On the way from Rome to Florence, still in the Lazio region, lies a beautiful walled town called Cività di Bagnoregio. Besides being one of these amazing European medieval towns on top of a hill, what is peculiar about Cività di Bagnoregio is that the hill is made of clay and suffers from erosion, so that the town is slowly falling down. Experts predict that it will fully collapse within the next century, thus its Italian nickname: la città che muore (literally: "the city that dies").
The town is millennia old, and the hill was occupied even before by the Etruscans during the 6th Century BC. The danger of collapse was notices already in the 14th Century, and citizens began moving out in the 17th Century. Nowadays Cività di Bagnoregio is officially home to no more than a dozen citizens. But it hosts tourists in old houses converted into (Air)B&B's, and in summer thousands of daytrippers come to visit by bus and enjoy food and drinks in one of it's bars and restaurants, while seizing the flaring scenery. Here I'll share the photos from my visit to Cività di Bagnoregio in Summer 2021, together with some tourist tips.
We spent one night at a very cozzi B&B outside the Cività walls (in the modern Bagnoregio village) called Palazzo Mazzini. We were late for our lunch booking, and full of luggage, but the owner was very kind to allow us early check in. I really recommend the stay there (one night is enough for your visit to the walled city). Breakfast is included and is served at a café next to the entrance to the accommodation. Beware, however, that there are three set of stairs to get to your room.
Inside the city walls.
We had a reservation in one of the few restaurants inside the town, called Alma Cività. As we were late, we had to literally run from the B&B to the town - which is no easy feat due to the uphill footbridge to reach it - as the restaurant would not guarantee the reservation if we were more than 5 minutes late (it is very popular). We were actually more than 5 minutes late (because there was a queue at the ticket office - you have to pay a small fee to enter the town), but the table was luckily there!
My gorgeous wife!
Yet another of my jumps!
Cività di Bagnoregio is beautiful from every angle, in colours, black and white or sepia!
A timeless scenery (but the footbridge...).
Beware of the steep footbridge! (They offer a golf cart ride for those who are unable to walk up, and those who will spend the night inside the walls.)
The omnipresent motorbike
We ended our day sipping an Aperol Spritz and a G&T at a small bar from where you can watch the sunset behind Cività di Bagnoregio called Caffè Belvedere.
As explained in this article, which tells a bit of the city's history, there's a campaign to convert the city in an UNESCO World Heritage Site, which would bring funding and help in saving CdB from its doomed destiny. But take my advice: go and visit this precious town before it's too late!