Alberobello
Alberobello is a commune of "Itria Valley" km.55 from Bari. It can be reached by car along SS100 + SS172 (1h + 30min.) Or with SudEst Ferries (1h + 40min.). Famous for its Trulli property, which, since 6 December 1996, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is part of the Itria Valley and the Murgia dei Trulli. The history of these very particular buildings is linked to an edict of the Kingdom of Naples, which in 15th century subjected a tribute to every new urban settlement. The Counts of Conversano, the owners of the territory on which Alberobello now stands, then imposed the peasants sent to these lands to build up their houses without using mortar, so that they could be constructed as precarious buildings, easy to demolish. Also because the mortar was expensive. Therefore, having to use only stones, the peasants found in round shape with self-supporting dome roof, made up of overlapping stone circles, the simplest and most solid configuration. The dome roofs of the trulli are embellished with decorative pinnacles, whose shape is inspired by symbolic, mystical and religious elements. They were made by the workforce hired for the construction of the trullo and identified the craftsman. Based on the quality of the pinnacle, it was possible to identify not only the craftman's dexterity but also the value of the construction. A greater expense in the construction of the trullo was therefore able to identify the families that were richer than the less fortunate ones.