Apulia!! Sunny, ardent and radiant land. It is touched by sea and whipped by wind.
In these skies (back in the thousand?) there was a forest on the karst Murgia.
Wild, dark and harsh zone, but a safe destination for who was scared. Some fugitives settled there and populated those woods with daring courage.
Industrious people, with genius and will. They built houses of humble quality: white circular walls and a simple cone serving as roof.

It was born like that “Sylva Arboris belli”: sparse Trulli in the dense forest, where some likes to believe that it was fought a rough war in a remote time.

The history has come a long way and the small village was subjected to feudal rule for a long time.

The second decade of the 1600s gave prestige to an unusual Count, whose name was Giangirolamo referred to by many as “Il Guercio di Puglia”.
Count discussed, he had a very complex character.
Although a fervent Christian, he dyed his hand in blood red.
The Count master cleared the forest and allowed the peasants to cultivate the land.

Work and sweat produced broad beans and chicory, and their flavour arrives today at table with history.
We have brought you here in the light of this wax, to you tonight we say enjoy your meal!

Quann u’ panèr vè i vèn l’am’cìzj s’ mandèn!
(When the basket comes and goes, the friendship is kept)

A fatèich s’ chièm ch’cuzz, a mmaj m’ fèt i a ttaj t’
puzz!
(The work is called zucchini, it smells to me and to you! – Nobody likes to work)

A gaddein ca nàng’ p’zzlaisc’, è p’zzlèt!
(The chicken that is not eating, already ate!)

Aspiètt nu mumènd quann na vèsp s’ mang’ na
sciummènd!
(Wait a moment, as long as a wasp eats a mare! – Since it is impossible, it is useless to wait)

Ajièr chcùzz i jòsc féf, a cc’ sparàgn s’ la chèv!
(Yesterday zucchini, today broad beans, the ones who saves money makes it)

Tr’miènd nnànz, s’no angàpp i chèit!
(Look ahead, otherwise you could trip and fall!)

Fruit, legume soups, soups with water and stale bread: “Mediterranean diet” for farmers of the nineteenth century is made of a few simple ingredients, so different from the idea we have nowadays of traditional cuisine.
Traveller Violante, arrived in Alberobello, is looking for hospitality and refreshment. Rita, a farmer, hosts her. Despite poor means, guest is sacred: Violante enjoys generosity of a community for which hospitality is a fundamental value.

A woman, sitting, is peeling broad beans and is singing a lullaby for her baby girl. Suddenly the woman raises her head and admires the sun, interrupting her work and starting to talk to him.
She would like to follow him and disappear behind the hill, because here she cannot cry, she must be strong and obedient, because she is a female and she must submit to the man.
She is tired of feeling accused, tired of working, instead she would like to stay in a normal place, where she can meet that female they are naming as if she were a countess: freedom.
Here you have to work because you can’t do anything else.
But she cannot leave with the sun, she has to be there for her baby, she wants to give her a good story. She must do it.

1797 finally came and so it ended the feudal rule, thanks to King Ferdinand who sided with the tired people.

It is said that King Ferdinand arrived in Taranto in the month of May, where the nobility paid him homage.
The announcement of the royal visit came also in our village, from which seven men departed with a message.
They demanded freedom, they begged dignity, they aspired to establish themselves as a community.

The liberators of our land were seven: four priests, two doctors and a craftsman had the courage to force the hand.
It is due on this occasion to remember the surname of all seven: Martellotta, Sgobba, Tinelli and Fasano, Lippolis, Pezzolla and master Ciaccia, the craftsman.

On May 27th the king signed the document, giving the longed-for freedom to the people of Alberobello.

Fantasy and few books have given us glory this evening, we have rare certainties about this story.
We hope impertinent questions will fly through your mind. Was it a dream or reality?
To you kind audience, the freedom.