Month: November 2022

Civita de Bagnoregio

Civita de Bagnoregio is maybe the most unique hill town in Italy. Like many of theses hill towns in Italy, it began as an Etruscan town. There are Etruscan burial vaults beneath the city. It then was taken over by the Romans. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it eventually grew into a medieval city. Civita de Bagnoregio sits atop a plateau of volcanic tuff which is what makes it so unique. The plateau has been eroding for a long time with the cliffs around the periphery collapsing often taking buildings for a ride into the valley below. The city that remains appears to be almost an island (when surrounded by fog, it appears to be floating in the clouds). Civita de Bagnoregio is the birthplace of Saint Bonaventure.

This footbridge is the only access to Civita de Bagnoregio.
The original Etruscan gate.
The Etruscan gate from the inside.
Look carefully. You can see blue sky through the transom above the door to the left and and the two upper windows. The back of this part of the building fell away when the cliff supporting it collapsed.
In the Middle Ages, donkeys would live their entire lives in here turning this stone wheel to press olives into olive oil.
The Church of San Donato. Notice the building to the left. The walls of the first story are thicker at the bottom- Medieval Earthquake Retrofitting.
Inside the Church of San Donato.

Around town:

Ciao, Civita de Bagnoregio.