HOTEL SANT'ANTONIO

The foundation of Alberobello can be traced back to the 15th century by the Acquaviva-D'Aragona, counts of Conversano, but its real urban development dates back to 1635, by Count Giangirolamo II Acquaviva Orsini Del Balzo D'Aragona .The name of this singular town derives from Sylva Arboris Belli, or rather the tree of the war tree, from an oak grove that in ancient times covered the entire territory. Under the dominion of the Acquaviva, therefore, this small feud began to be populated by peasants who made the fertile 'Selva'. The Counts authorized the settlers to build dry dwellings, so that they could be destroyed in the event of a royal control, as the birth of an urban agglomeration required the payment of a fee. In 1797 some Alberobellesi decided to put an end to this precarious situation and went to Taranto to ask for help from King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon. The king took the request to heart and on May 27, 1797 issued a decree according to which the small village was declared free. It is around the sixteenth century, a few years after the foundation of the village, that the rivalry between Alberobello and the near Locorotondo. When, in fact, the first inhabitants of Alberobello settled in the Selva di Fasano they earned the name of wild from the inhabitants of Locorotondo, who with this denomination not only indicated the origins in the forest, but also the ignorance of the peasants who lived there . The savages, in turn, began to call them palùmb, a dialectal translation of the Italian colombi, even if the why is not clear. Lately, however, it seems that the rivalry between the two villages has become less harsh. The most characteristic districts, in the center of Alberobello, are: the Monti district and the Aia Piccola district. Both national monuments, since December 1996 have been recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. Alberobello, located 426 meters above sea level and just over twenty kilometers from the Adriatic Sea, stands on two hills: the eastern hill is the new city, on the other top there are the characteristic districts of the Trulli, famous throughout the world. The name "trulli" comes from the Greek "tholos", which means dome, and they are buildings of local stone, derived from the rocks emerging from the surface. Each trullo is generally formed by a central square-shaped room, communicating by means of arches with the kitchen and the other rooms. These singular dwellings, on request, can be visited by the public. The tallest and largest example is the so-called Trullo Sovrano, whose construction dates back to the mid-eighteenth century. This is a two-storey building, located in a small square behind the Mother Church, used as a museum and, during the summer, it hosts countless cultural and entertainment events. Also the church of Sant'Antonio, whose dome is 21 high meters, it was built on the Monti district and is also a trullo. In 2004 the church, a Greek cross, was restored to its ancient splendor following a complete restoration. The local handicraft is very flourishing: from iron processing to the production of olive wood baskets; from the production of the famous new wine and the delicious oil to stone processing, etc. etc. Worthy of mention are, in particular, the gastronomic art and the textile art, whose precious products can be found in the shops located among the trulli. In Alberobello there are several fixed appointments for decades, aimed at passing on the memory of popular traditions. Among these we remember the historical re-enactment (in which the expulsion of the count is re-proposed) and the living crib (born in 1970 in the "Monti" district, for ten years the event has been held in the oldest part of the country, the "Aia Piccola" district) ", in a frame made entirely of trulli). There are also cultural events that allow tourists to spend a pleasant stay in the town of Trulli.