Open the left menu alberobello. Alberobello: the tale of the Italian province of Bari

The small Italian town of Alberobello is known to many tourists who appreciate the comfort and indescribable charm of the Italian province. In the season, which lasts from the beginning of May to the end of October, the commune, located in the Puglia region, is flooded with travelers not only from Europe, but from all over the world.

Such popularity of the city with a population of just over 11,000 people is explained quite simply: it is here that fabulous-looking houses - trulli - are located.

Trulli houses in Alberobello from a bird's eye view

These amazing buildings, many of which were built 400 years ago, arouse admiration and an irresistible desire in the guest of Alberobello to stay in the city as long as possible. From May to October, in a settlement founded at the beginning of the 16th century (or maybe much earlier), it is always noisy and crowded: thousands of tourists crowd the narrow streets, numerous guides tell the history of Alberobello and trulli houses in different languages, and local merchants offer travelers a variety of souvenirs and environmentally friendly products. Wine, cheese, grappa, olive oil - all this is invariably in high demand, and literally in a matter of minutes it is bought up by visitors.

In Alberobello, all sellers earn decent amounts during the season, but the main source of income for the local budget is, of course, travel business. Only wealthy tourists can afford to stay even for a week in an Italian commune. Prices for rooms in trulli hotels are unusually high. This is due to the fact that huge amounts of money are annually allocated from the city's treasury for the preservation and maintenance of unique trulli structures in their original form. It is worth noting that the domed houses are included in the UNESCO List world heritage: this suggests that all of them should remain intact for our descendants.

Roofed houses with pagan symbols have long been a favorite subject for professional photographers. Pictures taken in the Italian town of Alberobello constantly grace the covers of the world's most popular travel magazines. Commune in Bari - beautiful place for those who wish to enjoy the picturesque rural landscapes, get rid of stress and try the "real" vegetables, fruits, wine and dairy products, which in Lately became extremely difficult to obtain in supermarkets.

By the way, in this small town you can meet face to face with a star of the world of cinema, show business or a famous politician: many of them have their own trulli houses in Alberobello. Purchase this structure, built without cement and held in literally this word on one stone, only rich people can. The price of one square meter of ancient housing in an Italian provincial town has long exceeded 6,500 (!) Euros. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that for this amount it is possible to purchase only an almost completely destroyed “useful area”. For whole trulli houses, and even those located in the city center, the price increases immediately by 3-4 times.

Trulli houses in Alberobello

According to historical documents, trulli houses began to be built in the Italian city from the end of the 14th century. However, some historians argue that such unusual domed structures appeared on the territory of modern Alberobello much earlier. By the way, such houses were built by ancient people long before the Roman Empire appeared on the map. At the moment, we can only safely say that the name of the city comes from oak forest(beautiful trees), and the name fairy houses from the word "Trullo", which in Latin means - dome (houses with a dome). By the way, they are “fabulous” only for modern tourists, the ancient inhabitants of Alberobello at one time had no time for fairy tales.

The technology for building trulli houses is unique, and at the same time, extremely simple. The indigenous inhabitants of the town collected light blocks of limestone from nearby fields, brought them to the construction site and fastened them together without the use of cement. The roof of these buildings resembles a dome, on which the symbol of a pagan deity was depicted.

Masters erected trulli houses not because of religion, and certainly not because of love for the world of beauty and unusual. These living quarters appeared in the Kingdom of Naples only because they were ... quite easy and quick to destroy. Since the beginning of the 16th century, the city of Alberobello was ruled by feudal lords who were part of the legendary Acquaviva dynasty.. They did not want to pay the king a tax on settlements and allowed the peasants to build on their territory only those houses that, if desired, could be turned into a pile of stones in the blink of an eye. As soon as the royal official approached Alberobello, all the inhabitants pulled out a stone at the base of the roof of their house and it immediately collapsed. The settlement instantly disappeared and the feudal lords did not have to pay tax. The rulers prospered, and the townspeople, after the departure of the representative of the king, again had to rebuild the roof over their heads.

The trulli house really rests on one stone: even those buildings that have survived to this day can be easily destroyed in just 10 minutes. Only in 1797, Ferdinand IV of the Bourbon dynasty gave Alberobello freedom and, thereby, saved the townspeople from hard labor. The need to destroy their homes has sunk into the past: in a small settlement, buildings built using cement began to appear.

