alberobello (Alberobello (Puglia))

Member Name: aoife74

Product:	Alberobello (Puglia)
Date:	04/05/06 (1148 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An amazing culture lesson

Disadvantages: Hard to take a photo in some places without a tv aerial

I went to Alberobello in Apulia (Puglia in Italian) last summer. It is extremely beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it. This unusual town has a district full of Trulli.
I hear you ask: What are Trulli? A Trullo is a little circular house with a conical roof. The amazing thing is that these Trulli are built without mortar.

In the 16th century the local rulers allowed the farmers to build these unusual constructions, but without mortar so that they could be knocked down quickly if there were inspections by the king’s agents. The idea was to avoid paying the extremely heavy tax if it were to become an urban centre. So it’s incredible to imagine that every time they thought the taxman was around the corner they knocked their houses down!

In the 18th century the poor sods were well and truly sick of building, knocking down, building, knocking down. So a group of them got up the courage and went to visit King Ferdinand IV to plead their case. The king was actually very understanding and declared Alberobello a free town. Finally they didn’t have to knock their houses down anymore.
In 1996 Alberobello came under the protection of U.N.E.S.C.O.

Alberobello is divided in two – Aia Piccola and Monti. It’s a strange mixture of old and new.

In Aia Piccola you can see the modern part of the town which is mainly apartment blocks, shops and offices and to one side there are about 400 Trulli!

The Monti side is full of Trulli – about 1,500 – completely jam-packed! It’s truly amazing to look at from a distance – hundreds and hundreds of conical roofs. Some of the Trulli even have symbols painted in white on their roofs.
On the top of each roof is a cap stone. Some are simply triangles, some are spheres and some are more elaborate. Apparently the more elaborate these cap stones were, the richer the family. The families who lived in these houses were very poor and this was their way of showing they had a bit of money!
The houses inside are tiny and they housed whole families AND the animals if they were rich enough to have them. Now people have joined several Trulli together to form a bigger abode. If you go to see the Trulli on the Monti side you’ll find that most are little shops selling everything from miniature Trulli to local bread. There’s no problem with going in just to look at the interiors, in fact, the owners stand outside and encourage you to come in and look at an original Trullo in the hopes that you’ll buy something (they can be a bit pushy sometimes but don't let them force you into buying something you don't want - have a look around first). We went into almost every single Trullo that we passed (& we didn't buy anything)!
The Aia Piccola is well worth seeing too as there are no shops and if you want to see the trulli in peace it’s perfect. It consists of 400 trulli on just eight narrow, windy streets.

NOT TO BE MISSED:
The Trulli Sovrano in Piazza Sacramento – the only two-storey Trullo;
Sant’Antonio – the Trullo Chruch, very simple and very unique;
The Trullo Siamese – a large double trullo without windows which, as the story goes, belonged to two brothers who had fallen in love with the same girl, she was promised to the older but became involved with the younger, the older kicked the 2 lovers out, the younger reclaimed his half of the house which was thus divided, the older put in another door so he wouldn’t have to use the same on as them;
The museum on the Aia Piccola side is worth visiting as they show exactly how life was in the Trulli, the also have a fantastic miniature reconstruction of a trulli village.

Alberobello is very suggestive and well worth visit. Italy is very hot in July and August – it ranges from 30°C to 40°C. August is very busy – not recommended. June or September are the best months – not many tourists but still reasonably hot.

To see some photos go to: http://www.paesionline.it/foto_lista_comuni_catego rie.asp?com=Alberobello&cat1=
the quality isn’t out of this world but it gives you an idea of what it’s like

HOW TO GET TO ALBEROBELLO
By plane:
- Bari Palese airport (among air companies that fly there are Ryanair, AirOne, Alitalia, British Airways, Lufthansa, AdaAir)
There is a bus which will bring you into Bari & from Bari the best is to get a train - Italian trains are well-known for not being efficient so leave yourself time. Trains are NOT expensive.
By car:
You can also rent a car at Bari airport, among others you'll find Avis & Hertz. I would advise renting a car as you're much more flexible & there's so much to see.
- to get to Alberobello head south. There will be signposts so don't worry - on the motorway Alberobello will be the exit for Gioia del Colle.

WHERE TO SLEEP
I would advise staying in an "agriturismo" - they're family run Italian vineyards/farms that often offer accomodation and the best is the food - very local. If you want a true taste of Italy this is the best way. They're also cheaper than hotels, more beautiful and more genuine. Prices can vary greatly and change every year but generally from €25-45 per person per night depending on when you go and if you want bed & breakfast, half board or full board. Be careful not all have a restaurant but most do.
All I can about hotels in Italy is that they are often expensive enough and not always up to scratch - talking from experience. Prices vary from €50-150 per person depending on what you're looking for.

There's also a campsite just outside Alberobello with a swimming pool and bar. Bathrooms aren't that great though. Again prices vary depending on when, tent size and how long you stay but are from about €9+ per person.

If you would like to rent a Trullo for a holiday try any of the following sites: http://www.trullinet.com/clienti/trulliforrent/
http://alberobello.trullitour.com/english/home.ht m
http://www.trullocasarosa.it/ENG/trullipuglia.HTM

WHERE TO EAT
To start with eating out in Italy is a lot cheaper than Ireland or the UK.
Eat in agriturismos if you can, I would swear by them. Watch out though - they usually overload you with food. A real agriturismo has a set menu with a variety of different things and their own wine. Prices vary from €15-25 p.p.
If you can, go to restaurants recommended by locals - we found that the trick was to ask them where they go to eat. Prices vary from €25-anything p.p.

INTERESTING EVENTS
19-27 July - Jazz Festival
5-8 August - International Folklore Festival

NOTE
It's hard to give exact prices as they vary hugely depending on when you go and where you go. But it's safe to say that accommodation and eating out are definitely cheaper than either Ireland or the UK. Be careful in bars and small shops in the centre as that's where you can pay through your teeth. In a bar in Italy the standard average price of an espresso coffee is €0.70-0.95, a panino is €2.20-3.50 and a coke/fanta is €1.80-2.50. Using these as guidlines you should be able to figure out if the price is good or not.

Summary: Alberobello is full of surprises. If you plan a trip to Apulia, Italy you can't not go there.