What’s up, discoverers? Welcome back.

Ever heard of a town almost entirely made up of fairy tale houses? Well, welcome to Alberto Bellow, where the rooftops are conical, the walls are limestone, and the magic is real. And what if I told you that this fairy tale town was built in a way to avoid paying taxes? Behind every cone-shaped roof in Alberobello lies a clever trick, one that helped locals outsmart the kingdom. Stick around because this isn’t just a pretty town, it’s a genius one. Picking up from where we left off in our Bishelli vlog, our group of eight rounded up in two separate vehicles in direction for the truly town of Alberto Bellow. We followed Nico’s uncle to a nearby parking space. And from there, we made our way on foot to the town.

So about I guess 20-25 minutes away from Castellana Caves is a city called Albero Bellow something like that. Alberobello I think it’s Albero any in town. Uh it’s difficult to pronounce but uh anyway it’s supposed to be a really nice place. They have this really specific type of house from the past. If you look up there, you see the kind of like pyramid triangle tops. Um, so it’s typical of here with the rocks and everything. I think Nico was also explaining the history behind that. So I’m going to brush up a little bit on the the knowledge from there and uh speak a little bit more about it, but uh we’re going to go around and uh show a little bit about the city. Already we parked the car uh €6 for about 4 hours, I guess, something like that. and we’re just going to go around. If we feel like having dinner here, we’ll have dinner and uh otherwise we’ll show you some sites. So, it should be cool.

Actually, before getting started with the historical section, we followed the group to a viewpoint. This was a great place to get acquainted with the spot. and even more so to take some snapshots. We got to see a wonderful overview of the local homes and also managed to capture a group picture here.

[Music] The word trulo, singular of truly comes from the Greek word for dome. These dry-stone huts date back to the 14th century. Locals say they were designed this way so they could be quickly dismantled. Why, you ask? Well, according to local legend, it was all about dodging taxes. During the rule of the Kingdom of Naples, homeowners were taxed for each permanent dwelling on their land. But these clever villagers found a loophole. When the word spread that the tax inspector was on his way, all the homeowner had to do was climb up to the top of the roof and remove one single keystone. Without that one vital stone, the whole roof would gently collapse on itself, making the Trulo appear unfinished or uninhabitable.

And if there was no official house, there were no taxes to pay. Once the coast was clear, the family would simply restack the stones, repair the roof, and carry on with their daily life. No fines, no fees, just some clever rural ingenuity. The truly may look like a storybook home, but their construction is pure local genius.

All this limestone, it came straight from the fields nearby. As farmers cleared their lands to grow crops, they used the stones to build their homes. No trucks, no imports, just smart, sustainable architecture that’s lasted for centuries. There was no rhyme or reason to discovering the town. Instead of discovering in a certain fashion, we followed the group as they brought us from one alley to another. We found the main alleyway that gave us that postcard feeling and other hidden sections where we found ourselves away from the crowds. The Rion Monty is considered that postcard zone. This is where you’ll find cafes, souvenir shops, and those iconic rooftops stacked for days.

I personally enjoyed this spot for picture taking.

And just a few minutes away, suddenly silence. Aya Piccola gives you a peek into the real Albero Bellow with families still living in these homes. And unlike the single cone structures we see in the busy lanes, these are multicon truly. cleverly expanded over time to create cozy, livable spaces. Many of the homes in Albero Bellow aren’t just unique in shape.

They’re painted with mysterious white symbols. Some date back to primitive times. Others are mystical or religious. From trident representing the Trinity to cosmic crosses to the initials of Jesus. Each symbol tells a personal or spiritual story right from the rooftop.

These rooftop symbols aren’t assigned.

They were personal. Each family or builder picked a design that resonated with them.

Whether it was for protection, faith, or even just tradition, painted with white lime, they could be reapplied each year. A little like a spiritual touch-up. These symbols were like the emojis of their time. Personal expressions of belief, hope, and protection, painted proudly on the rooftops for all to see. The original truly were built without a drop of mortar, just stone on stone, perfectly balanced. But today, with the tax man long gone, many homes have been discreetly reinforced. Think plumbing, electricity, and yes, a little modern cement magic.

all hidden to keep the fairy tale charm intact. And if you’re lucky, you might spot the rooftop cat of Albero Bellow set to climb the cones like she owns the town. According to locals, she kind of does.

Albero Bellow may be small, but it leaves a big impression. It’s like stepping into a story book you never knew you needed. If and when discovering this region of Pulia, we highly recommend that you make some time for Albero Bellow. Of course, if you felt the visuals moved you in any way, Albero Bella was an 80-minute drive from Bishelli, but you could opt to stay in a closer town, making it faster to visit the Truly Town. Hold on, here’s an idea. Why not book your own Truly home for an overnight stay?

Ellie will leave that link in the video’s description and in our eventual blog post. After our visit, we returned to the parking lot located on Independent Street just outside the historical center. A short 5-minute walk from the action, and it was much easier than trying to drive into the heart of town.

We hopped back into our respective cars and followed Nikico’s uncle to a restaurant for dinner. They led us to Samicelli Diari, more precisely to a restaurant called Santagata Braseria. To me, Braseria sounded like a brewery, but it’s actually what Italians call grill or steakhouse. Walking in, it looked like a butcher shop and gave me the impression that we were buying meat to go.

Don’t let this fool you because downstairs is where you pick your meat and then they grill it for you to perfection and upstairs is the restaurant section where they bring you the dish. Rustic, authentic, and absolutely delicious.

It felt like a fondue style, but with none of us needing to do anything. The food was delicious, company was marvelous, and the experience was one for the books.

Welcome back. Thanks for joining us in this magical corner of Pulia. And don’t forget to subscribe for even more off the beaten path destinations in the region. Pulia is full of them. But remember, we’re discovering with locals, which always adds that extra layer.

Think of the truly simple on the outside, full of stories within. Let us know in the comment section. Have you ever seen houses like these? Next up, we’re headed to Matera. You might know it as the Pepei village where Mel Gibson filmed The Passion of the Christ. Better hit that notification bell cuz you’re not going to want to miss this. Ciao Tuti.

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