Guide to the Itria Valley: the trulli villages, Martina Franca, Locorotondo, Cisternino and Alberobello. What to see, the itinerary and how to visit it from Taranto.
History
The Itria Valley, also known as the "Valley of the Trulli", is one of Puglia's most iconic landscapes. It's not a valley in the strict sense, but a rolling karst territory covering the southern part of the Murge plateau, straddling the provinces of Taranto, Bari and Brindisi.
The name seems to derive from the cult of the Madonna Odegitria (protector of wayfarers), introduced around the year 1000 by the Basilian monks: "Valley of the Odegitria" was then shortened to "Itria Valley".
What makes it unique in the world is the extraordinary concentration of trulli — around 15,000 scattered among the lime-washed villages — the typical dry-stone dwellings with conical roofs, often topped with pinnacles and propitiatory symbols.
What to see
From Taranto, the gateway to the Itria Valley is Martina Franca (36 km), its Baroque "capital", with the Ducal Palace, the Basilica of San Martino and the celebrated Itria Valley Festival. From here the other villages are easily reached.
Locorotondo, among Italy's Most Beautiful Villages, owes its name to the circular plan of its historic centre, made of white houses and cummerse with pitched roofs; its panoramic "promenade" overlooks the valley dotted with trulli. Cisternino, another flagship village, is a maze of whitewashed alleys and flowered courtyards, famous for its butcher-grills with "fornello pronto", where you eat char-grilled bombette.
A little further, in the province of Bari, the iconic Alberobello, capital of the trulli and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, with the Monti and Aia Piccola districts and the Trullo Sovrano. All around, centuries-old olive groves, dry-stone walls and masserie draw a fairy-tale landscape.
Did you know…
- The Itria Valley holds around 15,000 trulli, Puglia's highest concentration.
- The name derives from the Byzantine cult of the Madonna Odegitria, protector of wayfarers.
- The trulli were built dry so they could be easily dismantled to dodge the Kingdom of Naples' taxes.
- Alberobello's Trullo Sovrano is the only two-storey trullo and the first declared a World Heritage Site.
Practical information
| Hours | The villages can be visited at any time. Museums, churches and monuments follow their own hours. |
|---|---|
| Ticket | Visiting the villages is free. Some museums and monuments (e.g. the Trullo Sovrano) charge entry. |
| Accessibility | The historic centres have cobbled alleys, rises and falls, and the stairways typical of ancient villages. |
| Getting there | From Taranto: Martina Franca is 36 km along the SS172. From there the other villages are 10-15 km away. A car is needed to move around comfortably. |
Not to miss
★ PremiumMasseria Serralta
📍 Contrada Serralta, 39, Locorotondo
Restored trulli with a pool, an ideal base for exploring the Itria Valley.
★ PremiumAgriturismo Masseria Aprile
📍 Strada Comunale 31, 25, Locorotondo
A family-run masseria with vineyards and olive groves, breakfast with homemade produce.
★ PremiumTrulli Damari
📍 Contrada Cardone, 78/A, Locorotondo
Trulli with a pool set in greenery, an atmosphere carefully curated down to the last detail.
★ PremiumLeonardo ArteCibo
📍 Contrada Semeraro, 107, Locorotondo
A restaurant inside a trulli resort, refined cuisine with zero-kilometre produce.
Addresses for guidance: names, management and hours may change. Always check before visiting.
Tips for your visit
- Choose a single village as your base (e.g. Martina Franca or Locorotondo): distances between the towns are short.
- Visit Alberobello in the late afternoon, when the crowds thin and the sunset light sets the trulli aglow.
- In Cisternino try the bombette; in Martina Franca the capocollo; in Locorotondo the DOC white wine.
- A long weekend (3-4 days) is ideal for discovering the valley without haste.