However, most of the natives still preferred trulli houses (there was always the possibility that a generous king would take away the freedom he had granted). Houses with domed roofs continued to be built. By the way, among these unusual architectural objects you can see both "male" and "female" houses. Ancient masters always decorated the “male” with a dome, on which the symbol of the master and the name of the owner were depicted! In 1925, the Italian authorities issued a law that prohibited the construction of such facilities throughout the country. By the way, this law is also valid in our time: the trulli house can only be reconstructed, new architectural masterpieces according to such a plan and according to such technology are no longer built.

Modern Alberobello: tourism, shopping and entertainment

Today, Alberobello is one of the most attractive tourist destinations for travelers. The city is spread over two picturesque hills separated by a small river. Most Interest causes the eastern part of Alberobello, because it is in it that the largest number of trulli are located. Total Unusual Buildings in ancient city there are a little less than one and a half thousand. Many houses that can be destroyed in a few minutes are still inhabited by people. However, most of the architectural objects of interest to tourists are no longer used for their intended purpose: local entrepreneurs have opened souvenir shops, hotels, restaurants and bars in them.

Alberobello also has two main attractions: a temple built using the same technology as the trulli houses; and the only two-story house in the city that dates from the 18th century. In a two-story building, almost immediately after the inclusion of unusual houses in the UNESCO World Heritage List, a museum was organized dedicated to, as you might guess, trulli houses. The cost of a ticket giving the right to visit this museum is symbolic - only one and a half euros.

Visiting restaurants and bars will cost tourists not as cheap as visiting a local museum. In the restaurant Il Poeta Contadino, whose interior gives full view about what trulli looked like during the Middle Ages, the cheapest breakfast, which includes two courses, costs more than 30 euros.

Amazing houses, hospitable locals, National cuisine, which is very popular among true gourmets, the most interesting history of the city - all this attracts tens of thousands of guests every year to Alberobello. Where there are many tourists, there is always a demand for housing, souvenirs and food: this is well understood by the locals, who, even for huge sums, do not want to part with their trulli house, trulli bar or trulli shop. If in the 16-17th centuries houses built according to ancient technology, brought only a headache to the indigenous population of the city, today they bring a huge income: plain souvenirs, cheese, wine and beer in restaurants end by noon.

The picturesque Italian town of Alberobello in the province of Bari (Puglia) became famous throughout the world for one interesting invention - cylindrical houses with cone-shaped roofs. The essence of this invention is not in novelty (as you know, such primitive buildings appeared in prehistoric times), but in the cunning and ingenuity of local residents.

In the second half of the XVII century. Count of Aragon Giangirolamo II Aquaviva ordered the peasants to build houses that could be quickly and easily dismantled. This ploy made it possible to evade the property tax that the Kingdom of Naples imposed on vassals in subordinate territories. The huts built in this way could be dismantled by pulling just one stone from the masonry, by analogy with a house of cards. As soon as Aquavive they reported about the upcoming inspection, as if by magic, entire villages disappeared. For this, the count received the nickname "oblique from Apulia."

House arrangement

The trullo is usually a one-room, sometimes two-storey structure, built using the dry-stone method, with a conical roof made of thin limestone slabs, topped by the so-called cuccurino, a free-form stone spire. The second layer of limestone slabs - chiancarella - covers only the upper part of the cone. From the side of the entrance, the chiancarellas were decorated with drawings, Christian or pagan symbols.

The entrance was the only source of light. Trulli were often united in a wagon or like a honeycomb. The white color of the outer walls, in addition to the protective function in the summer heat, makes them especially attractive. It is no coincidence that in 1996 Alberobello became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Reference. Trullo comes from the Greek. τρούλος - "dome". The most ancient trulli date back to the 16th century. and are located in the Murgia area.

Image Gallery

Trullo - a work of art

Trullo - interior

Our ancestors were famous for their ability to build wooden log cabins without a single nail, but the Italians have long mastered the method of dry masonry. Without the use of mortar, they erected huts from limestone slabs, topped with domed or conical roofs. Such dwellings were called trulli, they were preserved in the town of Alberobello in the province of Bari.

The trulli houses (which literally means "dome") are a real hallmark of the city of Alberobello. Many travelers come here to see unusual architectural structures. The peculiarity of trulli is that these houses are durable, but at the same time they can be dismantled very quickly. It is believed that for this it is enough to remove one stone from the roof.

