Trulli, madly, deeply

These little white houses with their odd conical roofs have been here for centuries but have some surprisingly innovative design elements.

Written by Michael Turtle

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle. A journalist for more than 20 years, he's been travelling the world since 2011.

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle and has been travelling full time for a decade.

Updated:

Trulli of Alberobello, Puglia, Italy

The small little white structures dot the hillside, their conical stone roofs rising up above them. From a distance, looking across to the community of buildings, they seem like a mountain range spotted from the air. Rising ragged but with a system, they could be the Andes or the Alps.

Trulli of Alberobello, Puglia, Italy

But these odd shapes are the work of man, not nature. They are called trulli (the plural of trullo), and they are the traditional residences of the town of Alberobello, here in the Italian region of Puglia.

Trulli of Alberobello, Puglia, Italy
Trulli of Alberobello, Puglia, Italy

The trulli houses

It was in the 1500s that the first of these trulli were built on this land. Archaeological evidence suggests there were only about 40 then but within a couple of centuries there were more than 3,500.

It made sense that people so long ago would build houses like this – there was readily available limestone nearby and it could be used to quickly construct these structures. Although they are simple and look primitive, they are actually quite clever.

There are two layers for the walls, to provide insulation; the roof has a gutter system that collects rainwater; and fireplaces and ovens could easily be made within the walls in a way that was safe.

Trulli of Alberobello, Puglia, Italy
Trulli of Alberobello, Puglia, Italy

And that’s why, even today, they remain. It seems odd at first that anyone would want to live in such a basic stone hut when there are such modern alternatives available but most of them are occupied in some manner.

This is not a historic site, not a walk through remnants of a long last past. No, this is still very much a part of the local culture.

This local culture, however, is supported these days mainly by tourism.

The trulli in Puglia

Puglia generally is less touristy than its northern Italian counterparts like Tuscany or Emilia-Romagna but certain sites within the region are becoming ‘must-sees’ for those who do visit. The tour buses of foreigners have pretty much all included Alberobello and its trulli in their itineraries.

Trulli of Alberobello, Puglia, Italy
Trulli of Alberobello, Puglia, Italy

So the narrow paths between the houses are now full of visitors either walking with camera in hand or posing in a doorway. Many of the occupants of the trulli along the most popular paths have turned the buildings into shops or restaurants.

To get the most out of your visit, I would recommend using a local guide and this 2-hour tour is great! Another option is to do this local food tour, where you’ll see the buildings and get to taste some local delicacies!

Thankfully most of the offerings in the craft shops are quite nice and tasteful and the restaurants mainly offer authentic and reasonably priced meals. You can’t blame the locals for wanting to take advantage of the influx of tourists but they don’t appear to have sacrificed the heritage in the process.

Trulli of Alberobello, Puglia, Italy

Alberobello, Puglia

I would be curious to know how much of the business they do in their trulli is declared to the taxman. I say that not because I am concerned about the book-keeping of Italians, but because of one of the more interesting aspects of why this type of structure was popular originally.

They are quite simple buildings to erect because the building process involves no cement – just placing rocks on top of each other. That means they are also quite easy to dismantle.

Centuries ago, when the tax collector was coming from Naples to gather his dues from the locals, they all just took down their houses and so didn’t need to pay anything.

Trulli of Alberobello, Puglia, Italy
Trulli of Alberobello, Puglia, Italy

Visiting the trulli

Anyway… there are two main communities in Alberobello where you can see trulli and they are both very close to each other.

The first is called Monti and this is the larger of the two and also the more picturesque. However, this means it is the most popular with tourists and it’s where most of the organised groups are taken.

On another hill on the other side of the main road, is Aja Piccola. The area is slightly smaller but very few of the structures have been turned into shops or restaurants.

Trulli of Alberobello, Puglia, Italy

Walking through this area, you’ll hardly see any tourists and you’ll be able to get a much better feel for what this kind of community feels like for the locals.

A guided tour will also help you appreciate the trulli and show you some local insights. If you’re interested, I would recommend one of the following options:

It is worth visiting both areas and they are just a few minutes walk from each other. I’m not really sure why most people only go to Monti but let’s not complain. It leaves Aja Piccola for the rest of us!

Also, you might want to consider a very special experience and sleep in one of the trulli overnight. If you’re interested in staying in a trulli at Alberobello, I have some suggestions for you here:

THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN ALBEROBELLO

It’s great that you can stay in a trulli – and there’s a bit of a range to choose from too.

BUDGET

For an authentic stay at a budget price, Lunalì is one of the best options.

BUDGET

Another option at a reasonable price is Trullieu Guesthouse.

BOUTIQUE

If you like the idea of a historic mansion, Palazzo Scotto could be the place for you.

LUXURY

And for a special luxurious experience, have a look at Trulli Resort.

UNESCO logo

This site is on the UNESCO World Heritage List!
I'm on a mission to visit as many World Heritage Sites as I can. Only about 800 more to go... eek!

17 thoughts on “Trulli, madly, deeply”

  1. Hi Michael,

    I enjoyed reading your blogs. You made me smile and can’t wait to read more of your travel experiences especially your photos.

    Your photos are all awesome and exciting! They are memories to last you a lifetime. The places you have been to and are going to see need not be forgotten.

    I discovered an awesome website that lets you share pictures and helps you remember specific locations you’ve traveled to.

    Have you ever taken photos on a trip only to get home and not be able to remember where you took “that” shot?

    http://www.Trailu.com is your Travel log, Travel Diary or travel Companion.

    As long as your phone or camera is set as “GEO Tagging” or “Location Tagging” to ON, the GPS data of exactly where you took the photo will be decrypted from your photo and #Trailu.com will place your photo on your very own personal travel log map of the world so you can quickly and easily see every photo you’ve taken and exactly where it was taken.

    Just yesterday I was talking to my #travel buddy that I do a “blokes Trip” with once a year and I was looking at a photo that I swore was taken in Da Nang in Central Vietnam – But when i uploaded it, the GPS data said it was taken in Southern Vietnam and then I compared it to other photos the same day and yep, it was taken in Vung Tau in Southern Vietnam.

    Very powerful and totally FREE – I hope it is useful to you. It’s very user friendly and you’ll never forget those wonderful places you’ve traveled to. I hope you create an account (quick and easy) and try it out.

    Reply
  2. I wish I’d known about this place before I bought my house. I would have made sure I bought one like this so I could hide it from the tax man!
    Also, thank you for putting Savage Garden in my head. It’s just what my afternoon needed.

    Reply
  3. These are truly remarkable little houses and I’ve never seen other houses before that are in any way similar. I would really like to see photos of the interiors of these homes.

    Reply
  4. Hi Michael, lovely article and great shots! Trulli of Alberobello and the whole Itria Valley is quirky and amazing. It is easily understandable why many people want to visit and even spend their Puglia holidays renting out one of them! In fact, some trulli houses have been refurbished to luxury standards and look both fascinating and comfortable. You can check some here https://ariajourneys.com/villas/masseria-trulli-for-rent-puglia/ Aren’t they lovely?

    Reply

Leave a comment