Trulli Overwhelming in Alberobello

Visited the UNESCO World Heritage town of Alberobello which resembles an urban sprawl - for gnomes.  The district of Riona Monti sits on the side of a hill and has a dense mass of 1,500 whitewashed beehive shaped stone huts all nestled together.  It is the only place in the world where there is an entire dirstrict of Trulli, making it culturally important.

The creation of the Trulli started when the Spanish Viceroy of the Kingdom of Naples subjected homes in his domain to pay a tax.  In 1481 the owners of the lands where Alberobello stands today wanted to avoid paying this tax and instructed the peasants working their land to build dwellings dry, without the use of mortar.  This would allow them to be easily demolished if the Viceroy's people came to inspect the area.  The peasants used local limestone to create round, self supporting circles that ended in a self supporting domed roof.  The Trulli was created. 

 Looking up the hill at a small section of the Riona Monti Trulli's

 Many of the Trulli roofs are decorated with religious or superstitious symbols

Most of the Trulli's in the Riona Monti district house either retail, restaurant or home rentals.  Here Rita is enjoying some retail therapy checking out a few of the local artisan shops

 One of the typical streets that stretch up the hill in the Riona Monti district

 On the east side of Alberobello is another district with about 400 Trulli's all wedged together in quaint lanes.  But these houses are mostly residential or B&B accommodation.  No retail outlets and a lot less tourist traffic.
 The Lippolis house was built in 1797 by the first parish priest of the city of Alberobello.  It was one of the first houses built using lime and mortar after the decree of building dry was lifted.






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