Alberobello

Alberobello
Comune
Comune di Alberobello

Three trulli

Coat of arms
Alberobello

Location of Alberobello in Italy

Coordinates: 40°47′N 17°14′E / 40.783°N 17.233°E / 40.783; 17.233
Country Italy
Region  Apulia
Province Bari (BA)
Frazioni Coreggia, Pantanelli, San Leonardo
Government
  Mayor Michele Maria Longo [1]
Area
  Total 40 km2 (20 sq mi)
Elevation 416 m (1,365 ft)
Population (31 December 2007)
  Total 11,040
  Density 280/km2 (710/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Alberobellesi - Selvesi
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 70011
Dialing code 080
Patron saint Saints Cosmas and Damian
Saint day 27 September
Website Official website
UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Trulli of Alberobello
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Type Cultural
Criteria iii, iv, v
Reference 787
UNESCO region Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription 1996 (20th Session)

Alberobello (Italian: [ˌalberoˈbɛllo]; literally "beautiful tree") is a small town and comune of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. It has about 11,000 inhabitants and is famous for its unique trulli buildings. The Trulli of Alberobello have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996.

The roofs of Alberobello's trulli

History

Alberobello was first mentioned in the early sixteenth century when the first 40 families got land to farm in the area. The abundance of calcareous sedimentary material in the area lead to the building of houses with dry stone without the use of mortar. These houses were the first trulli which contributed to the expansion of the settlement. Building the houses of dry stone was a requirement of Count Giangirolamo II as this way it was avoidable to pay taxes on them. Alberobello was feud of the Acquaviva of Aragon until May 27, 1797, when King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon received Alberobello and issued a decree that elevated the small village to a royal city, freeing them from feudal serfdom.

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Alberobello is twinned with:

External links

Media related to Alberobello at Wikimedia Commons

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, November 02, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.