They say trulli started to appear in prehistory. Settlements were already active in the Itria Valley, becoming later the tholos, typical buildings once used to bury the dead. However, the oldest trulli in Alberobello today date back to the fourteenth century: it was at that time this uninhabited land was given to the first Count of Conversano by Robert of Anjou, Prince of Taranto and then king of Naples from 1309 to 1343. This land was the reward granted to the count of Anjou for his services during the Crusades. The area was then populated again, moving entire settlements from neighboring feuds like Noci. The drywalled trulli, mortarless building, was imposed on new settlers, so that their homes could be quickly dismantled: an effective method to avoid taxes on new settlements imposed by the Kingdom of Naples and also some good deterrent for riotous owners. Most historians agree, however, that this building technique was due, first, to the geographical situation of the place, being rich in limestone to be used in the building works.