In Italy, for a long time, the construction of real estate was subject to high taxes, so the locals had no choice but to invent a structure that could be dismantled in the shortest possible time. Local officials turned a blind eye to the construction of the trulli, but by the time the tax inspectors arrived, the buildings had to be immediately dismantled. It is known for certain that the trulli were dealt with in 1644, when, with a check on Italian cities an inspector arrived, sent by the king of Naples.

The trulli are built from limestone boulders collected from the area. A monolithic rock is often used as a load-bearing wall, from which a layer of chernozem is previously removed. The trulli have small windows, fireplaces, stoves and alcoves "recessed" into the thickness of the walls. The roofs are double-layer, they are airtight and protect from rain. By the way, all houses are equipped with special gutters for collecting rainwater.

The interior is dominated by wooden furniture, most of the houses are one-room, but built in two tiers, they climb to the second floor by a ladder. Thick stone walls protect from the summer heat, but the trulli freeze very hard during the winter months. Due to the high humidity, the rooms are often cold, so in winter many people prefer not to close the doors.

The first trulli appeared in the 16th century, the newest - at the beginning of the 20th century. Construction fell sharply as the cost of building materials rose and wages for the work of craftsmen who knew the intricacies of building a structure rose. In Alberobello, trulli built between the 18th and 20th centuries have been preserved, today they are used as shops, restaurants, some of them are still inhabited by local residents. In total, there are about 1,500 such houses in the city, they are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

I trulli di Alberobello

View of one of the quarters of Alberobello. Photo of the author of the article

Trulli are one-story stone buildings of various sizes, more or less rounded shapes, with a conical roof. These buildings make an unforgettable impression, because they look like the houses of some fairy-tale characters.

According to one version, before the whole building was entirely a dome - that is, there was no sharp boundary between the walls and the roof. However, no confirmation or refutation of this theory has yet been found. There is nothing like it in other regions of Italy. With a big stretch, if you wish, you can see some analogies with the Sardinian nuraghes, but this will be a frank pull by the ears. The fact remains: Apulian trulli are unique in Italy.

A bit of history

The city of Alberobello in the province of Bari lies on two hills. On the east there are modern quarters, and the west is divided into two districts - Monti and Ayia Piccola. It is there that streams of tourists stretch all year round, it is there that the trulli are located.

The history of the city begins in the second half of the 16th century, when farmers moved to this piece of land that belonged to Akvaviva, the counts of Konversansky. The count family allowed the colonists to build some kind of dwellings, but, according to legend, they insisted on dry masonry. The peculiarity of trulli is that they are built exactly by this method - that is, no binding solution is used during their construction. The construction rests on a single keystone at the top of the roof: take it out and everything will crumble. This is exactly what the counts needed, because in this way it was possible to destroy the building instantly and almost without a trace in the event of a royal check and pretend that there was no permanent settlement for which it would be necessary to pay a rather tangible tax.

However, in 1797, a group of the most daring peasants, who had long been tired of this limbo, went to Taranto to brow the King of Naples, Ferdinand IV (future Ferdinand I, King of the Two Sicilies). The good king heeded the prayers of the petitioners and issued a Decree of Free Settlement, removing Alberobello from the possessions of the Acquaviva family. With this, the count's game of houses of cards safely ended.

architectural features

Ceiling in a new trullo (you can see the mortar between the stones). Photo of the author of the article

But not many trulli have survived from that time to the present day. The fact is that it is pointless to repair the trulli, it is easier to dismantle the house and rebuild it, which, in fact, has been done for centuries. By interior layout trulli most often represent a single room round in cross section without partitions, but there are also "multi-room" options in which one trullo seems to bud off from another. The walls have a fairly decent thickness, so no cladding inside was originally provided.

The classic trullo was built without windows, at most there was a small vent in the roof, for some kind of ventilation. The serious thickness of the walls and the absence of holes in them contribute to excellent thermal insulation in the cold season, while in summer for quite a long time - almost until the end of August - the coolness accumulated by stones during the winter remains.

Roof

The roof of the trulli is conical, lined with steps, and does not require the construction of a frame for the vault during the construction. Each row of limestone tiles, with which the expanses of the Apulian lands are full and from which the roof is made, gradually narrows the circle and keeps the previous rows in balance. This inner layer holds the outer part of the roof - the one that is visible from the street. The outer part is laid out from thinner tiles, the laying of which ends with the very keystone that holds the entire structure.

