‘Trulli’ Relaxed in Locorotondo

 

‘Trulli’ Relaxed in Locorotondo

It was late September.  By then, we’d been in Calitri a few weeks.  We decided to run off to someplace new for a few days on a ‘vacation from a vacation’, but where?  When we asked friends for suggestions, Locorotondo was mentioned repeatedly.  

Location of Locorotondo in Italy

As simple as that, a short time later, we embarked on a road trip to Locorotondo.

Locorotondo is lost among olive groves and vineyards in the interior of southern Italy’s high heel, the Italian state of Apulia or, in Italian, Puglia.  We have been to this area before, though mainly along the coast of the Aegean.  In this region of olive trees, cacti, and cone-topped Trulli huts scattered in a landscape of manicured dry stone walls, Locorotondo lies close to more familiar towns like touristy Alberobello and farther south Lecce, referred to as the “Florence of Puglia.”

Locorotondo appears to be an odd name for a town although the quaintness of the name, at least for me, makes it easy to recall. ‘loco’ would seem to

The Locorotondo Old Town is
Definitely Round

connote craziness, while ‘rotondo’ conveys a sense of roundness.  At the local tourist information office, we learned that the site has been settled since ancient times.  Archaeological evidence dates the first settlement, thought to have been a Greek colony, back to the period between the 9th and 7th centuries BC.  The present town dates back to the last decades of the year 1000 AD with the development of an unfortified hamlet under the jurisdiction of a Benedictine monastery in nearby coastal Monopoli. ^[1]  It has had many names before its current one.  Initially, the community was called Casale San Giorgio in honor of its patron saint. The first mention of rotondo or ‘round place’ dates back to 1195 when it became ‘Casale Rotondo’, and subsequently, from Latin, ‘Luogorotondo’.  Only in 1834, with no craziness about it, did it become ‘Locorotondo,’ from the Latin ‘Locus Rotundus’ in reference to the characteristic shape of the historic center, a group of small white houses, laid out in concentric rings situated high on a hilltop. ^{[3] [2]}

It was a gorgeous morning as we departed Calitri and followed the Ofranto River as it meandered beside SS401.  Once we passed Candella alongside the A16 Autostrada, it would be another two hours before we arrived.  As we drove due east into the sun, the terrain gradually changed from the rolling terrain of Campania into the flatlands along the coast of Puglia.  This was especially evident when we passed Cerignola and joined A14 South into the heart of Puglia.  Palm trees, and olive trees so broad you couldn’t get your hands around them, along with cacti heavy with fruit, joined fields sprinkled with Trulli dwellings, new and old.  These traditional dry stone huts are renowned for their cone shaped roofs.  Many are now constructed with multiple cones 

to form unique estates. 

The name, Trulli, originates from a Greek word meaning cupola.  Centuries old, Trulli, made from readily available slabs of tile-like limestone, were generally constructed as temporary field shelters, storehouses, or rustic dwellings by small landowners.  One of the popular theories is that due to high property taxes, the people of Apulia built these structures, absent any form of mortar, to insure they could be dismantled quickly when tax collectors made their rounds of the area.

We were acquainted with the area from past visits to friends and from forays to places like Trani, Bari, lovely Polignano a Mare, and deeper yet to

Villa Aurilia

Lecce, Otranto, and Gallipoli.  Skirting coastal Bari, we turned inland to arrive at Locorotondo by midday.  We were in the heart of Locorotondo when some confusion developed, finding Villa Aurilia along Via Madonna della Catena.  A small sign successfully conspired with a high fence to see us drive right by.  A phone call with directions to a side street and gated parking quickly remedied our predicament.  The villa featured four suites that meet in a common area where breakfast was served daily.  At table, we joined other guests from around the world, one couple from as far away as Brazil.  While the villa dates to 1939, recent renovations make it an oasis of modern comforts.  It was an easy walk to the historic center just streets away.  As we would quickly discover about the village, it too offered a peaceful stay that began with lunch.

