WE (L) COME BACK TO ALBEROBELLO
Undisputed capital of the trulli in the gorgeous Valle d’Itria. Though it is the only town in Puglia where you'll see a constant flow of tour buses. There is an impressive array of tourist tat on show - most trulli are souvenir shops. If you are desperate to add a trullo to your snow globe collection, you have come to the right place. But dig a little deeper, away from the crowds of the rione Monti, and it is still possible to discover a little authenticity...
How to get there
Driving is the quickest and easiest way to get to Alberobello as public transport options are limited. The journey through the heart of the Valle d’Itria via Ostuni, Cisternino and Locorotondo is especially rewarding. A trulli link direct bus service from Bari takes 1h5m. Other services involve multiple changes, from Monopoli, Polignano a Mare etc..
Trulli scrumptious
Making the most of your trip to Alberobello. No need to plan your trip to avoid the crowds. Manage your expectations and after following the crowds, discover a little patch of secret Alberobello away from the commercialised rione Monti trulli zone.
Food and drink
Hot dogs and hamburgers headline the menus of restaurants on the main thoroughfare of Largo Martellotta. Yet not too far away is one of our favourite restaurants with amazing (and innovative) pizza and wonderful Pugliese pucce.
The Big Guide to Alberobello
One trullo, two trulli ... Alberobello, a UNESCO world heritage centre, is home to more than 1,500 of these strange circular dwellings with conical roofs, evidence of a long-forgotten past heritage.
Built from dry stone and white-washed some have cones painted with symbols the provenance of which is shrouded in mystery (or open to debate).
The Trulli of Alberobello | UNESCO World Heritage Centre
“The trulli, typical limestone dwellings of Alberobello in the southern Italian region of Puglia, are remarkable examples of corbelled dry-stone construction, a prehistoric building technique still in use in this region. These structures, dating from as early as the mid-14th century, characteristically feature pyramidal, domed, or conical roofs built up of corbelled limestone slabs. Although rural trulli can be found all along the Itria Valley, their highest concentration and best preserved examples of this architectural form are in the town of Alberobello, where there are over 1500 structures in the quarters of Rione Monti and Aja Piccola.
The property comprises six land parcels extending over an area of 11 hectares. The land parcels comprise two districts of the city (quarters or Rione Monti with 1,030 trulli; Rione Aia Piccola with 590 trulli) and four specific locations (Casa d’Amore; Piazza del Mercato; Museo Storico; Trullo Sovrano)”.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre list.
The Thing About Alberobello
Think of Puglia and you will probably picture Alberobello’s trulli - as iconic as Polignano a Mare’s Lama Monachile - and just as likely to grace the cover of the latest edition of The Lonely Planet Guide to Puglia.
Although they feature across the Itria Valley, it is the concentration of trulli found in Alberobello that makes it unique. The majority are found in two separate districts (“rione”): the rione Monti meanders up and around Via Monte San Michele, San Gabriele and San Marco; on the other side of Largo Martellotta around Via Giuseppe Verdi is the calmer rione Aia Piccola.
Drawing a stream of visitors all year round tourism takes centre stage in Alberobello. Most trulli in the crowded commercialised Monti district are shops; those that are not are restaurants.
Gaudy trulli-come-gift shops display tourist trinkets outside every other doorway. Owners urge passers-by inside to buy overpriced pasta, olive oil, linen and made in China trulli snow globes.
Hamburgers and hot dogs headline the menus of restaurants along the Largo Martellotta. Vast canteen-like restaurants seat upwards of 350 diners to accommodate the bus tours of cruise liner passengers docked in Bari and Brindisi.
Managing Expectations
Unprepared for its crowds and commercialisation, many visitors we speak to leave Alberobello feeling underwhelmed. The crowds, souvenir shops, and selfie sticks can distract from the magic. Trulli may be peculiar, but they’re not exclusive to Alberobello—beautiful examples exist across the Valle d’Itria, especially near Locorotondo, Cisternino, and in the countryside.
Yet no trip to Puglia would be complete without visiting Puglia’s trulli.
