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Day: 6
October 10th, 2014
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Euros
Conversion rate on
our visit:
€1.00 = $1.2595
        

October 10th - Day 5
Daily Tour Notice
•  Stopping to see
the Trullis
•  Symbols on the
Trulli Roofs
•  Trullo Exhibit
•  Wine Tasting

STOPPING TO SEE THE TRULLIS

Looking out over the Trullis

Where we took the overhead picture
 

The most common picture of the Trullis

One Trulli with multiple peaks
 
 

We stopped at Alberobello for one purpose,,,to see the Trullis.  More info on the Trullis (taken from the Unesco World Heritage site) is given below.  During our stay in Alberobello we stopped for a tour of a typical Trulli (Trullo exhibit) and a wine tasting which included local wine exclusively.

Alberobello, the city of drystone dwellings known as trulli , is an exceptional example of vernacular architecture. It is one of the best preserved and most homogeneous urban areas of this type in Europe. Its special features, and the fact that the buildings are still occupied, make it unique. It also represents a remarkable survival of prehistoric building techniques.

There was prehistoric settlement in the Itria and the tholos (dome-shaped tomb) tradition of building may have come to the region at this time. The present settlement dates from the mid-14th century.... Tradition has it that drystone (without mortar) walling was imposed upon the new settlers so their houses could be quickly dismantled. This served two purposes: recalcitrant householders could be dispossessed easily and, later, it would be possible to avoid taxation on new settlements.

These buildings were constructed using roughly worked limestone boulders collected from neighboring fields and, later, the large water-collecting basins in the area. They were built directly on the underlying natural rock, using exclusively the drystone technique. The walls that form the rectangular rooms are double, with rubble cores, and are pierced by small windows.

The interiors are equipped with wooden fittings, such as door frames, barrel-vaulted niches, etc., and in some of the larger trulli there is a second story formed from a wooden floor and reached by means of a wooden staircase. Stone fireplaces and ovens are ventilated through stone slabs covering them. The roofs are not painted and develop a patina of mosses and lichens; they sometimes bear mythological or religious symbols in white ash.

SYMBOLS ON THE TRULLI ROOFS
 

The most common picture of the Trullis

Trullis up close
 

Trulli Symbols with Descriptions (Top Half)
Trulli Symbols, Alberobello

Trulli Symbols with Descriptions (Bottom Half)
Trulli Symbols, Alberobello

One of the things you note about the Trullis is the symbols painted on the roofs.  Apparently, the origin of the symbols is not known.  Some of the symbols are defined (refer to the list above) while others are unknown.  In addition to an interesting decoration, they also add a mystic to the Trullis,
   
TRULLO EXHIBIT
 

Looking into the upper level (note the mirror)
Trulli Exhibit - Folk Traditions of Alberobello, Alberobello

Looking over the items for sale (all local)
Trulli Exhibit - Folk Traditions of Alberobello, Alberobello

The interior of a Trullo was roomier than expected. The one we visited was used both for an exhibit and as a shop to sell local products. Our group of 26 (plus the owner) had no trouble fitting. In the first picture above be sure to notice that there is a mirror in the floor allowing us to see beyond the top of the ladder. 
   
WINE TASTING
 

Donato giving us the low-down on the wine tasting
Wine Tasting, Alberobello

Tholos telling us about the wine
Wine Tasting, Alberobello
 

Snacks served with the wine
Wine Tasting, Alberobello

Wine Bar
Wine Tasting, Alberobello

Once we had seen the Trulli exhibit we moved up the street to Tholos' second buiness, a Wine House. Tholos served a number of wines and some snacks specifically selected to compliment the wine. Both the wine and the snacks were delicious. Highly recommended.