PUGLIA: VALLE D’ITRIA, LAND OF TRULLI

In December we spent our winter holidays in Puglia, one of our favorite regions in Italy. This region is not only famous for its picturesque towns and villages and its local cuisine, but also for its ‘trulli’, typical stone structures that are mostly found in the Itria Valley or Valle’Itria.

What is a ‘Trullo’?

A ‘trullo‘ (the plural form is ‘trulli’) is a dry-stone circular dwelling with a conical roof. The walls are often whitewashed, while the roofs are dark grey. Many of them are decorated with white mystical signs on the roof tiles or symbolic sandstone pinnacles on the top of the roof.  Trulli are sometimes combined in a complex of communicating houses, all of different shape and size.

Archeological studies have confirmed that tribes from the Middle East settled, in prehistoric times, in this region. They used to erect tombs to bury their dead and ‘specchie’ (tower-like mounds of stone) to shelter from bad weather. The trullo must be considered a direct derivation of these constructions. By the way, the word ‘trullo’ is believed to have originated from the Greek word ‘tholos’, which referred to a dome-shaped structure.

As time progressed, trulli evolved from simple one-room huts into more complex multi-room dwellings. As a unique cultural heritage, they have now become symbols of Puglia’s rural landscapes. Many of them have been restored as holiday homes, which have become very popular among foreign tourists.

The History of the Trulli

Are you curious why trulli only occur in this part of Puglia? Well, in the 15^th and 16^th century, the Kingdom of Naples, to which Puglia belonged in those days, imposed heavy taxes.

That is why the Counts of Conversano, who ruled in this area, came up with an ingenious plan. They obliged all residents of the area to build their huts using dry stone techniques that allowed them to easily dismantle them when tax inspectors were nearby, thus evading taxation on a permanent home.

Another version of the tax evasion story involves the use of smoke signals. It is believed that trulli were equipped with chimneys that allowed inhabitants to signal each other about the approach of tax collectors. When danger was near, residents would quickly remove the roofs to hide their homes from view.

Itria Valley

The Valle d’Itria, located in the heart of Puglia, owes its fame to the countless, enchanting ‘trulli’ that you can find there. In total, there are around five thousand trulli in this part of Puglia, the oldest of which date back to the 15^th century.

The largest concentration of trulli can be found in the ‘capital’ of the valley, Alberobello, where the old town consists of winding streets flanked by almost a thousand traditional trulli. Since 1996, all the trulli in Alberobello that have withstood the test of time have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Visiting Alberobello, I was fascinated by the symbols and signs on the roofs of trulli. Some of them seemed to have a religious background (cross), but I also saw drawings of horoscope and pagan symbols, which represented animals and human motifs connected with superstition. They used to be put on the cones for protection.

Beautiful to see, but to be honest, Alberobello is full of tourists and it is much more fun to spot ‘trulli in the wild’, in the countryside of the Itria Valley. The landscape here is a patchwork of trulli, olive groves, vineyards and walls of stacked stones called ‘muri a secco’ (made of stones stacked on top of each other, without cement), which have also been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The stone walls are a reference to an old tradition, in which the land was bordered by these stacked stones. The fact that the walls are still standing in many places proves that this stacking technique is at least as strong as a constructed brick wall. Much more beautiful too, because the stone walls give the Puglia landscape a unique look. It was also better for the land, because stones from the soil of fields, vineyards and olive groves were used to build the walls. By the way, you can see the same dry stone walls everywhere in Montenegro – unfortunately, they are not listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list…

In the countryside around Locorotondo, Cisternino and Ostuni you can spot a lot of trulli or ‘casedde’ as they are called in local dialect. Their pointed roofs pop up everywhere in a landscape that is characterized by ‘muri a secco’, olive groves and vineyards. Because of their characteristic pointed roofs, you can’t miss them when you make a tour through this part of Puglia. Certainly not if you visit the ‘contrada’s’ (hamlets) around Locorotondo. Locorotondo has more than a hundred of these small residential areas.

During our road trip through Puglia, we went in search of the most beautiful contrada’s, driving along quiet country roads, almost always closed in by grey dry stone walls. Many of these roads were very narrow and winding, often single-lane or single-track, which made driving quite a challenge.

But it was a perfect tour to discover authentic sleepy hamlets where life seemed to have stood still. It was surprising to see that each contrada has its own character, although they all consist of trulli clusters, some inhabited and others abandoned. The landscape with rolling hills, olive groves and vineyards creates a serene backdrop for these iconic structures and enhances the magical atmosphere of the contrada’s.

Travelling abroad, we always try to discover less-known, non-touristy places that offer unique experiences. If you are interested in visiting an authentic, original part of Puglia, make a road trip through the contrada’s of the Itria Valley! Of course, the area also offers numerous walking and cycling paths that allow visitors to immerse themselves in the natural and cultural beauty of this area.