When I tell people about our native Puglian peasant house I
often get asked, “What exactly is a trullo?” I often start with the way it
looks; a little white stone igloo with multiple conical roofs. Puglia is dotted
with them, specs of white set among the olive groves across the landscape.
These native houses were created by local Puglian peasants
and have been dated back to the 14th century, when the farmers and
labourers used to work out in the fields during all seasons. They are shaped
the way they are so that they could be disassembled easily – so that when the
tax man came along they could just pull them apart!
Whole families used to live in them. They were designed with
two layers of limestone stones – very thick layers so that they would keep cool
in the hot summers and retain the heat during the cold damp winters. This is an
effective design which you can noticeably feel when you stay at Trullo Carlotta,
as it stays cool in the day and warm during the night.
The trulli of Puglia have often been associated with magic,
castles, mystery and fairytales. They are certainly a mysterious beauty, unique
to this region of Italy.
One of the local towns, Alberobello, is a truly awesome
sight. A hillside of trulli upon trulli, a village with a really historical
feel and full of local artisans. Alberobello is a UNESCO Heritage site which is
a popular tourist destination – well worth a visit if you’re in the area.
