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Lazio:
Civita di Bagnoregio
I
visited Civita di Bagnoregio for the first time
after watching Travels in Europe hosted by Rick Steves….his
philosophy was similar to mine (on travel) and I was inspired
to travel to Civita. Civita is in the Calanchi Valley
and is called the "dying town" as it
literally is eroding away….houses and town walls
built upon the tufa rock have disappeared as have those
who once lived there (erosion, earthquakes and landslides).
Today there are only a handful of permanent residents….out
of towners are buying the houses in town and use them
as weekend or getaway homes. So, off I went to Civita
di Bagnoregio….I’m not sure what I expected,
but as I drove toward the town of Bagnoregio, I wondered
if that amazingly high village I spied was where I was
intending to go….I finally reached the parking area
and took off on foot to cross the long, high bridge/footpath…..who
knew? You do have to walk in to this town — be forewarned…you’ll
stop for photos, admire the view as you go, enter the
gate/tunnel (the Santa Maria gate) and soon find
yourself in Piazza San Donato/Piazza del Duomo.
This is the center of town….the Chiesa San Donato
(8th century) is the only church in town and
was built upon a pagan temple — nearby is its Romanesque
bell tower/campanile (8th century). The Palazzo
Alemanno is also in the square (and is now a government
building). You can walk the streets and alleys, admire
the architecture, the balconies, the
stone, the flowers — THE VIEWS…..have
lunch, dinner, relax, unwind….watch the world go
by……the beauty of the "off peak" travel
is the click of your footsteps on the cobbled streets
in this quietly amazing town…..
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