Trullo Petrarolo was built sometime in the mid 1700s most likely as a home to foreman or head farmer for neighbouring Nobleman, Signor Petrarolo and his large Masseria and estate. Trulli, the plural form of Trullo, were historically used in fields, made by farmers using stones that they cleared from their land to form shelters for them to rest in during the day and to store their tools. As Puglia became a wine region in the 1800s trulli became more popular not only as farm shelters, but as homes.
They are built using local limestones, or tufa, stacked without any mortar, in a circular shape. Once the main structure is done, the iconic conical roof is added. Many have pinnacles on top of the cones that are said to be signatures of the stonesmith who built the trulli. This made it possible to dismantle the roof without harming the base structure. Local legend is that in order to avoid paying property taxes, the owners would demolish the roofs to make the structure look like a pile of rocks so they didn’t have to pay for it.
Trullo Petrarolo has been meticulously restored in its original form. There are two main cones, the larger one was used as stable with a mezzanine for grain storage. The smaller of the two cones had a large fireplace where the bed now sits and was the family’s kitchen and bedroom. The second ensuite was creatively carved out of a very large oven. The cistern at the front of the house was built first, then those stones were used to build the original structure.
Trullo Petrarolo masterfully incorporates luxury into what was a simple dwelling. The charm is carried through to the exterior with the original large stone chianche and the exterior staircases have been restored to wrap around the cones leading up to the rooftop terrace where views of the blue Adriatic never disappoint.