👉 Discovering Italy | Civita di Bagnoregio, "The dying city"

Called "the dying city", this beautiful village in an isolated position is currently inhabited by a dozen people.

Day #3
Viterbo (Lazio)
Geographic coordinates: 42.627622, 12.113585

Located at a height of 443 meters above sea level, the village of Civita di Bagnoregio is known, at most, even with the name of "dying city". It is a small town located in Lazio, in the province of Viterbo and is part of the most beautiful villages in Italy.

It is located between Lake Bolsena and the Tiber Valley and is made up of two main valley areas: the Fossato del Rio Torbido and the Fossato del Rio Chiaro. The morphology of this territory, as we know it today, is primarily caused by landslides and erosions; it is in fact made up of two very distinct layers: the clayey of marine origin which constitutes the base (which is also the oldest one) and that formed by lava and tufaceous material.

Since 2011 the area is practically uninhabited and of the 16 people present six years ago there are currently 12; the village is accessible only through a bridge built in 1965 and can only be traveled on foot.

This area was founded 2500 years ago by the Etruscans, as confirmed by the urban structure of the town; all the architectural coatings are of Renaissance and medieval origin, but there are also evidences of typical Roman constructions. There are many places of interest in Civita di Bagnoregio; from the church of San Donato to the birthplace of San Bonaventura, passing through the Palazzo Vescovile and a mill from the 16th century.

But why is this village called "the dying city"? The cause of its isolation is almost totally due to the continuous erosion of the hill and the surrounding valley; the entire structure is in danger of collapsing because the clay banks that support it are subject to continuous erosion. The definition "city that dies" is therefore to indicate its delicate balance, which is why at the moment the village has no more than a dozen inhabitants.

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