Making a stylish entrance

I'm attracted to architectural features such as staircases, windows, doors and other nice stuff. I found these lovely doors and I think they're very stylish indeed.

Unusual architecture

When we started thinking about moving away from the UK, Italy was our country of choice. I spent many hours scouring the internet, studying all the different Italian regions, comparing the prices of the houses and dreaming...

The region of Puglia captured my imagination with its unique architectural characteristics. I fell in love with the trullo. Unfortunately, the asking prices for a trullo in good condition were very steep. The starting prices for trulli in need of modernisation were not that low and the costs of remodelling them in accordance to the regulations were prohibitive.

Properties in the desirable areas of Italy were too expensive for us and we ended up in France.

The rest is history...

Here's what trulli are all about and you'll see why I found them so attractive. They are truly amazing (groan).

A trullo (plural, trulli) is a traditional Apulian dry stone hut with a conical roof. Their style of construction is specific to the Itria Valley, in the Murge area of the Italian region of Apulia (Puglia).

Trulli were generally constructed as temporary field shelters and storehouses or as permanent dwellings by small proprietors or agricultural labourers. In the town of Alberobello, in the province of Bari, whole districts are packed with trulli. The golden age of trulli was the 19th century, specially its final decades marked by the development of wine growing.

The vast majority of trulli have one room under each conical roof, with additional living spaces in arched alcoves. Children would sleep in alcoves made in the wall with curtains hung in front.

A multiroomed trullo house has many cones representing a room each.

The thick stone walls and dome of the trullo, pleasantly cool in the summer, tend to become unpleasantly cold during the winter months, condensing the moisture given off by cooking and breathing and making it difficult to feel warm even in front of the fire. The inhabitants simply leave the doors open during the day to keep the interior dry, and live more outdoors than in.

Today the surviving trulli are popular among English and German tourists and are often bought and restored for general use. However, anyone wishing to restore a trullo needs to conform with many regulations as trulli are protected under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world heritage law.

Green living in a big city

I saw this and had to share it with you. These buildings are very beautiful and the concept is fantastic!

Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) comprises two landscaped towers that between them contain 113 apartments offering expansive views across the city. It was inaugurated in Milan, Italy, in October 2014.

The residential towers were designed by Stefano Boeri, Gianandrea Barreca and Giovanni La Varra. It also involved input from horticulturalists and botanists.

Each individual dwelling features a private garden which protects interior living space from acoustic pollution, dust particles, harsh winds and direct sunlight. At roof level, photovoltaic panels contribute to the self-sufficiency of the complex, while greywater from the building is filtered and reused to irrigate the site.

On November 19, 2014, Bosco Verticale won the International Highrise Award, honouring excellence in recently constructed buildings that stand a minimum of 100 meters (328 feet) tall. The five finalists were selected from 26 nominees in 17 countries.