The origins of the trulli
The Italian word trullo derives from a dialect term, truddu, referring to a rural construction covered with a drystone vault. The term itself seems to derive from the Greek troulos , meaning "dome".
Legend has it that trulli date back to the 17th century. The local lord, Count of Conversano Giangirolamo Acquaviva, is said to have circumvented a royal decree forbidding him to found a new settlement. He authorized the peasants who worked his land to build dwellings, on condition that they were built without the use of mortar: in this way, they could be easily dismantled in the event of a royal inspection. This is how the first trulli came into being. However, there are no historical documents to support this story.
Instead, the origin of trulli can be traced back to the ancestral technique of dry-stone construction found all around the Mediterranean. Dry-stone walls were used by peasants to demarcate plots of land, create earthworks, protect dwellings and, later, build precarious stables for animals. The geological context of this part of Puglia must also be taken into account: the Murge form a karstic plateau shaped by rainwater that infiltrates the cracks in the limestone to form ravines, caves and sinkholes. Everywhere, limestone outcrops on the surface and is a readily available, low-cost building material.
Trulli first appeared as temporary shelters for farm workers at harvest or grape-picking time. Apart from the Murge, trulli can be found scattered throughout the countryside of Gargano, Salento and the Bari area, which must have been occupied on a seasonal basis. The Murge trulli are different in that they are permanently inhabited and even form agglomerations. However, this is a fairly recent phenomenon, only developing in the 18th century, and increasing in the 19th century with the revival of agriculture in the region (particularly viticulture), leading to a movement of people from the town to the countryside. Hamlets of trulli expanded to form villages, giving rise to the towns of Alberobello and Locorotondo.
The construction of a trullo
The trullaro is the mason who specializes in building trulli. The first step is to dig the cistern, an essential element of daily life in a water-poor region. Its excavation yields an initial quantity of stone. The rock is then exposed on the surface corresponding to the future dwelling, and the outer walls are erected to a height of between 1.60 and 2 metres, following a circular or square plan. Finally comes the most delicate operation of all: the roofing of the building. The vault is corbelled: each circular course of stones protrudes from the lower course, so that the central space is progressively reduced all the way to the top. The result is the conical roof so characteristic of the Murgia trullo . The flat stones of the outer roof, known as chiancarelle, slope slightly outwards to prevent water infiltration and channel rainwater through a pipe to the house cistern. The inner and outer walls of trulli are often plastered with mortar and whitewashed; only the conical roof retains its exposed stonework, providing a beautiful contrast of gray with the white walls. The trullo is usually enlarged by the addition of extensions, also covered by a conical roof.
Pinnacles and symbols
The pointed roofs of the trulli are topped with sculpted, whitewashed pinnacles. These come in a variety of geometric shapes, from the most basic to the most elaborate: disc, star, bowl, polyhedron, sphere topped by a cross... For some, these are decorative elements, but others have attempted to propose various interpretations: it could be the signature of the trullaro master who built the building, the complexity of the pinnacle indicating the craftsman's degree of skill. Or perhaps a more elaborate pinnacle is the mark of the social and economic prestige of the trullo's owners.
Gray stone roofs are often decorated with a whitewashed symbol: religious or pagan, these signs express a wish or protection against the evil eye. They have been classified into several typologies: Christian symbols (the cross, the radiating host with the monogram of Christ - IHS - , a trident symbolizing the trinity, the circle divided into four quarters with the initials of St. Como and St. Damian, the patron saints of Alberobello), Hebraic symbols (the Star of David, the seven-branched menorah), magical symbols, signs of the zodiac... Initials may refer to the name of the trullo's first owner, while certain symbols refer to his activity (work implements: pickaxe, scythe, hammer) or to what he produced (bunch of grapes, ear of wheat).
Discovering the trulli
The Itria valley, south of the Murge plateau, is the area with the most trulli. You'll discover them as you wander through the countryside between Alberobello, Locorotondo, Cisternino and Martina Franca, abandoned and partly collapsed, or rehabilitated as tool sheds or animal shelters, amid olive groves, meadows and vegetable gardens. Some have been converted into modern dwellings and holiday cottages.
Alberobello is a must-see because of the number and concentration of its trulli. They are grouped in the two districts of Rione Monti, the oldest and densest, and Rione Aia Piccola. To visit Trullo Sovrano, the largest trullo in the area, which even has a second floor, you have to cross the modern city. Inside, the original layout has been reconstructed, with a number of didactic panels and a range of cooking and working utensils evoking peasant life and traditions.
Perched on a hill, the municipality of Locorotondo also boasts a large number of trulli, grouped together in a district, but also scattered throughout its territory.
Finally, why not experience life in a trullo? From apartments to luxury hotels and charming bed-and-breakfasts, there's a wide range of accommodation options, allowing you to sleep under the corbels without sacrificing modern comforts. You'll find great addresses in Alberobello (Charming Trulli, Trulli e Puglia, Le Alcove, La Chiusa di Chietri), Locorotondo (Masseria Aprile, Relais Il Palmento), Putignano (Trulli Terra Magica) and Cisternino (Le Case di Serena).
