Those lucky enough to tour Apulia cannot help but notice the presence of stone buildings with very distinctive roofs. These are the famous trulli, whose name comes from the Greek word trullos, meaning dome.

It is a building type from the conical shape, made of dry stone typical of central and southern Apulia. Trulli were generally erected to serve as temporary country shelters or as permanent homes for farmers.

Most of the trulli are concentrated in the municipality of Alberobello, in the province of Bari. Buildings of this type are an evolution of the archaic Greek model of the tholos, already found in many areas of Italy and the Mediterranean.

Despite what one might think, there are no particularly ancient trulli. In fact, the oldest ones date back to the late 17th century, distributed mainly in the Murge Plateau. These curious structures with pointed roofs have been declared World Heritage Sites by theUNESCO 1996.

History and origins of the trulli

Until 1870 trulli were not the subject of study and research. It was not until the mid-19th century that the first research was initiated and the first theories about their origin and construction were formulated. Most studies focused on the main core of Alberobello.

In the shape of the trullo, however, one can glimpse the traditional pattern of the tholos tomb of the Treasure of Atreus from the Mycenaean culture, dating to the period between 1500 and 1250 BCE. Although an indigenous origin cannot be completely ruled out, scholars agree that the architecture of the trullo comes from the Near East. Phoenician, Messapian and Pelasgic peoples in prehistoric times colonized Apulia, building megalithic (dolmen and menhirs) and microlithic (trulli and specchie) monuments.

To date, however, there is no clear evidence of millennia-old trulli, and the oldest ones have the simple shape of country trulli erected on a limestone subsoil composed of thin layers on the surface. They were therefore built by shepherds and farmers with local stones, perhaps from nearby farms.

The trullo consisted of a single compartment and was used as a temporary dwelling or storage for tools. Over time then the form developed, expanding to include other smaller rooms. The spread of trulli is mainly due to the splitting up of feudal estates, which resulted in scattered settlement in the countryside and the exploitation of previously uncultivated agricultural areas.

The area on which the center of Alberobello stands, home to as many as 1,500 trulli, was a fief of the Caracciolo dukes of Martina Franca, later passing into the hands of the Acquaviva counts of Conversano. The Alberobello forest was reclaimed and urbanized by Count Giangirolamo II of Acquaviva known as the Guercio of Apulia.

The village he built remained for decades a squatter settlement over which the local lords could claim any rights and claims. Only in 1797 was Alberobello freed from the feudal system thanks to the King of Naples Ferdinand IV. In September 1910 the town became a national monument.

Where to find trulli in Apulia

If you're wondering where to admire trulli in Puglia, it's quickly said. In fact, the largest number of these distinctive buildings are concentrated in the Murge Plateau, the karst subregion that lies between central Apulia and northeastern Basilicata.

Due to the calcareous nature of their soils, the Murge have been the ideal territory in which to build trulli, which are mainly concentrated in the Itria Valley. Specifically, the town of Alberobello has an entire neighborhood composed of trulli that corresponds to its historic center. Because of this, the town is considered the "capital of trulli."  

Until the 1950s, the small town of Villa Castelli, near Brindisi, also consisted mostly of trulli, almost all of which were demolished in the following decade. Other areas that accommodate examples of trulli are the rural areas of Alberobello's neighboring municipalities such as Conversano, Putignano, Monopoli and Castellana Grotte.

Other trulli can be found in the municipalities of the province of Toast, including Ostuni, Fasano, Ceglie Messapica and San Michele Salentino. Another large area rich in trulli in Apulia is the province of Taranto, especially in the municipalities of Manduria, Sava, Avetrana, Maruggio, Torricella and Lizzano. Here the trulli have a slightly different geometric shape and are called truddi or trodduri.