The small town of Alberobello in the province of Bari, in the southern region of Puglia, in Italy, displays some remarkable examples of a traditional mortar-less construction called Trulli. These dry stone huts are constructed out of limestone slabs stacked on top of each other to form pyramidal, domed or conical roofs. Despite the lack of mortar, the structure is surprisingly stable.

Trulli were built during a period of history, when the construction of stable dwellings was highly-taxed. The ingenious inhabitants of the region came up with the idea of the trulli – temporary houses that could be dismantled at short notice, particularly when the tax inspector is around. This is known to have occurred in 1644 to thwart tax inspectors sent by the King of Naples.

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