Civita di Bagnoregio is the most popular destination in Viterbo's Tuscia
Civita di Bagnoregio has exceeded one million visitors. There is a project to nominate the city to become UNESCO heritage
A unique village in the world
It stands on a tuff rock, in the heart of the Valley of the Badlands in the province of Viterbo, Civita di Bagnoregio it is a unique village in the world. Suffice it to say that the only way to reach it is to cross a 300-meter pedestrian bridge built in 1965.
Inhabited only by seven residents, according to recent data, this pearl was founded 2500 years ago by the Etruscans. Small but full of charm and history, it has recently reached a million visitors and is the most popular destination in Tuscia. Also for this reason, a petition was launched by the Lazio Region on the Internet to nominate Civita di Bagnoregio to become Unesco heritage.
Among the signatories is the director Giuseppe Tornatore, who shot some scenes of The man of the stars. The goal is to make the village known and work for its preservation. It risks disappearing due to the erosion that undermines the tuffaceous hill and, for this reason, it is nicknamed "the dying city".
To spend a magical night in Civita di Bagnoregio
You enter the town from a single access: the Porta di Santa Maria or Porta della Cava. Strolling, you will feel like you are taking a dip in the past, among ancient shops, medieval palaces and Renaissance oil mills. The church of the same name overlooks Piazza San Donato and houses a wooden crucifix from the XNUMXth century.
After stopping in the Grotta di San Bonaventura, an Etruscan tomb transformed into a refuge for hermits, go up to the Belvedere. The view on the walls, called calanchi, is spectacular.
In the area you can stay in the farmhouse restaurants of the neighbor Bagnoregio. But for those who want to stay in the village there is the Artist's House project, which gives the opportunity to stay overnight in a public building, the Art House. visit-lazio.com
Here we eat in the Caves
Even the restaurants and taverns of the small Civita di Bagnoregio they are in keeping with the style and atmosphere of the village, which seems suspended in time. Some even have salt excavated in tuff caves.
The menus highlight the gastronomic specialties of Tuscia viterbese: simple recipes fruit of ancient traditions. Among the first are the piciarelli, spaghetti made with a mixture of water and flour. Among the second courses, wild boar and pork. And again porcini mushrooms, sausages and black truffles.
For fresh fish dishes you can count on fishing in the nearby Lake of Bolsena. For those who want a quick snack there are bruschetta seasoned with the excellent local oil.
We head for Bolsena
Boat crossings, clean air, blue waters and unspoiled nature. You can find all this about ten kilometers from Civita di Bagnoregio, on the Lake Bolsena. With its approximately 114 square km of surface it is the largest volcanic basin in Europe.
Rich in campsites and agritourisms, Lake Bolsena has three coastal centers: Bolsena, Capodimonte and Marta. Walk along it to discover all the suggestive corners. And also visit its two islands, that one Bisentina is that Martana.