If you're hoping for a "magical" experience, be prepared to adjust your expectations. Yet, if you know where to look, you can still find that quiet, timeless corner of Alberobello that so moved Pasolini.
Alberobello 2025: Make It Meaningful
Alberobello (alt. 428 m; pop. approx. 9,480) sits on an expansive ridge marked by steep slopes to the north-east and south-west. While many nearby towns—such as Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Ostuni, Carovigno and Ceglie Messapica—occupy the hilltops, Alberobello developed differently, nestled along the slopes of a shallow valley carved by an ancient watercourse.
The surrounding landscape is shaped by surface karst features—sinkholes and terraces formed primarily by tectonic activity and the slow erosion of limestone. These layered rocks have long provided Alberobello with its distinct building materials.
From the stratified limestone, rectangular blocks are extracted to build perimeter walls and dry-stone boundary fences. Irregularly shaped fragments, meanwhile, are fashioned into the chianche and chiancarelle used for the conical roofs and stone floors of the trulli. The result is a landscape unmistakably shaped by human hands yet deeply tied to natural geology.
A Landscape of Labour and Legacy
Alberobello’s rural setting tells a long story of agricultural transformation. The original forest, once dense and vast, has now largely vanished, though ancient oaks still dot the countryside. Of particular interest is the Quercus trojana, a rare oak native to the Balkan Peninsula and found nowhere else in Italy.
Despite extensive deforestation during the 19th century, the forest remains a key feature of the region’s anthropised landscape. Today, woodlands enclosed by dry-stone walls still appear near masserie or interspersed with pastures and farmland. These patterns of cultivation—olive groves, almond orchards, and vineyards—combine with the remnants of spontaneous vegetation, giving the area an evocative, layered beauty.
Signs of hard work are everywhere: from ancient specchie (piles of stones removed from fields during cultivation) to dry-stone huts built near vineyards. Though many of these features date from 19th-century land reforms, they reflect much older practices, as confirmed by medieval records.
From Forest to Royal Town
The story of Alberobello is that of a small colony of settlers who, from the late 16th century onwards, gradually formed a community—albeit one lacking any legal recognition. For over two centuries, its people lived under feudal control without official status, a situation that benefited the local lords who could avoid reporting to the crown.
17th-century documents describe Alberobello’s inhabitants as fugitives from nearby towns, often debtors or troublemakers. Yet over time, these marginal settlers began to assert their rights, quietly resisting exploitation by cultivating the land and developing a material culture rooted in agricultural innovation.
The first clear reference to Alberobello appears in a 1359 decree by Robert of Anjou, Prince of Taranto, who listed the silvam arboris belli ("forest of the war tree") as a possession of Martina Franca. This early mention identified the site as woodland. Its position between Monopoli and Martina Franca led to centuries of disputed ownership, with claims by both towns and eventual control by the Acquaviva d'Aragona, Counts of Conversano.
In 1485, Frederick of Aragon attempted a resolution: lands from the Murgia to the sea (the marittima) were granted to Monopoli, while the forested and mountainous inland areas—including Alberobello—were declared common lands, though still subject to dispute.
While some believe Alberobello remained forested until its settlement, others suggest long-term habitation, supported by Neolithic finds and the ancient origins of the tholos-style construction on which trulli are based. Nineteenth-century scholars like Larsia and Gioia credited the Acquaviva family with colonising the forest and mandating dry-stone construction. It is believed that houses built without mortar could be demolished easily if the landowner wished to evict the tenant, reinforcing the lords’ control.
By the early 1600s, Alberobello had around 40 round dry-stone huts with conical roofs. Until 1609, the area’s church registers were maintained by Noci, meaning Alberobello’s settlers were still legally part of that town. Only in 1630, under Giangirolamo Acquaviva (known as Il Guercio), did Alberobello begin to take shape as a settlement with a tavern, butchery, mill, oven and trading post, marking the start of urbanisation.
In 1654, under pressure from neighbouring towns, the Royal Chamber ordered the Count to formalise the population centres of Alberobello and Montalbano, declaring all existing households. However, as the Count had defied laws prohibiting the founding of new towns without royal consent, he allegedly had many dwellings destroyed ahead of a royal inspection, evicting residents. When the danger passed, people returned and rebuilt.
