Trulli houses: they are "trulli" remarkable...

In the heel of the boot that is Italy, or the southernmost part of Italy known as Puglia, mortar-less stone structures called trulli houses evolved from a land where stone was in abundance, and timber had long since run out.

Although local history speculates that the easily dismantled trulli were built in the 1600s in order to avoid the taxation of extra dwellings, other less-romanticized theories on the origins of trulli have been put forward by historians. One theory suggests that the trulli may have been an evolution of Mycenaean monumental stone tombs called tholos, while another maintains that trulli evolved from nuraghi: un-mortared, cylindrical domed towers made of stone. The last theory of course is that trulli houses may have simply evolved as a vernacular form independently, without the influence of other stone structures.

Trulli, back then, were used primarily as housing and storage, but their function depended largely on where they were built. In most areas of Puglia, a trullo was used as a temporary shelter for field workers and in some cases, evolved into the establishment of permanent residences; in the town of Alberobello, trulli were used as bars, stores and offices.

The most primitive form of the trulli are capanne, small pit dwellings with stone foundations and wooden roofs, which evolved into different variations, depending on where they were built. These trulli can vary from capanne-like structures located in the northern area of this region, to stepped-pyramid looking casella located on the eastern coast, to dry-stone shelters called chipuri in the south. However, it is only in the Murgia region of Puglia where permanent trulli dwellings were established, forming complex, multi-room structures.

Trulli were generally built without mortar, using limestone from nearby fields. They have very little openings and as well as very minimal interior space. Starting with a rectangular base, trulli walls are built up of limestone and rubble to create a domed roof. The main room of the trulli is located directly beneath the cupola, which is built from concentric rings of stone and is topped with a pinnacle, which in most cases, takes the form of a sphere.

Of all the the trulli found in Puglia, there are two buildings that particularly stand out. The Trullo Sovrano has the distinction of being one of few two storey trulli built in the area, and the Casa D’Amore represents the significant shift of trulli houses from the prehistoric to the palazzo.

In 1996, the trulli located in the Alberobello region of Puglia were designated as a World Heritage site by The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), for being one of the few ancient structures that employ prehistoric building techniques, but are still functioning today. The International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) also establish that the trulli are important examples of dry stone walling, and their high concentration of buildings in one area also make the trulli houses very unique. Although there has been a preservation plan in place for the Alberobello trulli, many of them have fallen into disrepair, left abandoned by their private owners, and as many of these preservation guidelines have been overlooked, many more of these small buildings have lost their authentic integrity as they have been altered for commercial purposes.

m.t. tran / l. d'amico / g. nasser / s.m. albinger / c. lin / a.n. mai / s. downes / a.r. kae