The first time I visited Pulgia I, like one and all,
couldn’t take my eyes off the odd, even comical domed architecture known as i trulli. So, what exactly are these structures? As per the UNESCO World Heritage Centre: “The
trulli, limestone dwellings found in the southern region of Puglia,
are remarkable examples of drywall (mortarless) construction, a prehistoric
building technique still in use in this region. The trulli are made of
roughly worked limestone boulders collected from neighbouring fields.
Characteristically, they feature pyramidal, domed or conical roofs built up of
corbelled limestone slabs.” The largest
number of trulli can be found in the
town Alberobello, and because of this it is an UNESCO site.
I have often pondered what the trulli interiors could possibly look
like… Maybe the perfect home for the Seven Dwarfs? Or it could be all white, very minimalist to capture the
exterior theme? Maybe simple, yet
elegant? Or rustic, personifying the idea
of a country dwelling? But, without a doubt
unique! And so, here I am, five years
later, back in Puglia, exploring the lovely
town of Cisternino
and… a trullo! This particular trullo is owned by a rural farmer, Vito, but he does not reside
here, rather he uses it as a rental property.
In fact, Vito finds the fascination with the trulli incomprehensible since the original use was as temporary
field shelter for agricultural laborers.
Nevertheless, he and his wife have created a soft, simple and yes,
rustic home. As a designer, I see so
much more potential for the interiors, but in the end this trullo is most perfectly at home in its surroundings.
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