The real turning point came in 1797, when seven community leaders—four priests, two doctors and one artisan—travelled to Taranto and successfully petitioned King Ferdinand IV. On 24 May, from Foggia, the King issued a royal decree declaring Alberobello a royal town, finally removing it from feudal control.
Urban Layout and Trulli Architecture
Today’s layout of Alberobello wrongly suggests that the original trulli were confined to the districts of Aia Piccola and Monti—a view reinforced by a 1930 landscape protection decree. In fact, until 19th-century transformations, the town was organised along what is now Corso Vittorio Emanuele, linking the Acquaviva palace to the church of Saints Cosmas and Damian, with trulli distributed across multiple areas.
The typical trullo consists of:
- a square central room with a false dome (the conical roof from outside),
- smaller lateral alcoves for sleeping or cooking, revealed externally by tiers or ledges.
These dry-stone buildings are notable for their construction: thin, rough-edged stone tiles (chiancarelle) laid without mortar in irregular patterns, often leaving visible gaps. The cone’s silhouette curves gently, and in older trulli, thick stone walls support a complex geometry where alcoves connect to the main cone through varied levels and irregular junctions—giving each structure its unique character.
Visiting Alberobello
Alberobello is best explored on foot. Arriving by car, it’s advisable to use Via Indipendenza (accessible via the bypass), which offers ample parking. Walking through the town reveals an ever-changing sequence of alleys, squares, and scenic viewpoints.
Visitors should focus not only on the town as a whole, but on individual trulli—each a masterclass in Mediterranean dry-stone architecture. Despite rigid building conventions, these humble homes reveal surprising architectural variation and ingenuity.
A recommended itinerary begins in Largo Martellotta—formerly known as largo delle fogge due to the underground public cisterns. From there, climb to the Rione Monti district via Via Monte Nero and Via Duca d’Aosta, reaching Piazza D’Annunzio. Descend back through Via San Michele or the streets of Cadore, Monte Cucco and Monte Santo.
Though tourism has altered some trulli façades, the area still holds many untouched corners. Cross Via Brigata Regina to enter Aia Piccola, a quieter, less commercialised district whose name recalls the threshing floors once used for processing grain. Along Via Duca degli Abruzzi and Via Verdi, you’ll see rows of well-preserved trulli.
Continuing towards Piazza XXVII Maggio, you’ll pass the 18th-century Casa Pezzolla—a historic cluster of homes—and the ruins of an old granary. Just before the square stands the Acquaviva house, now obscured by later additions, and a small belvedere.
In adjacent Piazza del Popolo is Casa d’Amore, the first home built after Alberobello’s liberation from feudal rule in 1797. From there, stroll along Corso Vittorio Emanuele to rediscover the old trulli network, continuing to the church of Saints Cosmas and Damian and on to Piazzetta del Trullo Sovrano, home to the only two-storey trullo.
Nearby Masserie and Heritage Sites
Outside the town, several traditional masserie are worth visiting: Chietri, San Leonardo, Muscio, Marraffa, and especially Masseria Barsento, 5 km northwest. Barsento includes a 6th-century rural church once linked to a Benedictine abbey founded in 591. Though much altered, the building retains its original plan.
Pasolini’s Alberobello
Pier Paolo Pasolini demonstrated his attachment to Alberobello when writing in 1951:
"Maybe the masterpiece of Puglia is Alberobello, there is no tourist guide that ignores it, no geography book for middle schools that does not have photographs of its trulli ... Alberobello is a perfect town whose formula has become style in the rigor with which it has been applied.
... The trulli cluster in the sloping ground looks serene and pure, veiled by the narrow, winding streets that crawl its grotesque and exquisite architecture. The colours are rigidly white - a whitish and cold white, with a few blue stripes - and the black smoke. But every now and then in the irrefutable warp of this architecture ... opens a fracture where the emerald green and the orange of a garden fade.”
Our Suggestions: How to Do Alberobello
It’s your holiday. Go at your own pace. But with so much else to see in Puglia, we suggest keeping your visit focused and mindful.
