Italy, South Italy, Southern Italy, Southern Italy road trip, South Italy road trip, Italy road trip, Alberobello, Alberobello Italy, Trulli, Trullo, Apulia, Puglia

A Quick Guide To Alberobello + 5 Things To Do In Alberobello

Updated December 2023, A Quick Guide To Alberobello + 5 Things To Do In Alberobello was originally published in June 2020

We stopped into Alberobello as part of our larger Southern Italy road trip in the fall of 2018 to visit the unique Trulli, the conical-roofed homes the city has become famous for.

Despite being one of the largest tourist draws to the Puglia region Alberobello is still a fascinating place to have on your Italian itinerary.

Start planning here: The Southern Italy road trip itinerary

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A Quick History Of Alberobello & The Trulli

A Trullo (Trulli if plural) is a peculiar style of home unique to the Puglia region of Italy. These odd structures can be spotted all over as you travel around Puglia, though Alberobello is home to the largest and densest concentration of them.

The Trulli of Alberobello and the Itria valley have an unusual (theoretical) history. It’s believed that the Trulli were built out of a dry limestone in a conical fashion so that the families who were brought in to work the crops in the Itria Valley by the Acquaviva family, a local feudal ruling family, could quickly dismantle their very own Trullo on command when the Acquaviva family got wind that the tax inspectors were coming to pay a visit.

As soon as the inspectors left the area, they could quickly and easily rebuild. This was a way of the Acquaviva family avoiding paying their tax to the kingdom. The Trulli date back to the 16th century.

By the 18th century, Francesco d’Amore led a revolt against the Acquaviva family, as pleasant workers in the region were sick of having to tear down and rebuild their homes at a moment’s notice.

Fast forward to present day, and the majority of Alberobello’s approximately 10,000 residents no longer live in Trulli, they mostly live in the new city. However, over 1,500 Trulli have been maintained and restored and function as accommodations, shops, and cafes open to visit.

Looking for more off the beaten path Italy? Check out these 20 off the beaten path destinations

Things To Do In Alberobello

Take A Walking Tour Of Rione Monte

Rione Monte is the epicenter of Alberobello’s Trulli, home to over 1,000 trullo and no other type of building. This is the more touristy area, so especially in summer and on weekends you can expect it to be quite crowded.

We visited Alberobello on November 2, which is the second day of the All Saints holiday, so the Rione Monte was still pretty busy with locals and Italian tourists getting out for the long weekend given that it was a holiday.

You can meander down the paths of this section of Alberobello checking out the Trulli as well as doing some souvenir shopping or grabbing a snack or meal at a cafe.

Don’t miss the fascinating cave city of Matera in neighboring Basilicata

Wander The Quiet Streets Of Aia Piccola

Aia Piccola is the other, less touristed side of Alberobello. As you’ll likely park in the main parking lot on Via Martellota/Indipendeza, this will be on the otherwise of the street.

We liked visiting Aia Piccola more than Rione Monte just because it was a bit quieter. This is the area in which we spent the most time taking photos of the Trulli.

Casa d’Amore

As mentioned earlier Francesco d’Amore led a revolt against the tyranny of the Acquaviva family in the 1700s. Casa d’Amore is a symbol for Alberobello as the end of the feudal era. Built in 1797 after the Liberation Decree was issued by the king, this was the first home in Alberobello to be built of mortar.

Want to explore more of south Italy? Don’t miss the Amalfi Coast

Church Of Saint Anthony Of Padua

Located in Rione Monte, the Church of Saint Anthony was built using a combination of influences from the traditional Truli of Alberobello and Romanesque-Pugliese architecture.

Trullo Sovrano

Trullo Sovrano is the largest Trullo in Alberobello, located in Piazza Sacramento, and has two floors. In 1930 the home was declared a national museum. It also serves a tourist information center.

Trullo Sovrano entrance: € 1.50

Going to Basilicata too? Don’t miss beautiful Castelmezzano & Pietrapertosa

How Long To Visit Alberobello

We stayed in Alberobello for about three hours wandering around between Trulli and having lunch. It’s a small place, so you don’t need to dedicate heaps of time to it unless you have a huge interest in the Trulli or the architecture of them.