The last major location we visited on our trip was the town of Civita di Bagnoregio, about 10-15 km. south of Orvieto. The town is truly impressive, sitting atop a rock outcrop that overlooks the surrounding countryside, and as with many of the others in nearby regions, has Etruscan origins, this one dating back an unimaginable 2.5 millennia.
Being situated in a such a unique location, direct vehicle access is not possible, necessitating a 15-20 minute walk (at quite a grade!) from a nearby parking lot. The access bridge was fairly recently rebuilt, prior to which the nearly inaccessible town had fallen into decay, earning the nickname the il paese il che muore ("the town that is dying"). The new bridge has reinvigorated the town as a sought-after tourist and event location (there was a wedding taking place during our visit).
We had arrived at Civita in the evening, so the golden hour was just beginning as we walked around the narrow streets, making for far more subdued scenes than many of the other locations we visited.
Toward the edge of town there were some old buildings and ruins that still had Etruscan artifacts within. They were closed at the time, but looked like some portions of the structure had been converted into museum space, while others were still being excavated. Just a bit farther past was the north edge of the town, where the valley could be seen over a cobblestone wall.
Our time there concluded with a nice glass of wine outside a small café. A relaxing end to a relatively long day...minus the hike back down the hill and the 2 hour drive back home that is!
This is the last post in the series of our time in Italy. If you stumbled across these, I hope they were enjoyable and that if you ever get the chance to visit yourself, some of these locations might fit into your schedule. Cheers and Happy New Year!
For other posts in my Italy series, see below:
The last major location we visited on our trip was the town of Civita di Bagnoregio, about 10-15 km. south of Orvieto. The town is truly impressive, sitting atop a rock outcrop that overlooks the surrounding countryside.