It was while exploring the Old Town that we were fortunate to came upon the elegant Bina Ristorante.  At Bina, the past mixes with the present, beginning with a structure dating back to the 1700s.  We were seated 

at a table beneath cross-vaulted ceilings made of a yellow stone characteristic of the region.  The wall colors and white tablecloths helped create a warm, relaxed atmosphere.  The past added to the mood further with a menu based on ancient recipes offering flavors grounded on genuine local products.  Maria Elena had her heart set on fish and chose a savory-flavored sea bream, likely from nearby Aegean waters.  In Greek mythology, this fish was dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of love (Venus to the Romans), which, in addition to its velvety texture, was considered the most attractive and flavorful fish.  A golden mark above its eyes, in the shape of a bow, inspired the name Orata, which is how Italians refer to them.  I went with something I’d not eaten before, a menu surprise: donkey.  We’ve eaten rattlesnakes in Oklahoma, bear in Maine, horse in Tuscany, and only days earlier, octopus in our Calitri kitchen.  Asino (donkey) is very much like chuck roast for those curious about the taste.  It was accompanied by the region’s favorite pasta, orecchiette, in a red sauce.  From their cellar, our mid-afternoon lunch was accompanied by a straw colored bottle of cooled

Maria Elena Looks Over The Menu

wine.  It was produced from 100% Minutolo grapes, a variety new to us, harvested from nearby Valle d’Itria vineyards.  Like our accommodations, this Cardone family wine from one of Puglia's oldest and most prestigious family-run wineries was of undisputed quality.

The old town of Locorotondo is a member of "The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy Association.[4]  This association aims to safeguard, conserve, and revitalize small villages that lie outside of the main Italian tourist circuit.  Criteria for participation include the “integrity of the urban fabric, architectural harmony, livability of the village, and its artistic-historical quality of the public/private buildings.” ^[4]  In recognition of its excellence in tourism, hospitality, accessibility of the old town, and the environment quality, it also received the ‘Orange Flag’

Hospitality Fills Every Alleyway

of the Touring Club of Italy. ^[5]

We began exploring Locorotondo with a walk around its perimeter.  Striking, from its high position and terraced overlooks were the unforgettable views across the bucolic Itria Valley below, dotted with conical Trulli, farms, vineyards, and olive trees.  Like many neighboring villages, this centro storico (historic center) is bathed in uniform whiteness and constructed of a yellowish stone native to the area.  It showcases how pride in a village can meld history with stylish modernity.  With little in the way of tourist attractions, its quaint nature promotes a mood of harmony and serenity, unfit for hurry.

We were soon caught up strolling through the magical atmosphere of its narrow streets, paved

Example of a Commerse Limestone Roof

alleyways, flowered balconies and atriums, precious monuments, and churches.  This intricate network of little streets is lined with old buildings, many with typical white houses called "Le Cummerse." made of two different layers of limestone, which have a regular geometric shape and a pitched roof designed to collect precious water.  Many of these buildings today house residences, businesses, cafes, shops, restaurants, and boutique hotels.

What struck us most was its orderliness.  The town was reminiscent of Dubrovnik, Croatia, just across the Aegean Sea.  As in Debrovnik, everything in this pristine world was cared for and immaculate — no graffiti, litter, decrepit buildings, wild vegetation along the streets — all were absent.  It was evident that the inhabitants were clearly stakeholders in their historic village and took pride in its appearance.  We were taken by the abundance of flowering

plants and vegetation in every nook and cranny, clearly, that we felt, were emblematic of this pridefulness.

