Architecture, tradition and fashion come together in Puglia

Dolce & Gabbana’s star-studded Alta Moda show in the extraordinarily picturesque region of Puglia was billed as an “encapsulation of the profound sense of tradition that defines the local community”. In true luxury-fashion style, the entire town was closed for the five-day event as around 500 guests descended, including a selection of Holywood's elite. Also on the guest list were local craftspeople, who could be seen dressed in traditional Apulian attire, hand-making orecchiette, weaving straw baskets, crafting leather bridles, and carving toys from cactus leaves.

But what do we know about the trulli (singular, trullo) – the cone-roofed structures that provided the backdrop to what Dolce called “the most authentic show of our lives”?

While the rural trulli dot the scenic landscape of the Itria Valley, it's in the quaint town of Alberobello where their highest concentration and best-preserved examples can be found. Wander through the narrow streets of Rione Monti and Aia Piccola, and you'll be greeted by over 1500 trulli, each telling its own story of centuries past.

UNESCO, who designated area as a World Heritage Site in 1996, recognised in the trulli and in Alberobello, as "an exceptional example of vernacular architecture. It is one of the best preserved and most homogeneous urban areas of this type in Europe."

Dating back to the 14th century, trulli showcase the artistry of corbelled dry-stone construction. Crafted from roughly worked limestone, their rectangular forms and conical corbelled roofs resemble something out of a fairytale. Whitewashed walls built without the use of mortar or cement cling to the limestone bedrock. A double-skin structure with a rubble core forms the walls, while doorways and small windows punctuate the facade. Step inside, and you'll discover recessed fireplaces and alcoves nestled within the thick walls.

A popular theory as to why the drystone walling method was employed is that it allowed the original inhabitants to disassemble their homes when the tax inspector came to visit. Others say that the building technique was a requirement of law - introduced by the feudal lord of the day to make residents easier to evict.

The roof comprises a domed inner layer of wedge-shaped stones, forming arches or vaults, topped with a closing stone. The outer cone, made of limestone slabs called chianche or chiancarelle, serves as a watertight shield. Mythological or religious markings adorn the roofs in white ash, a symbol of the trulli's connection to the divine. And no trulli is complete without its decorative pinnacle, a striking feature believed to ward off ill fortune.

The trulli of Alberobello not only embody a timeless building tradition but also capture the essence of a community that continues to thrive within their historical walls.