Imagine for a moment that there is a real life, human version of Hobbiton, where the houses are above ground and are constructed of stone. To be hobbit-like the houses would be small and sometimes round, with quaint, conical roofs, and they would line a hillside on charming, narrow streets. In order to give the town an air of authenticity, it would have to be old, very old, yet well kept, and with shops and comfortable taverns where locals and visitors could down a cold pint or two with their friends.
As you have probably guessed by now, such a place actually exists, and today Michele and I had the good fortune to see it for ourselves. Alberobello is a small town of 11,000 residents located near the top of the heel of the boot that Italy resembles. It is the latest in a long string of UNESCO World Heritage Sites that we have visited on this cruise, and it is clearly deserving of that status.
Alberobello isn’t on the coast and it doesn’t have a major airport, so getting there does take some doing. In our case that meant docking at Bari, a major city and seaport at the very top of the heel on Italy’s Adriatic coast and taking a one hour bus ride south and inland. The effort is worth it, for Alberobello is magical, and best of all it’s real.
The houses in Alberobello really are round, really are built entirely of stone, and really do have stone, conical roofs. They are also old, dating back to the 1400s and 1500s. The narrow streets run up and down two opposing hillsides, and the low, wide area in between is a plaza lined with shops, taverns and restaurants. Due to the thousands of tourists (like us) who visit every year many of the homeowners have also monetized their residences by converting them into tiny shops. Others rent them out to vacationers who want the experience of staying in these unique structures. I’m doubtful that very many of them are actually lived in year around by their owners, but that in no way reduces their charm.
Our knowledgeable guide led us on a walking tour of the town and then turned us loose for almost ninety minutes to explore on our own, do some shopping, and maybe get a bite to eat or drink. The final stop on the guided part of our tour was at the stunning Saint Antony of Padua Church, which features several of the same conical stone peaks that top the houses in town.
One of the highlights we stumbled upon during our free time was a small shop near the top of one of the hills that had a flat rooftop ideal for viewing the town and its hundreds of conical roofs. All we had to do to gain access was be a paying customer of the shop, which we accomplished by purchasing an ice cream bar and bottle of lemonade. The view from the rooftop was outstanding, and totally worth the modest price of admission. Heck, I was in the mood for an ice cream bar anyway.
Our free time went by quickly and Michele was again successful in buying a postcard and stamp, and mailing a card home from country number forty on our journey. And I have to admit that after the walking tour and free time the heat, sun and lack of shade had me about ready to hop back on the bus for the ride back to the ship.
The rides to and from Alberobello were actually pretty interesting. This part of southern Italy is very agricultural, and we passed field after field of olives, vineyards, and baled hay. Also, for a change it was flat until we got closer to Alberobello and the terrain gradually became hillier.
As I write this we’re back at sea, on our way north up the Adriatic toward Ravenna, where we’ll be docked for two days while Michele and I visit Venice and San Marino, places that have been on my bucket list for a long time. I collected stamps from San Marino when I was young, and it will be fun to mail a postcard home with a San Marino postmark on it.
I’ll be back with a full report, but until then, as our Italian cruise director says, “ciao, ciao, for now.”
If you’re my age you remember when we had Esso signs on gas stations in the US. I saw this one in Bari as we were leaving the port on our way to Alberobello.
This scene reminded me of home. We saw lots of fields of baled hay, grapevines, and olive trees on our way to Alberobello.
There they are, several of the conical stone roofs on the homes in the historical district of Alberobello.
Narrow, often winding streets added to the charm.
We were allowed to enter one of the homes, which had adjoining rooms. Check out the hobbit-sized door.
Some houses were square, some round, but they all had conical stone roofs.
Some houses were larger and nicer than others. They weren’t all identical.
Great shot of a portion of the historic district of Alberobello. Altogether there are 1400 of these homes in the town.
I can’t imagine how they built these roofs without them falling in while they were doing it.
Another neat shot of homes on the hillside.
I hope my photos don’t seem too repetitive. I couldn’t stop snapping them.
Closeup of a well made roof. These houses date back to the 1400s and 1500s.
That’s the plaza between the hillsides. It was lined with shops, cafes and restaurants.
The newer part of town is nice too. Behind the fountain and Italian flag is an obelisk honoring Italian war dead.
Another neat photo on the edge of the historic district. These hats will likely be sold to tourists before the season is over.
Alberobello is genuinely charming.
One of the winding streets where many of the homes have been turned into tiny shops.
Some of the houses had symbols painted on the roofs.
Beautiful church in the newer part of town.
This church, however, is very much a part of the historic district. The Saint Antony of Padua Church has several conical stone peaks atop it.
This is a photo of the cover of a booklet on display inside the church. It does a much better job of showing the conical stone peaks on the roof.
The inside of the church is very pretty too.
One more shot from inside the church.
One of the photos we took from the roof of a shop. We gained access to the roof by buying an ice cream bar and a bottle of lemonade from the proprietor.
Another shot from the shop roof.
Michele on the shop roof.
One last shot from the shop roof. It really was a great vantage point.
There was a mailbox right in the plaza where Michele was able to mail a postcard home.
The conical stone structures aren’t strictly limited to Alberobello. For centuries farmers in the area have built them in their fields to store crops and farm implements. That’s the Adriatic Sea in the background. I took this photo on the drive back to the port in Bari.
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