outside stairway built into the roof. These trulli were for storage of grain, hay, or straw. Trulli as a tourist attraction Today, the surviving trulli are popular with British and German tourists and are often bought and restored for general use. Anyone wishing to restore a trullo, however, needs to conform with many regulations, as trulli are protected under the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world heritage law. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, a large number of trullo houses have been restored and converted into second homes or self-catering cottages. In 1999, rebuilding a trullo roof would cost about three million lire (about 1,500 euros) and in 2009, the cost rose up to 15,000 euros. In late twentieth century the Monti district in Alberobello was largely a derelict area when a local craftsman, Guido Antionetta, began buying up a few dozen abandoned trulli, installed modern kitchenettes in them with a view to renting them out as mini apartments for the night for less than rooms cost at local hotels. He even painted good-luck symbols on the roof of each trullo. In Apulia region some Trulli are still inhabited, most of them have been made compliant with higienc norms; the one closer to cities have often been converted in rooms for an adjacent home or villas built with modern techniques, this trend has slowed because most of this modification are considered illegal due to the damage to the historical structure. See also Crotto, a similar construction in northern Italy Dry stone masonry Beehive house Notes and references External links Entry for "The Trulli of Alberobello" on the UNESCO World Heritage Website The trullo and its history History and construction techniques of Apulian trulli The trulli or casedde of Alberobello, province of Bari, Italy, through old postcards and photos, II - Photos of the first half of the 20th century Trulli & Alberobello English Video Il trullo Apuliabase.com - a database of Trulli Apulia Architecture in Italy Vernacular architecture Stone houses House types Roofing materials Walls