Alberobello: The capital of the Trulli

One of the unmissable stops in wonderful Puglia is the "capital" of Trulli in Alberobello. The town owes its worldwide fame to these ancient dwellings, which have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

But what is so special about these houses? The answer lies in the past when the landowners forced the peasants who were moving to these areas to build dry dwellings, which were unsafe, though stable. In fact, the trulli are made only of stones, but their round shape and the domed roof made them very resistant, so much so, that they are still quite well-preserved.  

Alberobello is a very cosy and welcoming town in Puglia — easily visited in a day, but mostly on foot. So now, let’s see together some points of interest that one should not miss while here!

Rione Monti is one of the most characteristic and ancient neighbourhoods. This area is very touristy and preserves more than 1000 trulli; these are just the ones that belong to UNESCO! In addition to admiring the typical stone houses, you can also find several stores where local handicrafts or souvenirs are available. You can even check out the interior of the trulli, with their particular and unique furnishings. 

The village Aia Piccola is another very fascinating area of Alberobello. Right here are about 400 trulli — some of these are real, typical hotels — where you can sleep, even just for one night, and have a unique experience. This village, where tourists from all over the world usually stay, owes its name to the act of beating wheat — an ancient activity here. Along with its narrow and characteristic alleys, it is also possible to have a panoramic view of the whole town from the nearby Belvedere di Santa Lucia. 

Several legends hover around the windowless Siamese trulli, characterised by a stepped structure in rock. They have a very interesting particularity: from the outside, they appear like a single house, but in reality, they are two trulli in one, in fact, they have a double dome. There is a double entrance and, internally, they are two trulli separated from each other and connected by a very old door. 

Alberobello has very much to offer besides its typical buildings. For those who want to know the traditional products of the area, Museo dell’Olio (Oil Museum) is dedicated to one of the raw materials par excellence of this territory! Also, a stop at a restaurant-Trullo will certainly serve as a unique experience to taste the regional cuisine!