Alberobello: what does dry masonry mean in trulli

Useful to know

The Trulli in Alberobello are limestone dwellings in Puglia, southern Italy. UNESCO describes them as examples of dry masonry - construction without mortar - with characteristic stone slab roofs. [1]

Dry masonry is a way of connecting and arranging the material. It is not only proved by the white exterior color. To explain the principle, look at the construction organization, not just the painted surface.

The roofs can be conical, domed or pyramidal and are shaped by gradually gaining inward limestone slabs. [1] On a scheme, this can be shown as a sequence of rows without being presented as an instruction for self-construction.

Practically compare the general shape with the detail of the coating. The first shows the silhouette, the second - the scale of the individual stone parts. For an accurate constructive assessment of a real building, more than a tourist photo is needed.