Alberobello, UNESCO World Heritage Site in Apulia, Italy.
Alberobello is a commune in the Metropolitan City of Bari in Apulia, Italy, known for its numerous trulli structures. The town spreads across gentle hills and narrow lanes where more than a thousand of these limestone cone buildings with characteristic pointed roofs stand.
In the 17th century, residents built their houses from dry stones without mortar so they could be quickly dismantled when needed to avoid taxes. This building method emerged under Spanish rule when the viceroy attempted to collect levies on permanent settlements.
The word trullo comes from the Greek term for dome and describes the white stone buildings with pointed roofs, some of which remain inhabited by local families. Many of these structures display painted symbols on their roof peaks, often religious or astrological in origin and once understood by residents as protective signs.
The town is accessible via the A14 motorway or by train connections from Bari and Taranto, with Bari Airport serving as the main arrival point. The narrow lanes in the historic districts require comfortable footwear because the paths are stony and sometimes uneven.
The Rione Monti district contains about four hundred trulli and forms the largest concentrated area of this building style, while Rione Aia Piccola offers a quieter atmosphere with fewer visitors. The Trullo Sovrano is the only two-story structure of its kind and now houses a small museum about traditional ways of life.
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