It is enough to see a picture of Alberobello to be impressed and decide that you want to take a trip to this place. Situated in southern Italy, in the region of Puglia, this amazing town is in my opinion a blend between primitive and modern traits.
Alberobello will charm you and give you the feeling that you are living your own adventures in Wonderland. I really love this town and this is the reason why I would like to debate on some interesting things related to Alberobello.
1. The name of this amazing town comes from Alboris Belli which means beautiful trees. According to the legend there used to be an oak forest that was cut down to make room to the new town. The name Alberobello might seem a little strange today if we take into account the fact that the trulli houses represent the most important tourist attraction in the area.
2. Alberobello has an impressive architectural style. A unique and authentic building method was used for its construction. The trulli houses are made of limestone boulders without mortar and they are embellished with conical roofs.
3. Alberobello shelters the largest collection of original trulli houses in the world. Even if most of them are renovated, you still have the possibility to admire a few original trulli houses.
4. In my opinion the name of these houses was very well-chosen. There are two possible origins of the word trulo. It might come from the Greek word tholos which means dome or from the Latin words trullum or turris which mean tower. Both variants perfectly describe the shape of the conical roofs of the houses.
5. Alberobello is a town with a very beautiful and interesting legend. It is said that the Count of Conversano, Andrea Matteo Acquaviva who owned a large uninhabited area, ordered his peasant workers to build stone houses and settle there. They had to cut down the oak forest in order to build their houses. These settlements were made of limestone boulders without any mortar which made them look very unstable. This was an ingenious way to avoid property taxes because if the houses looked unstable and temporary they were not taxable. The legend says that these houses were supposed to be easily knocked down in case of royal inspections and rebuilt immediately after that.
6. A very interesting thing about the trulli houses is the fact that their roofs are decorated with many symbols which cast a shadow of mystery over the entire place. All these different symbols actually represent magical, religious and spiritual beliefs and astrology signs. It will be really interesting to discover their significance.
7. This town became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Alberobello represents an exceptional example of a unique building method which is based on prehistoric building techniques. The town is also very well preserved and adapted to the modern world.
Alberobello seems to be cut out of a fairytale and it will give you the feeling that you are spending a few days in a wonderland. If you like traveling as much as I do, you should definitely add this unique town on your trip list.
