The trulli of Alberobello are the world's most beautiful tax evasion scheme. In the 17th century, the Counts of Conversano ordered their peasants to build houses using DRY STONE (no mortar) — so that when the Kingdom of Naples sent tax inspectors (who taxed permanent settlements), the duke could order the roofs dismantled overnight, turning "houses" into "piles of rocks." The inspectors left. The roofs went back up. 1,500 trulli survive, UNESCO-listed, their conical roofs still assembled without a single drop of mortar. Full guide →
Rione Monti: The main trulli district — 1,030 trulli cascading down a hillside. Walk the narrow streets. The roofs are capped with pinnacles (each one different — cross, star, heart, sphere). The symbols painted on the roofs (white on grey stone) are debated: Christian symbols? Pagan? Astrological? Masonic? Nobody agrees. Trullo Sovrano (Piazza Sacramento): The ONLY 2-story trullo — now a museum (€1.50). Built in the 18th century as a semi-religious meeting place. Chiesa a Trullo di Sant'Antonio: A CHURCH built in trullo form (1926) — the dome is a giant trullo cone. Rione Aia Piccola: The residential trulli district — PEOPLE STILL LIVE HERE. Less touristy than Monti. Walk quietly.
Sleeping in a trullo is the Puglia experience. Whitewashed interior, stone cone above your bed, thick walls keeping it cool in summer. €60-150/night (Booking.com, Airbnb — search "trullo Alberobello" or "trullo Valle d'Itria"). Better: stay in the Valle d'Itria COUNTRYSIDE (between Alberobello, Locorotondo, Cisternino) — isolated trulli with gardens, olive groves, silence. Agriturismo tips →
From Bari: FSE train (1.5h, €5) or car (1h via SS100). From Lecce: Car 1.5h. Visit: 2-3 hours for Alberobello itself. Combine: Locorotondo (10 min — the round white town on a hill). Cisternino (15 min — butcher shops where you choose raw meat and they grill it while you wait, €8-12). Puglia complete → · Beautiful borghi →