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| Civita from a distance, photo by Giulia Pancani |
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| Hostaria del Ponte, lunch with a view over Civita di Bagnoregio |
For decades tourists have flocked to the shrinking island of tufa that is
Civita di Bagnoregio, an iconic
village surrounded by calanchi
and a moon-like landscape.
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| Mercatello -ready to cross the bridge |
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| main street, Civita |
Few visitors
realize why the town looks like it does, why it was built in this spot or
what is happening to it, but its uniqueness
makes it stand out from all the
other nearby hill towns of central
Italy.
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| Duomo in the main piazza, Civita |
Perched on a similar cliff nearby, Orvieto is reached by a funicolare and is famed for its Duomo and Etruscan sites; Montefiascone on Lake Bolsena has its Est Est Est wine and views; while the
provincial capital, Viterbo owes its fame to San Pellegrino medieval quarter and the Papal
Palace where the first papal conclave was held.
Civita has been hyped as "the dying city" by guidebooks for decades and this has turned it into a “must see” for Japanese tour
groups and American back packers .
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| Palazzo Alemanni, the museum entrance |
By the end of April Civita di Bagnoregio will be the only
town in Italy requiring an entrance
ticket for those who wish to visit.
At the bridge leading over the ravine there will be a ticket office run by the Pro Loco.
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| explanatory panels in English and Italian |
The town's Mayor informs that the 3 euro ticket money collected will help monitor the situation
and be used for the most urgent repairs.
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| Luca and model of Civita |
The ticket
includes entrance to the town as well as to a modern Museo Geologico delle Frane where guests are informed of the area's geology and the landslides that have plagued Civita
for the past centuries.
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| virtual panorama of Civita and the calanchi |
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| Geologist Luca shows us the modern museum |
There are several places to stay in the village, including this high level historic residence, plus many agriturismo in the surrounding area.
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| Leaving Civita |
While you are in Bagnoregio, don't forget to stop at the antique car museum .
We'll be going there again near the end of May, and we'll gladly pay the 3 euro entrance fee.
ReplyDelete3 Euro is a steal. Now to track down a local place to stay next time I visit, and we're good to go. Thanks for the interesting (always) write-ups.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to say I don't feel it is worth the Euros 3 entrance fee. I have visited several times and on each occasion was disappointed. Money certainly needs to be spent on the village for there are corners that appear a bit shabby, run-down and, dare I say it, dirty in places. I suppose the growing number of visitors has possibly had a detrimental effect on the fragile infrastructure but the few stores and cafes / restaurants in the village must benefit from the tourists? Surely there's some other way to generate cash to maintain the place? It sees a lot of Italian tourists too (especially out of Rome on weekends) and are local people today really going to fork out Euros 3 per person each? I don't think so and fear it could backfire.
ReplyDeletegrazie di tutto, a presto ciao
ReplyDeleteLuca
Always reading your blog, always enjoy your info and pictures Mary Jane! Keep all the great info coming! Thank you!! Jamie Stoffel
ReplyDeleteTo see that sort of beauty and history, 3 euros is nothing, it's peanuts! I'm surprised people would make a stink about having to pay such a measly sum for an amazing place.
ReplyDeleteI have a house in nearby Lubriano and I feel that 3 euros per visit is fair, even though it would be great to have a 'season ticket' for people like us who visit often. Civita is a magical place, and in order to 'maintain' the town, money needs to be made out of it. I think it is good to see local groups like the Pro Loco taking a proactive role. They also change for the Precepe Vivente which is totally fair given the expense of the scenography, it is stunning.
ReplyDelete