The “trulli” are buildings characterized by one single unit with a dome-shaped roof, completely made of stone with no clay.

The roofs are composed of horizontal concentric rings of stones that surmount one another vertically, each time becoming smaller than the below one. The last one, is closed using a big stone that it is locally called “chianca”.

This buildings have a very ancient origin. They probably date back to the megalithic age. Some examples can also be found in Egypt (3000 b.C approximately).

At the beginning they used as a shelter by the farmers, first only during the harvest period and then also in the rest of the year. They were often built by the farmers themselves who used the stones they found while reclaimining the land. Nowadays they have become characteristic and comfortable houses where tourists can find an accomodation for their holiday in the Salento area.

The stones of the “trulli” change colour according to the light of the day: at dawn they look red. When the sun is high and hot, they seem to be larger, as if they were trying to better receive light and heat. At sunset they look pink. During the night their shape can easily be recognized. They can be considered a sort of sentinel, the witness of the history of the Salento area.