Civita di Bagnoregio

Civita di Bagnoregio (pronounced Banyoregio) is a small Italian hill town in the province of Viterbo, region of Lazio, in central Italy.

Understand
Civita di Bagnoregio is actually two remote towns. Civita is on a hill accessible only by a long stone walkway that begins at the end of the road from neighboring Bagnoregio. Once, Civita was the larger community and Bagnoregio the satellite. Today, Civita has only about 14 year-round residents, so few that Civita is nicknamed "the Dead City." Many of the buildings in Civita are being purchased by rich Italians who come here for vacation. However the town suffers constant erosion of its volcanic rock into the valley below.

Civita is a charming medieval city, almost utterly untouched by the Renaissance. (The façade of the church was remodeled during the Renaissance, but the city is otherwise entirely medieval.) Despite its nickname, during the tourist season, Civita bustles with day trippers.

The long bridge into Civita is steep—and it gets steeper as it rises. This is a challenging climb for anyone not in particularly good shape.

By bus
To get to Civita, you will need first to get to Bagnoregio. There is a bus from Orvieto; the bus is run by Cotral S.p.A. and costs €2 each way. It leaves from Orvieto's Piazza Cahen, which is just outside the top of the funicular. Download the latest timetable from Cotral's Website. You can buy tickets in the station bar, or on board the bus (try to have exact change).

From where the bus drops you off there is a minibus that goes up to Civita. Alternatively you can walk, it only takes about 15 - 20 mins, so if you just missed a minibus it is almost certainly faster to walk. Simply walk up the hill and follow the main road, if you have any doubt ask at the gas station or the tourist information centre near the gas station if open.

By car
The simplest way to get to Bagnoregio from Orvieto is to get on the autostrada and follow the signs to Lubriano and Bagnoregio. A more scenic route takes 20 minutes longer. From the freeway, pass under hill-capping Orvieto, with signs to Lago di Bolsena and Viale I Maggio on your right, and take the first left to Bagnoregio, winding through Canale and great Orvieto views.

Once you get into Bagnoregio, you can park either at the bus lot at the edge of town or at the base of the stone walkway. (Follow the yellow signs to Civita to reach the parking lot.) There is a parking charge of €1 an hour, which you can pay at the shop or the restaurant. Parking may be free on weekdays or off season when there's no attendant.

Alternately, you can walk from Bagnoregio to the Civita bridge (it takes about 20 minutes) or take a €1 yellow minibus (pay the driver) from the gas station to the base of the walkway. You can ascend to Civita only on foot, but taking the bus from Bagnoregio will cut your walking distance in half. One or two buses leave each hour, starting at 7:38AM Monday to Saturday and 8:53AM Sunday. The last bus leaves at 6:24PM

Do

 * In Bagnoregio, market day is on Monday in the gas station parking lot.

Eat
Bagnoregio



Civita



Sleep
Civita



Bagnoregio



Go next
There are many other hill towns in the area, including Orvieto, Pienza, Montalcino, and Montepulciano. From Orvieto, both Florence and Rome are short train rides away.

The bus service between Bagnoregio to Orvieto costs €3.20 for the one-hour roundtrip. From Bagnoregio, there are six departures daily except Sunday at 5:30, 9:55, and 10:10AM and at 1, 2:25, and 5:25PM During the school year from September to June there are also departures at 6:35 and 6:50AM and at 1:35 and 4:40PM