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The name Alberobello is derived from latin Sylva Arboris Belli (the forest of the trees of the war), an ancient oak forest that once covered the entire region. The forest was planted by peasants during the 16th century with the intention of reclaiming the land from the wealthy lords. Historically, Alberobello was a ruled by the feudal lords, under the power of the Counts of Conversano. In the courts of Naples a law was decreed, called “Prammatica Baronibus”, that obliged Counts to pay for every feudal region of their domain. Count Giangirolamo Acquaviva D’Aragona, of the family of the Counts of Conversano, forced his peasants to transfer to the Alberobello region and construct houses that could be easily destroyed when the collector came to take payments on behalf of the king. It was in this way that the peculiar structures of Alberobello came to be, and how the people of this region became masters of this style of architecture.
On the 27th of May, 1797 a delegation of 7 men, “the seven liberators”, left Arburella to visit with King Ferdinando d’Aragona who was in Taranto at the time. As a result of this meeting, the king pronounced the people of Alberobello liberated and free. It was at this time that the “Casa d’Amore” (house of love) was constructed – the first permanent structure built with mortar.
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There are two elements of the trullo construction that are of particular interest; the “pinnacoli” and the “simboli”. The roof of a trullo is topped by a “pinnacolo”. It is generally made of stone, and formed in a cylindrical, bowl, flat, circular or 6-pointed star shape. Its true significance is not known but there are several hypotheses as to its origin. Some attribute the pinnacolo with a magical value, some feel that it only has an ornamental significance and was left as a sort of “signature” of the trullo’s creator/builder. It’s also thought that the pinnacolo, before becoming an ornamental icon, was a distinctive symbol used by rulers themselves.
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