Civita di Bagnoregio: 5 curiosities to know!
Are you looking for a unique place? You absolutely must stop in Civita di Bagnoregio! Let’s see together 5 curiosities about this magical place!
1. Nicknamed “the dying city”
Civita is nicknamed the city that dies due to the constant erosion of the tuff rocks on which it is located. Just think that every year, seven centimeters of earth collapse into the ravine below! Today the surface of Civita has been reduced to just 90 by 150 meters. Landslides and earthquakes have reduced the original extension of Civita and in the valley palaces, towers and ancient gates to the village have crumbled. Of the 5 original entrances, only Porta Santa Maria remains, the only access to the town, located on top of the mythical bridge, which has become a symbol of the place.
2. Forget your car!
Civita di Bagnoregio is connected to the world only by a narrow pedestrian bridge 300 meters long! If you come by car you will have to leave it at the paid parking lot downstream. A shuttle will take you to the entrance of the bridge or if you prefer you can reach it on foot, but the road is uphill and quite steep. We have warned you!
3. Few inhabitants, many tourists
Around 1920, only 600 people still lived in the country. Today there are only eleven of them but, as word spread of the imminent disappearance of the city, the number of people who wanted to see it also grew. Today Civita has up to 10,000 visitors a day!
4. How was Civita di Bagnoregio born?
Civita di Bagnoregio was originally founded by the Etruscans 2,500 years ago. The city, at that time, consisted of a single urban agglomeration and the acropolis was located on the site of the current Civita. Enclosed between the two rivers of Rio Chiaro and Rio Torbido, surrounded and protected by the Valle dei Calanchi, this plateau was considered to be in a truly strategic position. Furthermore, the presence of the nearby mouth of the Tiber river constituted an important commercial and communication route.
5. Etrance ticket
Yes, to enter Civita, you will have to pay the entrance. It seems strange, it is true, but 5 euros will be enough to be able to see a unique wonder in the world and that small donation will allow a magical place like this to “not die”!
VISIT CIVITA DI BAGNOREGIO WITH US!
Civita di Bagnoregio is a truly unique place of its kind. It will take you from 2 to 4 hours to visit it but we assure you that that little time will remain in your heart! When you walk through the front door, time will stop. You will relive history, you will find magnificent views to photograph and some inns where you will feel like you are eating in the owner’s house. You will be guests of this place, not tourists. We could certainly include Civita di Bagnoregio among the things to see in Italy at least once in a lifetime!
Here are the tours that could be for you:
Are you in the area and would you like to visit the surroundings as well?