Keystone

Two capstones on the roofs of trulli. Photo of the author of the article

In view of its importance, this very capstone could not but receive special attention- primarily from the side of the bricklayer, whose hands each particular trullo was built. The capstone usually contains some sort of autograph of a trullaro mason, who often built a trullo for his own use.

Of course, there are no monograms and family coats of arms there, and there could not be, knowing the simple origin of the inhabitants of Alberobello. The "autograph" consisted in the artistic design of the keystone: in its shape, the ornament carved on it and, first of all, the symbol applied to it. These symbols were most often associated with magic, paganism or, at worst, Christianity. There are whole scientific works and even books on their interpretation.

The signs were drawn with white lime, which symbolized purification, and, according to legend, helped from the evil eye, and also brought good luck to the inhabitants of the house. These could be zodiac and planetary symbols, as well as much more: crosses of various modifications, monograms from the initial letters of the name of Christ and even menorah. In modern Alberobello, the roofs of a row of trulli in one of the streets of the old town are decorated with large images of such symbols.

tourism costs

It should be understood that speaking here about the main characteristics of trullo, we mean authentic houses. Unfortunately, some of the trulli in the center of Alberobello are fake today. Ordinary houses on cement were whitewashed (which is quite typical for those parts) and, for the sake of attracting the attention of tourists, were topped with stepped conical roofs a la trullo.

It looks impressive in any case, so you shouldn’t be indignant, especially since it is easier to arrange a hotel or restaurant in such buildings than in an ordinary trullo, which will draw a maximum of a small shop.

You can also console yourself with the fact that not only our contemporaries are cunning in this regard. So, the famous and one-of-a-kind two-story Trullo Sovrano was built in the 18th century with exactly the same goal - to lure more tourists.

Apulian trulli outside Alberobello

Until the middle of the 20th century, there were trulli not only in Alberobello, but also in Villa Castelli, which consisted almost entirely of them, but in which almost nothing remains today.

There is something in the provinces of such Apulian cities as Bari, Taranto and Brindisi, which make up the so-called Trulli Murgia (Murgia dei Trulli) - that is, territories on the Murgia plateau in which the presence of trulli has ever been noted.

At the end of the 20th century, the population awakened interest in these buildings: they began to be massively restored and used, mainly for tourism purposes.

distant relatives

As already noted, in Italy, trulli are found only in Puglia. But in France they have close relatives - the so-called "boars", identical to the buildings of the trulli, the accumulations of which are found mainly in

Once in Bari, be sure to set aside one day to visit the city of Alberobello, located 50 km from the capital of the Puglia region. This town is little known to Russian tourists, at least I personally didn’t hear about it at all until I got to the south of Italy for the first time. However, having visited it once, I literally fell in love with it, and since then several times a year I go here for a walk. What makes this tiny town of 10,000 unique? And why is it listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

How to get there

The city of Alberobello is located in the province of Bari in the Apulia region. There are several ways to get to it.

By plane

The nearest airport to Alberobello is in Bari, 70 km from the city. This international airport serves flights from many European and Italian cities, but, unfortunately, there are no direct flights from the CIS countries. Full list directions can be viewed at the link (in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish).

Choose a flight and compare prices from different airlines convenient on aggregator sites, for example,.

Directly to Alberobello can be reached in about an hour by taking a taxi or renting a car, but in Italy this pleasure is not cheap. A taxi will cost an average of 100 euros. Car rental rates depend on its model, rental period, insurance and other factors. On this you can see the rates and conditions of car rental.

Other options involve a trip from the airport to the city of Bari, with a subsequent transfer to Alberobello.

There is an hourly bus service from the airport to the central railway station in Bari. The trip lasts about half an hour and costs 4 euros. The bus schedule can be viewed on the carrier's website.

Also, a train departs from the airport every half an hour, which will take you to the station within 15 minutes for 5 euros. Schedule .

Brindisi International Airport is located 75 km from Alberobello. servicing flights from many European and Italian cities (but not CIS countries). A bus leaves from it to the railway station and the city center every half an hour, the cost of the trip is 1 euro. However, it should be noted that there is no direct railway connection between Brindisi and Alberobello, you will have to make transfers.

A taxi from the airport to the city of Alberobello will cost about 130 euros. You can also rent a car. A list of car rental agencies with branches at Brindisi Airport can be found in the Autonoleggi section.

