Trullo - From The casedda To The trullo

From The casedda To The trullo

The Italian term il trullo (from the Greek word τρούλος, cupola) refers to a house whose internal space is covered by a dry stone corbelled or keystone vault. Trullo is an italianized form of the dialectal term truddu used in a specific area of the Salentine peninsula (i.e. Lizzaio, Maruggio and Avetrana, in other words outside the Murgia dei Trulli proper) where it is the name of the local agricultural dry stone hut. Trullo has replaced the local term casedda (pl. casedde) (Italian casella, pl. caselle) which was used by locals in the Murgia to call this type of house.

A stonemason specializing in the building of trulli is a trullisto or trullaro in Italian. The corresponding dialectal term is caseddaro (caseddari in the plural), i.e. builder of casedde.