When to Go
Most guides advise arriving early to avoid the tour buses. These days, though, that advice is well known, and even the early mornings get crowded. Besides, the crowds are now part of the Alberobello experience.
Our advice? Come when it suits you. Mid-morning or after 5pm works well. If you have your own transport, two hours is more than enough to see the town—excluding time for lunch or dinner.
Unmissable Historical Landmarks
- Casa D’Amore: Located in Piazza del Popolo, this small but significant house holds a special place in Alberobello’s history, as it was the first building constructed after the town gained independence from feudal rule in 1797.
- Trullo Sovrano: This is the only two-storey trullo in Alberobello and the largest of its kind, showcasing the versatility of traditional dry-stone architecture.
- The Church of the Santi Medici: A late 19th-century church located near some of the oldest trulli settlements, blending Alberobello’s religious and architectural heritage.
- Pezzolla House Complex: A well-preserved group of 18th-century homes that provides a glimpse into the communal lifestyle of Alberobello’s past.
- Chiesa Parrocchiale di Sant'Antonio da Padova: Attractive trullo church.
Visit Responsibly
Alberobello has suffered from over-tourism. To support the town while enjoying it:
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Visit off-season: Late autumn and winter are quiet, and local businesses still need your support.
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Use public transport: Parking is limited. The train station is centrally located and well-connected.
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Stay outside the centre: Trulli stays in the countryside offer better value and a more authentic feel.
Final tip: Let Alberobello be part of your trip, not the whole point. Done right, it adds texture to your Puglia experience. Done rushed, it can feel more theme park than time travel. But approached thoughtfully, it remains one of Italy’s most extraordinary human-made landscapes.
Where to Eat in Alberobello
Avoid restaurants where hot dogs and hamburgers headline the menus | avoid the canteen restaurants with vast dining spaces that cater for the organised bus tours.
Here’s our list of trusted spots—from rustic and budget-friendly to refined and celebratory.
1. Macelleria La Fontana 1914 da Mimmo
Instagram: @macellerialafontana1914
A local butcher by trade—but one that cooks up your selection on the spot. Choose your meat, grab a glass of wine, and sit down to eat it hot from the grill. No frills, local and very Puglia.
Must-try: Bombette, salsiccia, steak alla brace.
2. Coppino
Website: coppino.it.
Small but charming, with outdoor seating right on Alberobello’s main thoroughfare, Coppino serves authentic, homemade orecchiette and polpette just like nonna would make. Order and pay at counter, then take a seat. Served in eco-friendly tubs—a hybrid between street food and home cooking. Simple, cheerful, and very good value (from under €10 per dish)
Try: Polpette di pane, orecchiette with tomato and basil, or the day’s special. Fresh bread baked in-house.
Website: trattoriaterramadre.it
A lovely garden setting with a focus on zero-kilometre, seasonal produce—including from their own vegetable patch.
Slow, sunny lunches. Ideal forvVegetarians, slow food lovers, and those craving something wholesome.
Try: Oven-baked vegetables, homemade pasta with seasonal greens
4. La Cantina
Website: lacantinaristorante.it
Traditional family-run trattoria with stone interiors and warm service.
Try: Fave e cicorie, cavatelli with meat sauce, grilled local meats
Website: casanovailristorante.com
Just outside the busy trulli zone, this is an elegant but unfussy spot for high-quality regional food. Quiet, elegant, and excellent service.
Try: Stracciatella with roasted tomatoes, orecchiette with cime di rapa
Website: evoristorante.it
For many years, our top choice in town for fine dining, set inside a beautiful trullo. Book ahead!
Try: Lamb with myrtle, spaghettone with black garlic and cheese
7. Trullo d’Oro
Website: trullodoro.it
Long-standing favourite for traditional cuisine inside a formal historic trullo.
Try: Orecchiette, stewed lamb, tagliolini with mushrooms.
Trullo location and consistent, hearty food in the tourist heart of Alberobello. Somewhat touristy, but a safe and scenic choice!
Try: Mixed antipasti, pasta with rocket and sausage, grilled meats
Website: ilguerciodipuglia.it
Wine bar meets gourmet bistro, with local wines by the glass and small plates. Good choice for a light dinner, late lunch, or upscale aperitivo.
