italy | puglia | alberobello

 

when you think of puglia (apulia), you may envision the distinctive whitewashed stone huts with conical roofs in alberobello.

trulli | alberobello | BA | italy

foreground | view of the rione monti district from the rione aia piccola district

background | chiesa sant’antonio da padova (church of saint anthony of padua)

photo credit lisa walsh | innerspace

 

there are over 1600 trulli of alberobello (trulli di alberobello) in the unesco world heritage site.

maps via unesco and geoplan.it

 

1030 trulli are concentrated in the rione monti district.

and, another 590 trulli are located in the rione aia piccola district.

trulli | alberobello | BA | italy

view of the rione monti district from piazza giangirolamo

photo credit lisa walsh | innerspace

 

trulli | alberobello | BA | italy

view of the rione aia piccola district from via cristoforo colombo

photo credit lisa walsh | innerspace

 

the trulli are built using a prehistoric method of dry stone construction that is unique to the region of the itria valley (valle d’itria).

more complex than the stone age construction process of the cave dwellings of matera (sassi di matera), which are simply enclosed by building an exterior wall of excavated stones.

section via italiansindc

 

even though they have conical roofs, trulli are rectangular buildings.

their double faced stone walls, which have rubble cores, are constructed from collected or excavated boulders or stones without using masonry mortar.

the eaves at the corners of the building channel water into an underground cistern.

the internal layer of the double faced roof is structurally supported by squinches (corner arches).  and, the external layer of the conical roof is constructed from corbelled stone shingles.

isometric drawing via the mind of architecture

 

the pinnacles on the roofs of the trulli, as well as the symbols that are painted on the shingles of the roofs with white ash,

are believed to have apotropaic power that wards off evil and misfortune.

trulli | alberobello | BA | italy

apotropaic pinnacles and symbols on the roofs

photo credits lisa walsh | innerspace

 

piazza d’annunzio | rione monti | alberobello | BA | italy

tenuta girolamo | piazza d’annunzio | rione monti | alberobello | BA | italy

photo credits lisa walsh | innerspace

 

casa lippolis | piazza pagano | rione aia piccola | alberobello | BA | italy

18th century | two story | built using masonry mortar

photo credit lisa walsh | innerspace

 

casa museo trullo sovrano | piazza sacramento | alberobello | BA | italy

18th century | two story with a staircase | built without using masonry mortar

photo credits lisa walsh | innerspace

 

many of the citta bianche (white cities), including alberobello, locorotondo, martina franca, cisternino, ceglie messapica, and ostuni, are located in the valle d’itria, which runs between putignano and martina franca.

map via zeemaps

 

my husband, bob, and i stopped in putignano for lunch at angelo sabatelli ristorante.

angelo sabatelli ristorante | via santa chiara | putignano | BA | italy

melanzane arrosto, pomodorini, basilico e burrata di angelo sabatelli (roasted eggplant, tomatoes, basil and burrata by angelo sabatelli)

click here for the ricette (recipe)

photos via great italian chefs and  great italian chefs

 

pranzo (lunch) was molto buono (very good). actually, delicious.

and, the valle d’itria is molta bella (very beautiful).

vineyards.  olive orchards.  and, trulli, trulli, and more trulli…

trulli | valle d’itria (itria valley) | near ceglie messapica | BR | italy

trulli | valle d’itria (itria valley) | near locorotondo | BA | italy

photo credits lisa walsh | innerspace

 

did you know that apulia produces about 33% of italian olive oil?

trulli | valle d’itria (itria valley) | near locorotondo | BA | italy

photo credit lisa walsh | innerspace

 

sadly, the olive orchards in southern apulia are now infested by xylella fastidosa, a bacterium spread by the spittlebug (sputacchina), an insect related to the sharpshooter, which last infested california wine country during the 1990’s.

as a result, about 10% of italy’s olive oil production has been lost during the past year.

click here to read a financial times (ft) article about the infestation.

from this:  healthy olive orchard | carovigno (near ostuni) | BR | italy

to that:  diseased olive orchard | surbo (near lecce) | LE | italy

photo credits lisa walsh | innerspace

 

fortunately, the centenary olive trees in the sculpture garden at la fiermontina, our hotel in lecce, remain healthy.

the sculptures are by rené letourneur (1898-1990) and jacques zwobada (1900-1967), two french artists who both loved the owners’ grandmother, antonia fiermonte (1914-1956), and were both loved by her.

 

the sculpture garden | la fiermontina | lecce | LE | italy

photo credits lisa walsh | innerspace

 

la fiermontina is a restored masseria (fortified farmhouse) in the centro storico (historic city center) of lecce.  the baroque architecture in lecce is comparable to the baroque architecture in sicily.

our room featured a drawing of antonia fiermonte by jacques zwobada.

jacques zwobada | antonia de dos | 1943

photo credit la fiermontina

 

and, a honey colored lecce limestone vaulted ceiling.

 

junior suite number 1 | la fiermontina | lecce | LE | italy

photo via  tripadvisor

 

bella (beautiful)!