A village that can only be reached on foot, connected to the rest of Italy by a suspended bridge over the Calanchi Valley. Welcome to Civita di Bagnoregio, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, home to about 15 people (according to the latest data) and visited every year by hundreds of thousands of tourists who come to admire a beauty that defies the erosion of time. This small hamlet in the municipality of Bagnoregio is located about 120 km from Rome, in Lazio, on the border with Umbria and Tuscany, and is famous for being called “the dying town” by the writer Bonaventura Tecchi who spent his youth here.
The history of this place has been marked several times by earthquakes, which have led to the depopulation of the original village. The cause of its isolation is the progressive erosion of the hill and the surrounding valley, which has given rise to the typical forms of the Calanchi and which continues even today, risking the disappearance of the village, hence its nickname “the dying town”.
Founded by the Etruscans
Civita di Bagnoregio is undoubtedly a place to visit because of its uniqueness, so unique that it inspired Hayao Miyazaki for his animated film “Laputa: Castle in the Sky”. But also because it is a small treasure chest containing 2,500 years of history. Founded by the Etruscans, it has gone through various dominations, and in the Middle Ages, it acquired much of its current form, enriched later in the Renaissance and maintained to this day. Here, everything is a sign of a time that is no more, the product of a mixture of eras that have met and clashed, leaving scattered traces.
In its past, the inhabited center was larger. Landslides and earthquakes have reduced its extent, and in the valley, palaces, towers, and ancient entrance gates to the village have crumbled. During its period of greatest magnificence, there were five access gates; today, only one remains: Porta Santa Maria, the sole possible entrance to the village at the end of the legendary bridge, a symbol of this place.
Visiting “The Dying Town”
Some tour operators run day trips from Rome to Civita and nearby Orvieto, others include it on their itineraries as the perfect pit-stop between Florence and Rome. Even if they just give tourists time to cross the bridge, take a photo and buy a souvenir, sometimes without even going into the village.
If you find yourself visiting this place, take your time. Civita di Bagnoregio is a tiny village of just one main street, two bars, three restaurants and around five shops, with B&Bs giving room for 80 people to stay overnight. Crossing through Porta Santa Maria, one immerses themselves in a place outside of time, an open-air museum. And it won’t be difficult to notice the presence of beautiful cats, more numerous than the inhabitants – the increasingly famous and photographed “cats of Civita”.
Accessible only via the pedestrian bridge, since 2013 access to Civita di Bagnoregio has been subject to a fee: 3 euros on weekdays and 5 euros on Sundays and public holidays. A choice that has revived the economic fortunes of the dying town that doesn’t want to die – which has also been mentioned by The Guardian and CNN – and has allowed Bagnoregio to abolish municipal taxes. A unique case throughout Italy.
Visiting Civita di Bagnoregio is not demanding; it will be easy to wander on foot through its narrow streets and be captivated by its charm. If you find yourself visiting this place, of course, don’t miss the main attractions.
Porta Santa Maria
The only remaining entrance to access Civita. Carved into the tuff in Etruscan times, it underwent architectural changes in the medieval era, such as the addition of the Gothic arch. It was also enriched by a series of friezes of strong historical and symbolic value: crosses are engraved on the walls, presumably attributed to the Templars returning from their journey to the Holy Land. These crosses, inserted inside triangles, evoke the crosses of Golgotha in Jerusalem. On the sides of the gate, two triumphant lions clutching human heads with their claws celebrate the victory that the inhabitants of Civita di Bagnoregio achieved in 1457, when they managed to rebel against the dominance of the powerful Monaldeschi family.
House of Saint Bonaventure
In 1524, part of the House of San Bonaventura was transformed into a church, but not much information remains. Today, due to continuous collapses, only ruins remain. The iron staircase leading to what remains of the house is visible but not accessible, as it is suspended in mid-air. Nevertheless, it is worth exploring this corner of the village. In this remote and desolate place, the biographer of Saint Francis was born and spent his youth; the man who wrote the “Legenda Maior” that inspired Giotto, who depicted scenes from the life of Francis in Assisi.
Church of Saint Donato
In the main square of “the dying town” stands the Church of San Donato, whose original construction dates back to the 5th century, in Romanesque style. The facade is Renaissance, and in the tower bell are two Etruscan sarcophagi made of basalt stone. Among the treasures housed inside is a wooden crucifix from Donatello’s school, with a unique expressiveness: viewed from the front Jesus appears alive, from the left he is agonizing, while from the right he is immersed in the sleep of death.
