Alberobello and Ristorante Il Poeta Contadino*

Alberobello

The Trulli Village in Alberobello is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Though almost nobody lives in them now and most are given to souvenir shops and restaurants (in other words the village's just one big tourist trap), we found them worth the visit as they provided a unique sight and were fun to explore. Besides, there was actually a one-star Michelin restaurant to be found in its main street : Il Poeta Contadino.

Basilica minore dei Santi Medici

Trulli village

What I've understood is that the houses date to a few hundred years ago but may have origins that go back to prehistory. The Trulli are tiny white-washed (limestone) cylindrical houses built without using mortar (i.e. the stones are laid on top of each other). They have conical slate roofs some of which are painted with a magical or pagan symbol or topped by finials that have something runic about them.

The trullo is easily made and easily knocked down again e.g. by tying its roof with a robe and pulling it. Apparently this was devised for tax evasion purposes since dwellings built on the King's land were heavily taxed in those times. Probably the main reason why the existing Trulli are not that old since they had been torn down and rebuilt over the centuries. The ones we saw in Alberobello are town dwellings that have since been firmly planted and buttressed with stucco. Some of them are available for rent to tourists who wished to spend a night or more in a trullo. We visited one trullo that was actually lived in - and the enterprising tenant had a basket on his table asking for a little contribution for the open door visits!

Siamese Trulli


Trullo Sovrano (double-story Trullo)

Actually Alberobello is not the only place in the world with Trulli houses. They could be found in Turkey, France (e.g. Provence), Kurdistan, in Spain etc. But not in such numbers.

Il Poeta Contadino

Finally, we had to eat and looking through our Michelin guide were surprised to discover a restaurant in the village that actually had a star. We took a look at its menu and made a reservation on the spot.

Amuse-bouche

The cuisine was Apulian and creative, a refreshing change from the usual Italian trattoria. In the tradition of a good restaurant, the dishes were described as they were being served and often by the owner/chef Leonardo himself. The cutlery was from Christofle.

Gamberi croccanti con salsa di peperoni

Hub started out with an antipasto of Gamberi croccanti con salsa di peperoni. Prawns wrapped in filo pastry and baked till crispy and served in a sauce made of yellow peppers and probably pumpkin. Delicious, something I'll have to try making myself soon.

Tagliolini neri alle vongole veraci

I started with Tagliolini neri alle vongole veraci e asparagi di mare - you know I can't resist anything with squid ink. It tasted of the sea and was decorated with jelly strips made of clam juice and safran. We sipped a white wine from the region.

Risotto ai frutti di mare con salsa di prezzemolo e fromaggio dei poveri

We couldn't move on to the main courses as we felt that we hadn't finished with the starters and ordered a second primo - Seafood Risotto. It was very pretty, rice cooked al dente in a seafood broth and served on a bed of parsley sauce. Topped with breadcrumbs fried in garlic and olive oil.

Eldest Son's Controfiletto con carciofi e pomodori secchi

After which we couldn't eat any more. Besides we were in a hurry to make it to the Grotte di Castellana for our 2-hour walk to visit one of the most beautiful caves in the world.

Ristorante Il Poeta di Contadino

Via Indipendenza,21
70011 Alberobello (BA)
Tel. +39 080 4321917