By train

By train from Bari to Alberobello can be reached in about an hour and a half. Trains depart from the central railway station of Bari at intervals of about an hour. The cost of a one-way ticket is €4.90, children accompanied by adults do not pay the fare. See the timetable and purchase tickets on the website of the South Eastern Railway (in Italian)

In the Partenza (departure) box, select Bari Centro, in Arrivo (arrival) - Alberobello, then select the date and time that suits you. You can leave the time box empty, then the search will give you a train schedule for the whole day. If possible, choose non-stop flights and keep in mind that suburban trains are not very punctual, being late by 10-15 minutes is common.

You can also buy a ticket at the box office or machine at the station, as well as at numerous retail outlets in the city, a list of which can be obtained by clicking on the link by selecting the name of the city you are interested in.

The ticket does not indicate the date and time of the trip, only the point of departure and destination. The ticket is punched at the station before boarding the train and is valid for one trip.

Attention! Stops at suburban trains NOT announced. When slowing down, look out the window for the name of the station, if the stop is yours, move towards the doors, at some stations the train stops literally for a minute, so you may simply not have time to get off. The car door opens on demand by pressing a button located both on the outside and inside.

From the railway station of Alberobello, the historic center can be reached on foot in 10 minutes, walking along Giuseppe Mazzini, then along Via Garibaldi you will reach Piazza del Popolo, from where Via Rosa Acquaviva will take you to the Rione Monti area.

By bus

On the southeastern site railway, which is also engaged in bus transportation, there is only one flight from Bari to Alberobello, departure at 14.10, arrival at 15.25. The €4.20 ticket can be purchased online. To do this, follow the link, click Autolinee (instead of Treni - trains), select Bari in the Partenza box and Alberobello in Arrivo and select the date you are interested in.

However, there is a warning on the site that the schedule may change due to unforeseen reasons. In general, it is better not to risk and get by train.

By car

By car, you can get from Bari to Alberobello along the SS172 road (SS is short for Strada Statale, which means " state road", the passage is free, unlike the motorways), passing through the cities of Casamassima, Turi and Putignano. The distance is 55 km, the journey time is about an hour.

In Alberobello, it is best to park in the Largo Martellotta area, from where you can start walking through the historic center of the city - the Rione Monti area. However, it should be borne in mind that parking in the center is paid, on average, the cost is 1 euro per hour. Paid parking lots are marked with blue markings, and within sight there must be a payment terminal with the indicated tariff and instructions. The ticket issued by the machine must be left visible behind the windshield of the car. It shows the date and time until which the parking is paid. If you plan to just walk along the streets of the old city, two hours will be enough for you. If you are going to dine in the city or stock up on souvenirs, calculate the time accordingly so that you do not have to return later and pay extra. In the absence of a coupon or after its expiration, the local police issue a fine.

Free parking can be found at a distance from the center, they are usually indicated by white markings.

Clue:

Alberobello - the time is now

Hour difference:

Moscow 2

Kazan 2

Samara 3

Yekaterinburg 4

Novosibirsk 6

Vladivostok 9

When is the season. When is the best time to go

Alberobello is good to visit at any time of the year, however, the largest influx of tourists occurs during the summer months. The region of Apulia, in which the city is located, is a favorite holiday destination for many Italians and foreign tourists, and even those of them who prefer a vacation on the coast, laying on the beach to their heart's content, are not averse to exploring the area and visiting nearby cities.

Alberobello in summer

In summer it is better to get out into the city after a siesta, when the heat subsides a bit, because visiting Alberobello means, first of all, walking tour along the streets of the old city, where it is absolutely impossible to hide from the scorching sun. During the summer period, the weather is usually sunny, rainy days are rare. The temperature during the day is about 30 degrees, but because of the high humidity, the heat is poorly tolerated.
Also, when planning a trip in the summer, it is worth considering that on weekends in Alberobello there is often a real pandemonium, since local Italians living within a radius of 50-100 km adjoin numerous tourists, because in Italy it is in the order of things to get out with family or friends for a walk and dine in a nearby town.

Alberobello in winter

In winter, Alberobello also has something to see. During the Christmas period, the city hosts the Alberobello Light Festival (this year the festival lasted from December 5, 2015 to January 6, 2016). Every day at nightfall (at 5-6 pm) a fascinating light show begins - the snow-white trulli of the Rione Monti area turns red and blue with falling white stars and snowflakes.

