AS HARD AS STONE!

Working with stone in harmony with the landscape, the history, and the original character of the trulli is increasingly demanded by the foreign public that invests in Puglia. But what are the materials that best match the renovation of trulli? The renovation of the walls remains the starting point, a fundamental step to ensure thermal insulation. The white lime, typical of the Mediterranean landscape, covers the walls or you can opt for the preservation of the typical stone, giving a more rustic look to the interior and exterior. Nowadays, the respect of the original building techniques and the use of local materials favor the economy of Apulia in various sectors, even in the most unexpected ones. It is now known the technique of restructuring trulli with 'hemp-lime', which in Apulia has involved several operators in the sector. Defined as 'bio-architecture', this technique shows how the transpiration capacity of hemp-lime is greater than other materials and the absorption of carbon dioxide per cubic meter can reach more than one hundred kilos of CO2. A choice, how to say, for those who have a green thumb! And then there are the much sought-after Apulian stones of calcareous origin. With its warm colors, tempered by centuries with that almost timeless character, the so-called 'chianca' lives a moment of strong revaluation in the context of trulli restructuring. How to orient ourselves among the different types of 'local stones'? Experts recommend relying on those in the industry who can recommend the right stone for the right use. There is the Stone of Trani, the Stone of Apricena, and that of Minervino Murge as well as the famous Pietra Leccese and the Pietra Bianca of Ostuni. Each locality extracts its type of stone that also presents notable differences in the veining of the mother color. For trulli, the dear trullari masters of the Itria Valley prefer the slabs (chianche) of limestone from the limestone formation of Bari and Trani. Many options and infinite ways to give vent to creativity in respect of craft techniques that, fortunately, or by chance, have returned to the fore in Puglia.