Have you ever visited Alberobello in Puglia, Italy? Alberobello is notoriously known as the “capital of the Trulli”, a typical construction of the Valle d’Itria. The Apulian municipality, in the metropolitan city of Bari, is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Puglia. The city has been a World Heritage Site since 1996.
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Visit Alberobello
Is Alberobello worth visiting? Yes, Alberobello is one of the most beautiful places in Puglia, in southern Italy, and its characteristic trulli fascinate millions of tourists every year.
Alberobello Things To Do
Venturing among the trulli of Alberobello, among uphill streets and small businesses, is a surprising experience that few places can give you. Immersed between the Valle d’Itria and the heights of the Murgia, the Capital of the Trulli (so defined as the only inhabited center in which there is an entire district of trulli) is characterized by the typical houses with tapered roofs.
The city received the title of World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. Commercial activities of all kinds and restaurants offering typical dishes of the Apulian tradition, make Alberobello the most popular stop in the Puglia region for tourists from all over the world.
Trulli of Alberobello
Trulli were (and sometimes are) homes in Alberobello. The history of these very particular buildings is linked to the pragmatic de Baronibus, an edict of the Kingdom of Naples from the 15th century which subjected every new urban settlement to a tribute.
The counts of Conversano, the Acquaviva d’Aragona owners of the territory imposed on the peasants sent to these lands for reclamation and cultivation of the new lands to build dry, without using mortar, their homes, so that they could be configured as buildings precarious and not to dwellings belonging to a permanent urban settlement, in order to exempt it from the tax.
Therefore having to use only stones, the peasants found the best solution in the round or square shape with a false dome roof, composed of overlapping stone circles. Roofs are embellished with decorative pinnacles, which, according to many, represented the signature of the master trullaro who had built (or restored) the trullo, whose shape is inspired by symbolic, mystical and religious or profane elements. The laying of the pinnacle was a moment of celebration; the body, in brilliant white, creates a contrast with the roof, made of local gray stone.
The Best of Alberobello
Main attractions of Alberobello are obviously the trulli, the typical houses with a conical roof. With the passing of the centuries and the construction of modern areas of the city, the trulli can now be visited in two ancient quarters. The two districts of the ancient part of Alberobello, the Rione Monte and the Rione Aia Piccola, are the ones to visit absolutely. Most of the Trulli are concentrated in them.
In the heart of Rione Monti you can find a pair of trulli with a singular shape, the Trulli Siamesi, they seem to be a single housing structure, but in reality they are clearly divided.
The so-called Trullo Sovrano, now used as a museum, was built around 1797 on behalf of the family of the very wealthy priest Cataldo Perta, and was originally called Corte di Papa Cataldo. It is the brightest representation of what is the construction technique of the trullo, in fact, although it falls within the imposed construction canons, it is the only trullo to develop on two floors.
How to get to Alberobello
To reach Alberobello from Bari, you’ll need to take the bus or the train from Bari Centrale station. The easiest places to access Alberobello from by train are the neighbouring pretty towns of Martina Franca and Locorotondo which have regular trains, and take 10 – 20 minutes. There is a direct bus from Bari to Alberobello. This departs regularly from a station within the new town.
Check trains here on the official Trenitalia website.
Alberobello, Italy weather
Discover Locorotondo and Valle d’Itria
The most famous city near Alberobello it’s Locorotondo. Awarded the title of the most beautiful Christmas city by the New York Times, Locorotondo is famous for its festive decorations, not only in the month of December, but also for other holidays such as Valentine’s Day. In the heart of the Valle d’Itria, Locorotondo is a small village that you absolutely must visit.
Valle d’Itria is an area in the heart of Puglia between the provinces of Bari, Brindisi and Taranto also known as Murgia dei Trulli, in the southern part of the Murge and north of the Upper Salento. It is a land that is still authentic, of very ancient traditions and with a strong bond with the natural environment. Its villages are among the most beautiful and characteristic in Italy. Alberobello, Locorotondo, Cisternino and many more are very popular.
Where to go to the beach near Alberobello
Alberobello is located in the Apulian hinterland, so it doesn’t overlook the sea. The closest beach is about 25 km from Alberobello and is that of the coast of Monopoli. Among the most beautiful beaches are those of the Nature Reserve and Coastal Dune of Torre Canne and Savelletri, and the beaches of Polignano a Mare which is located 28 km north of Alberobello.
Best places to visit near Alberobello
