Puglia is fast becoming the 'sharp stiletto' of
Europe's stylish boot.
Puglia (Apulia) lies in Italy's most south-easterly
corner, flanked by the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Its
beauty lies in its rich landscape and varied architecture
and its charm is its people. Puglia is one of Italy's
least known yet most sophisticated and exotic territories.
80% of Italy's pasta and olive oil originate from
Puglia, as well as a huge proportion of its fish,
almonds, tomatoes, cherries and grapes. However, Puglia
is not known for its agriculture alone. The landscape
is dotted with ancient, dome-shaped buildings known
as trulli.
Trulli are white or grey, conical roofed dwellings
that are unique to this region of Italy. They are
of a stone construction and their distinctive cone-shaped
roofs are often adorned with pagan or Christian iconography.
'Trullishire', as Puglia's Vale d'Itria is quickly
becoming known, is located between the beautiful hilltop
towns of Cisternino and Ostuni. Just half an hour's
drive away is Alberobello, a UNESCO world heritage
site, where virtually every one of its many buildings
is a trullo.