Try: Burrata with anchovies, bread polpette, seasonal vegetable dishes.
Website: martinucci.it
For sweet treats or a much-needed espresso break for a mid-morning or afternoon recharge. Plus cocktails!
Try: Pasticciotto, torta della nonna, caffè leccese
Alternatively | jump in your car and head off to Monopoli. A 35 minute drive, but well worth it. Find a restaurant on the Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi by the old port and relax with a chilled glass of red wine, well away from the crowds and inflated prices on offer in Alberobello.
How to get there
One of the pleasures of Alberobello is enjoying the drive through the Valle d’Itria getting there, or back.
We have two favourite routes. Enjoy the climb (or descent) coming from (or going to) Monopoli making it feel more than the 20 km / 25 minute drive.
Otherwise the gently undulating drive from Ostuni does the trick. It’s about a 35 km / 40 minutes via Cisternino and Locorotondo. Add 10 minutes driving by Martina Franca. Either way, enjoy the EU infrastructure investment as fresh as the renovated trulli that pass you by.
The public transport network in Puglia is not fully developed. The further away you travel from the stretch of coast between Bari and Lecce the more cumbersome it becomes.
You can take a train from Bari to Alberobello, as well as trains from Brindisi and Lecce using the Ferrovie Sud Est (FSE). There is also a bus from Bari (from just behind the main train station). Beware, there may be connections.
Find out more from our links and information on Puglia’s public transport system and accessible travel in Puglia (which also includes information on the most used Italian apps, with English language options, for using public transport including timetables, ticket pricing and e-booking).
Parking
If you’re arriving by car, park along Via Indipendenza, which has ample parking. Follow the signs to the trulli district where you will find at least three main car parks.
Car park 2 at the (Parcheggio2 Alberobello | Parcheggio Anfiteatro Comunale located at Piazzale Biagio Miraglia) is usually the most convenient. The 2020 rate was 2€ per hour, with a 6€ flat fee for all day parking. The car park is open 24 hours a day. These will usually start filling up at 10am and likely full by 11am.
Alternatively try Alberobello Parcheggio Viale Indipendenza 6, Parcheggio Via Indipendenza 5 ("L'Olmo Bello"), Parcheggio Viale Indipendenza 4 - "Parking Service", Parcheggio Viale Indipendenza 3 - Trulli Parking Area, Parcheggio Via Colombo, Parcheggio Via Indipendenza, Puglia Parking.
From Monopoli | try the Corso Trieste e Trento. Park as close to the top end (towards the Basilica Santuario Parrocchia Santi Medici Cosma e Damiano). It’s pay and display, usually free during afternoon siesta hours, but cheaper than the designated trulli district parking (tip: keep a note of your vehicle registration number; you may need it for the parking ticket). From there its a short walk - less than 10 minutes - down through the Piazza del Popolo to the trulli district.
Alternatively |
From Cisternino | Locorotondo | Martina Franca | the Camper Parking "Nel Verde" Area on Via Cadore charged 5€ for all day car parking (2022 rates). It provides RV parking near the city center. It has electricity but no facilities. 10€ for 6 hrs.
Genesis of the trulli
Tax avoidance.
There are many theories about the origin of the design and the dry stone construction of the trulli. The most popular is that to avoid property taxes the ever resourceful people of Puglia created dry wall buildings so that they could be dismantled when tax collectors were in the area.
Just don’t tell the Guardia di Finanza. Più le cose cambiano, più rimangono le stesse.
Want some moreberobello?
The History of the Trulli
Love Me Trulli | The Story Of Puglia’s Unique Historic Dwellings
If you are looking for a walking tour Mimmo Palmisano is regarded as one of the most knowledgeable guides in the area. We haven’t been on a tour with him yet.
Alberobello 80s style
Episode 7 from the BBC language series, Italianissimo. Shoulder pads optional ..
Trulli Scrumptious
We knew that if we persisted we would eventually find a use for this headline. Gino D’Acampo visits some trulli.
Enough berrobello
After the turf of the Valle d’Itria, fancy some surf instead?