Also, slides are designed on buildings with historical photographs area, as well as street performers, Christmas music sounds from the speakers, immersing everyone in a truly fabulous atmosphere.

As for the weather, the winter in Alberobello is completely different from the traditional Russian winter. Minus temperatures here are a rarity, as is snow. average temperature+5...+10 degrees in winter, but it is still better to dress warmer, because of the high humidity, the cold sometimes penetrates to the bones, for the same reason, with the onset of darkness, the stone streets become wet, like after rain. On sunny windless days, the temperature in winter can reach +15 degrees, giving the impression that spring is already outside.

Clue:

Alberobello monthly weather

Districts. Where is the best place to live

Alberobello is a small town, and one day is enough to visit it, but for those who want to stay longer, there are numerous hotels, private hotels such as Bed & Breakfast, as well as apartments.

The most popular among tourists is accommodation in trulli. A double room with traditional furnishings and all amenities will cost an average of 100 euros, if the trulli are located in the Rione Monti area, far from the center, prices are much lower, you can rent a double room for 60 euros. A tourist tax of 0.80-1.00 euros per person per night should also be added to the cost (depending on the category of the hotel).

For lovers of a quiet environment, the country residences Agriturismo are offered with the cost of a 2-bed room from 60 euros per night. Many of them are located in former farms (in Italian - Masseria), restored for hotel needs, and on some, the owners still keep pets and cultivate vegetable gardens, vineyards and olive groves, offering guests hand-made products. However, this type of accommodation is more suitable for tourists traveling by car, since the distance from such hotels to the city center is on average 5 km.

Most often, I look for hotels on, you can check prices from different sites. If you prefer to stay in private apartments and apartments, you can see similar offers.

Main attractions. What to see

Trulli - traditional houses of Alberobello

The reason for the popularity of the city of Alberobello among tourists from Italy and other countries of the world is its unique architecture, namely, the presence of trulli.

Trulli are traditional southern Italian dwellings in the form of small stone houses with a conical roof. A feature of their construction is the dry masonry method, i.e. complete absence of cement or bonding mortar. The stones are tightly fitted to each other, and thus quite reliable and durable structures are being built that can withstand several centuries, because the oldest surviving trulli date back to the 16th century.

The trulli have thick white stone walls that keep the dwellings cool even in the hot summers typical of the Italian climate. Various Christian and pagan symbols and amulets are often depicted on the roof with white paint, which should protect the residents and bring them good luck.

Trulli usually consist of several rooms, each with its own conical roof. Often a pantry was arranged in the roof for storing food supplies, climbed onto it with the help of a ladder. Today, many trulli owners offer to visit their home for free and tell tourists about the old way of life (in Italian, of course), some hold a free tasting of the products sold (olive oil, wines and liquors own production).

Alberobello is called the capital of the trulli because it is the only city in which the entire historical Center built up with these unusually picturesque structures. And although a significant part of the trulli of Alberobello is used as souvenir shops, cafes and other establishments for tourists, there are also residential trulli in the city, in which ordinary Italians still live today.

tourist streets

The most popular tourist destination in Alberobello is the Rione Monti quarter, which is made up entirely of trulli. Dozens of souvenir shops are located on the pedestrian street Via Monte San Michele, some of which attract tourists not only with their goods, but also with viewing platforms from which they open beautiful views to the city. In some shops, merchants offer free tastings of the local produce they sell. I advise everyone to visit the shop with the sign "Alberobello in miniatura", where you can see in detail and photograph the huge model of the old city. Free admission.

Having had plenty of time along the streets and lanes of Rione Monti, we exit onto Via Monte Pertica, which will lead us to the Church of St. Anthony (Chiesa di Sant Antonio), built in the form of a trulli. Opposite the church there is a small park where you can finally take a breath and allow yourself a well-deserved rest on a bench in the shade of trees.

Leaving the old city, I advise you to climb observation deck Belvedere Santa Lucia at the church of Parrochia di San Giuseppe Artigiano in the area of ​​Piazza Giangirolamo, to finally enjoy the panoramic view of the Rione Monti.

Food. What to try

In Italy, they love to eat delicious food and simply love to cook; it is not without reason that Italian cuisine is known all over the world. A traditional Italian lunch consists of antipasto (appetizer), primo (first course, only, unlike Russian cuisine, the first course does not mean hot, but pasta), secondo (fish or meat dish, garnish of vegetables), fruit, dolce (dessert) and coffee. But, given the generous portions offered in Italian restaurants, not everyone can master a full meal.

