Civita di Bagnoregio - Truly an Incredible Ancient Town

"Of all the Italian hill towns, Civita di Bagnoregio is my favorite.
Less well-known than Siena or Assisi, this stunning little gem
has escaped the modern age mostly because of topography.
The town teeters atop a pinnacle riding high above a vast canyon ruled by wind and erosion.
The only way in and out is by a footbridge."
Rick Steves

Thursday of Week 3 in Tuscany was very special ... a day trip with the Foldesi's, Jim & Palmer to Civita di Bagnoregio, a town inhabited first by the Etruscans 2,500 years ago.  Friends from Week 1 had visited this town and told us it was unique and really worth visiting.  Our GPS guided us south, down the A-1 super highway to an exit near Orvieto.  From there, Jerry drove through pretty countryside and tiny Italian villages until we reached Bagnoregio and found a parking lot (upon advice from Ann and Mike Skinner!) close to the footbridge to Civita. 

We gathered up our cameras, water bottles and rain parkas (just in case) and set off down the road.  When we rounded a corner and first laid eyes on Civita, the gasps from our group and others were audible!  Never had we seen such a sight ... a town that looked like it was virtually clinging to the top of a mountain that wasn't attached to ANYTHING ... except a narrow footbridge ... which we would soon cross.  

The footbridge was long, and at times steep to climb.  As we approached the main entrance to the town, Porta Santa Maria, a huge stone passageway, we stopped to chat (& catch our breath!) with an English couple also approaching the entrance.  They told us that this was their SECOND visit to Civita di Bagnoregio.  "Really???'" asked Jim Barden ... "You came back and did that climb AGAIN?"  "Yes," replied the British gentleman, "It's like childbirth, you forget how painful it is and only remember the good that comes from it!"  They both assured us that the town was a delight and that we would be very glad we'd come for a visit!

Civita has one famous son .... Saint Bonaventure, early leader of the Franciscan order.  He died here in 1274, but his home has since fallen off the cliff.   The church on the main square is the centerpiece of the town. Having begun as an Etruscan temple, then a Roman temple, since the 13th c. it's been a Catholic Church dedicated to Saint Donato of Arezzo.  Its bell tower was badly damaged in the devastating 2016 earthquakes.  Ancient pillars from the pagan temples stand just outside the doors of the church.  

We wandered through the town's beautiful streets and alleys, admiring all the lovely flowers and gawking at the Renaissance palaces with grand windows and doors leading to .... nothing but air. Over the years, buildings have collapsed and slid down the cliffs.  Geologists report that landslides are worsening and worry that Civita could one day simply slide off the mountain and disappear.  The town sits on constantly eroding volcanic rock and is literally eroding away ... sadly, it's known as "the dying city." 

We had a simple but tasty outdoor lunch at Bar de Peppone overlooking the main square and church, where workers were busy setting up pretty table, chairs, potted plants and umbrellas for a weekend concert. The walk back to the parking lot was long ... and during it Jim declared that he may consider giving up hiking!

Civita truly is a magical place and we were very, very we had the opportunity to visit it.  Geologists, authors and politicians are seeking UNESCO World Heritage protection to help save it.