We especially enjoyed the town park, Villa Comunale, an oasis of shade just outside the Porta Napoli entrance to the Old Town.  While not large by any stretch of the imagination, its winding paths, frequent benches, shrubbery, monuments, and sculptures offer a relaxing break.  It overlooks the Valle d’Itria and terraced vineyards on the slopes below, which at times give the impression of a seafront, although there is no sea.  According to the Pro Loco visitor center (there’s that ‘loco’ again), the phenomenon is attributed to the morning haze that promotes the illusion of a sea of green stretching to the foothills.  It is much like our perch in Calitri, when the morning’s mist in the valley below creates the illusion Calitri is a seafront Positano.  Some believe it is simply a play on words where the Italian word “lungomura” (along the walls), as the street adjacent to the overlook village walls is called, morphed to “lungomare” (seafront).  Take your pick, an imagined sea or the slip

Locorotondo Park Outside the Old Town

of the tongue.  From this belvedere, while we lingered to take in the striking view of this mythical seafront, we had the added enjoyment of impromptu entertainment thanks to two troubadours.  One played an amplified violin, his colleague a guitar.  Together they strummed melodies from Bach to lovely pieces by Ennio Morricone.  We could have sat there for hours.

It was while wandering the park that we came upon a war memorial inscribed with the names of the town’s fallen from both World Wars.  I was struck by the repeated appearance of the name “Palmisano.”  In WW I alone, the name repeats 20 times over from Angelo Palmisano to Vitantonio Palmisano.  On the WW II death list, Vitantonio appears again, likely the son of the WWI casualty.  The international,

The Prominence of the Palmisano 
Family Among WWI Casualties

bestselling Spanish author Rafel Nadal noticed this.  In his book, The Curse of the Palmisano, he presents the stunning and heartbreaking story of the family’s efforts to preserve their progeny in the face of two world wars.

What attractions there may be in the Old Town, lie in its churches.  The oldest Church, Madonna della Greca, dates to the 7-8th centuries.  Its present incarnation, dating from the time of Columbus, was erected in 1480 and rests atop a pre-existing structure as do many of the town’s churches.  Cathedral sized Chiesa San Giorgio Martire is Locorotondo’s main church.  This present renaissance-style church was started in 1790 on the same site as two earlier churches, one from 1100 and the second dating to 1578.  We observed the remains of its 16th-century predecessor, on display through the glass flooring I carefully crossed.  Construction was interrupted in 1798 over a very modern-sounding real estate issue — difficulty in purchasing some houses that needed to be removed to make room for the church.  Construction was further delayed due to an anti-Bourbon insurrection, only to resume in 1810.  The church we visited, topped by an elegant pediment carved with

Church of St George the Dragon
Slayer and Martyr

the legendary scene of Saint George killing a dragon to save a terrified princess, was completed in 1825. 

One of the highlights of our stay, totally impromptu, was just outside this parish church.  When we happened to pass by again a day later, a wedding was underway.  The square was empty, but for a gleaming Maserati sedan, its Neptune pitchfork symbol on prominent display, waiting at the base of the church stairs.  How it got there was a miracle in itself.  How it would escape the narrow confines of the square was worth waiting for.  We found the best and apparently only seats in the piazza by a café and waited.  As our glasses of Peroni beer gradually emptied,  the square steadily filled with onlookers.  The bride and groom eventually appeared to the roar of a confetti mortar, the applause of onlookers, a shower of rose petals, and the buzz of a photo drone.  I thought they would need to move our table, but the driver, assisted by pedestrian guides on each corner of the Maserati, skillfully maneuvered by us as the couple departed.  Thus, the history of a whitewashed, circular town atop

Bride & Groom Make Their
First Public Appearance

a hill added a new chapter.

We found this gleaming white town filled with its labyrinth of quaint streets wandered on for centuries, both enchanting and magical.  This out of the way place in yet undiscovered and underappreciated Puglia awaits.  As beautiful as it was with its floral appointments, we can only imagine the all-out effort the townsfolk embark on during the Christmas holidays when wreaths and ornaments take over.  Our friend’s suggestions were correct; Now I pass it on.  For relaxation among the Trulli, Locorotondo is definitely worth a visit.

From That Rogue Tourist,
Paolo

 

[1] Locorotondo, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locorotondo

[2] Locorotondo, https://www.apuliaslowtravel.com/project/locorotondo/

[3] Locorotondo, https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locorotondo

[4] I Borghi piu belli d’Italia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Borghi_pi%C3%B9_belli_d%27Italia

[5] Locorotondo, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locorotondo