In many restaurants, the menu has Buffet di antipasti, in fact, it is an assortment of 5-10 appetizers, among which cheese and meat cuts, fried meatballs are most often offered (and not only from minced meat, but also bread, with the addition of cheese, eggs and various spices), vegetable snacks. This is a great opportunity to taste several local dishes at once.

Appetizers are followed by pasta. Each region of Italy has its own specialties and special traditional pasta varieties. In Puglia, this is orecchiette (orecchiette is translated from Italian as "ears").

Orecchiette is served mainly with tomato sauce and grated cheese (Parmesan or Pecorino sheep cheese). Sometimes meatballs are added to the sauce, or sugo di carne (meat sauce) is prepared - for several hours different kinds meat (beef tenderloin, veal rolls, pork sausages) is stewed in tomato over a low fire, the gravy is served with pasta, and the meat is served separately for the second.

There are several nuances that should be considered when visiting restaurants. Italians have lunch, as a rule, at 1-2 o'clock in the afternoon, so most restaurants serve customers from 12 to 15 o'clock, and then they close "for a shift change", i.e. getting ready to open for dinner. Dinner in the south of Italy is quite late, at 9 o'clock, and in summer - generally at 10-11 o'clock, respectively, restaurants close closer to one in the morning.

In Italian restaurants, a service charge (coperto) is accepted, on average, 2 euros per person, tips at the discretion of the client, bread for free.

In many pizza restaurants, pizza is served only for dinner, because it is prepared in a wood-fired oven, which is melted in the late afternoon. However, this does not mean that it is impossible to eat pizza during the day, because many eateries work without a break and offer hungry tourists a choice of a la carte pieces (in restaurants, they are served at the rate of a whole pizza per person).

You can also have a bite to eat panzerotto (panzerotto), a fried pie that looks like a cheburek, only mozzarella cheese and tomatoes are used for the filling. Or a piece of focaccia (focaccia), a kind of tortilla with tomatoes and oregano, it can also be made in the form of a pie with various fillings for every taste.

Still on the streets there are often stalls selling nuts, olives, and in the autumn, chestnuts roasted on fire, as well as other snacks and sweets by weight, which will allow tourists to have a bite to eat on the go, without being distracted from sightseeing.

Alberobello has a huge number of restaurants, pizzerias, bars and cafes, most of which are concentrated in or near the tourist district of Rione Monti. Most of the restaurants have a colorful traditional atmosphere and offer visitors local cuisine, such as Il Poeta Contadino, L’Aratro and others located in the trulli area. Having made a short walk to the modern center of Alberobello, you can visit a small but quite popular restaurant "La Cantina", located on Corso Vittorio Emmanuele Avenue.

Average score in local restaurants is 25-30 euros per person ( approximate prices: 5-10 euros for starters, pasta - about 10 euros per serving, meat and fish dishes - an average of 15 euros, dessert - 3-5 euros). You can save a little on the bill by ordering local wine on tap (vino di casa), served in decanters, it costs less than bottled wines, and often does not concede to them in taste.

In pizzerias, the average bill per person is 15 euros (of which 5-10 euros are directly for pizza, the rest are snacks, drinks, service). In the Rione Monti area, you can eat at pizzeria restaurants located in traditional trulli, such as “Il Pinnacolo” or “L’Olmo Bello”.

If you're on a tight budget, you can grab a slice of pizza/focaccia (€1.50) or a panzerotto patty (€1.30) at Focacceria "La Lira" at the exit of the trulli quarter.

Things to do

Souvenirs. What to bring as a gift

Trulli are the main symbol of Alberobello, so the most popular souvenirs in the city have their shape or image. The choice is huge - figurines, magnets, key rings, piggy banks, mugs, etc., costing from 3 euros. Also, many shops offer embroidered tablecloths, towels, napkins (from 10 euros per set).

Gastronomic souvenirs are a separate article. In the shops you can find gift sets with pasta (orecchiette, of course), local wines, olive oil. The price range of such sets is quite wide, because. depends on the content. Also, as a souvenir, you can buy various local liqueurs (from 5 euros), they are bottled here in trulli-shaped bottles, so that after tasting the drink, you can keep the container as a keepsake, use it in the household, for example, to store olive oil.