Europe

[Visited: July 2023]

Knowing that the place would be flooded by tourists during the day, I decided to drive to Alberobello at the crack of dawn. The sun is barely above the horizon when I spot my first trullo: the traditional building for which Alberobello (beautiful tree in Italian) is famous. I stop for some pictures, and quickly continue driving. When I arrive, there is only one other car at the parking, and I don't see one person in the street. I arrive unprepared, and am open for surprises. I wonder how I will find the trulli, but this turns out to be easy. I have parked right next to the Rione Monti district where the large majority of trulli can be found. From the Largo Martelotta, the wide street at the bottom of the town, I walk up one street lined on both sides by the wonderful and curious buildings.
When houses were being built in the area, it was decided to build them without using mortar. This would make them easy to demolish in case tax inspectors came by. There is plenty of limestone and karts in the neighbouring areas to be found, and the peasants who started building their houses here found that they could make it by building a conical roof with layers of slabs of stone. This style has survived and is now the major magnet for visitors of Alberobello. I see shops, small restaurants, and pensions - all established in the traditional houses. Everything is closed of course, and there is just enough sunshine to enjoy the view of the trulli and take pictures. There are trulli in different sizes, and I see some which have signs painted on the roofs.
It feels like walking in a fairy tale town, almost unrealistic - until I see a woman come out of her house to water her plants. Slowly, people are waking up, and the district comes to life. I reach the upper part of the Rione Monti, and to wider streets. At the end of it, I even find a church built in trullo style. It is a Sunday, and for a while, I listen to the priest giving a lively and strong sermon. I walk down to the main street again, and then into the modern part of Alberobello. I come to a few streets which also have rows of trulli, and the Trullo Suvrano which is a bigger version of a trullo, housing a museum. Alas, it is still closed, and I walk to a viewpoint which offers the best overview of the Rione Monti district. From here, you overlook a small sea of pinnacled houses, and you realize how many of them there actually are. Tourists start flocking in, following each other through the streets lined by the unique buildings: the daily flow of visitors has started - and it is time to leave and have breakfast.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Personal travel impressions both in words and images from Alberobello (Italy). Clicking on the pictures enlarges them and enables you to send the picture as a free e-card or download it for personal use, for instance, on your weblog. Or click on the map above to visit more places close to Alberobello.
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Alberobello > Italy > Europe

[Visited: July 2023]

Around the World in 80 Clicks

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