Discover the history of the threshing floor and the haystack of the Valle d’Itria

The historical site we propose to visit represented a functional and irreplaceable structure for the ancient masserie (farmhouses) of the area, used for harvesting and processing wheat and other cereals until the 1960s and beyond.

We are referring to the space known as the “aia” (threshing floor), predominantly square or rectangular in shape, paved with rustic local stone slabs (chianche) and bordered by hand-carved rectangular stones. Usually located near the threshing floor (the ère), a trullo was built to serve as a pagliaio (the pagghier, or hayloft) with its own distinctive characteristics.

Those interested in exploring the history of agriculture in the Valle d’Itria by visiting these structures—restored thanks to the PNRR Regione Puglia – Architettura Rurale funding—will be able to experience, through audiovisual materials, the constructive ingenuity and the hard work of our ancestors.