Alberobello
The trulli capital is Alberobello, where the massed ranks of trulli line up on the hillside in their hundreds. Many are still private residences, but there are dozens that you can visit, because they house souvenir shops or artisan workshops. There are a few "trulli tipici," which are re-creations of what an inhabited one looks like. Mainly you come here to stroll the pristine cobblestone alleys and admire the immaculate structures. Be sure to note the various hex signs (mysterious figures, whitewashed on the grey stone roofs, that were thought to ward off evil and protect the inhabitants) as well as the many different pinnacles that top the domes. The local people say it was inevitable that the trulli should originate (and remain) here, because the Murge Valley sits atop a thin layer of gray stone that tends to split horizontally into neatly stacked layers only 3 or 4 inches thick. These strata are fragile, so they also split vertically. As a consequence, the abundant rains that fall in the region sink immediately to very great depths, without soaking into the surface, so that by a cruel irony, water is extremely scarce. Many centuries ago, the residents realized that they could use these flat square rocks to build houses with conical roofs that required no mortar (which of course requires water). These miraculous domes could also be erected without the aid of wooden scaffolding, and by angling the stones slightly inward, the resulting structure would literally support itself. A classic trullo style evolved, which began with the digging of a very deep well, then continued with the nearby construction of four stonewalls that were eventually whitewashed. Resting on this square foundation was the conical roof, which culminated in a small hole that was covered by one last flat rock. The Alberobellesi lived in these totally unique dwellings for many, many centuries, isolated in their valley, far away from the political strife that rampaged through southern Italy for over a millennium. Eventually, Puglia became a collection of fiefdoms first of the Anjous and then of the Spanish kings, countless tiny parcels of relatively insignificant land that were tossed back and forth from one small-time noble family to another. During these chivalrous times of battling armies, abject serfdom and impossible taxes, the all-but-forgotten trulli became a perfect hiding place for anyone who opposed the powerful rulers. It was at this time that another miraculous characteristic was discovered: if the lord's mercenaries came hurtling into the valley, searching for the outlaws upon whose heads sat a very appealing bounty, the trulli could be knocked down and obliterated in a matter of minutes, leaving nothing but a heap of old gray stones in their place. The fugitives could hide (often in those legendary deep wells), and when the danger was past, the little beehive homes could be rebuilt in hours, once again providing safe refuge until the next raid occurred.

Locorotondo
Locorotondo appears on the top of a round hill, as a large cluster of white houses dominated by a tall church. The name of the town means "round place", and the circular plan of the old town centre is still evident today. Inside the walls surrounding the centre of town is a fascinating and beautiful warren of narrow streets and alleyways, whitewashed houses and arches. The main individual sites of the town are the impressive Mother Church of St George, built around 1800, and the late Gothic church of San Marco della Greca. Locorotondo probably started as a Greek colony town, but concrete facts about its history date from 1431, when the "Terra Loci Rotondi" belonged to the principality of Taranto. In 1645 it transferred to more local rule under the dukedom of Martina Francesco Caracciolo. Today the town still enjoys terrific views over the Itria Valley and its trulli. It is best known for its wines, most notably the white wine of Locorotondo. It is also in the Guinness book of records for being the only city with five Os in its name.