Alberobello: the secrets of Trulli

The Trulli of Alberobello are among the most visited destinations of Puglia and more generally South Italy. World Heritage Site since 1996 They are characterized by their conical shape and their particular structure without mortar which made them easily removable. Unlike neighboring towns where the trulli were mostly used as animal shelters or tool and not as private homes, Alberobello is the only country in the world known as the city of the trulli.

Trulli of Alberobello: curiosity and legends

Where does the word trullo? Why should they be easily removable? Here are some legends and curiosities about Trulli of Alberobello that maybe you did not know.

Trullo: etymology of the word

A mystery still surrounds the etymology of the word trullo. Some associate it with greek-classical tholoi, a dome set on a tomb. Others recall the origins of the greek-Byzantine torullos, the domed hall of the imperial palace. Still others think that it is a simple alteration of the Latin word turris. It must be said, anyway, the trulli word is a fairly recent term and certainly the scholarly and scientific derivation. The term with which these calls were dry construction, nell'Altosalento and throughout the Murgia of trulli, it was simply “casedda”, literally small house.

Features of the building and birth for evasion

The village of Alberobello boasts buildings dating back to the fourteenth century. When the edict Prammatica of the barons imposed taxes on all constructions that used in its materials lime, Count of Conversano resorted to a ruse and ordered dry construction, without mortar, to make them easily removable in case of government inspections. Thus were born the famous chiancarelle, inNo old example of illegal construction, Today Italian pride and well Unesco.

1 GRUPPO trullars

To build the trulli was necessary the involvement of teachers trullars. It was true specialists digging the earth to form a circle or square, and before placing the stones in a circle ever closer on accertavano of scoring a moat able to collect the water falling from the roof. The entire structure of the trullo was built with local limestone, present in soils or easily extracted from quarries posed to limited depth. Both the bulkhead that the inner cone are whitened with lime milk.

The pinnacles and their symbolism

Among the characteristics of Trulli emerge pinnacles, cuspidate elements that close the top of the conical cover. For some scholars, the pinnacles are a kind of "brand", trullari place from masters to distinguish their work. Others consider them a simple decorative element chosen by the owners of the house. Still others lead back their origins in a primitive magical symbolism. The disc, the scope, the cone, the square-based pyramid or triangular and other shapes that characterize them, in ancient times it was connected with sun worship, practiced by primitive agricultural peoples and documented in Puglia until the first century A.C..

Trulli joint

The legend of the two trulli joined like Siamese twins tells a story of love and hate. The house belonged to two brothers, who fell in love with the same woman; It is promised to the older but fell in love with younger.
Both have continued to live at home but this was split and created two opposing views on two streets, a symbol of life that divides and alienates, despite the physical closeness and blood ties.