Civita di Bagnoregio: visiting Italy's dying city

Some places take your breath away before you even set foot in them. Civita di Bagnoregio is one: a medieval village perched on a crumbling spur of tuff above the lunar Valley of the Calanchi, connected to the world by a single pedestrian bridge suspended over the void. They call it "the dying town", and it is precisely this fragility that has made it one of the most visited and photographed places in Italy. This guide has everything you need: 2026 ticket prices, parking, the bridge, what to see inside and the best moments of the day.

Why "the dying town"

Civita is 2,500 years old: the Etruscans founded it, and its lanes still follow the Etruscan-Roman street grid. The problem is what it stands on: a layer of tuff resting on a bed of clay that erosion has been eating away for centuries. Landslides and earthquakes have devoured whole quarters — of the five original gates only one survives, Porta Santa Maria — and the inhabitants gradually moved to neighbouring Bagnoregio. Today about ten people live in the village year-round.

The phrase "the town that is dying" belongs to the writer Bonaventura Tecchi, born in Bagnoregio in 1896. Long before him, another Bonaventura was born here: Saint Bonaventure, the great thirteenth-century theologian who, tradition says, was healed as a child by Saint Francis in the cave that now bears his name, dug beneath the belvedere.

The bridge: Italy's most scenic entrance

Civita can only be reached on foot, across the 260-metre pedestrian bridge built in 1965 to replace the old road that had collapsed. The walk takes 10–15 minutes: the first part is gentle, the final stretch climbs steeply up to Porta Santa Maria — doable with a pushchair, but be ready to push. As you approach, the village rises before you suspended over the badlands: it is one of the most photographed views in the country, so allow for a few mandatory stops.

What to see inside the village

• Piazza San Donato — the heart of Civita, still paved in beaten earth, ringed by houses of golden tuff.
• Church of San Donato — fifth-century origins, rebuilt in 1511: inside are a fresco from Perugino's school and a wooden Crucifix tied to the plague of 1499.
• The belvedere over the calanchi — the view sweeps across the valley of clay ridges surrounding the village.
• The cave of Saint Bonaventure — an ancient Etruscan chamber tomb cut into the tuff.
• The Geological and Landslide Museum — in the sixteenth-century Palazzo Alemanni: small but well made, it explains why Civita is so fragile (and so beautiful).

The full visit, unhurried and including the bridge, takes 2–3 hours; add the museum and lunch and it becomes a perfect half day.

How to get there

From Villa Vacanze Valentina it is about 40–45 minutes along the scenic Teverina road through Castiglione in Teverina: the drive itself is a little tour of the hills. From the A1 motorway exit at Orvieto (18 km from Bagnoregio) or Attigliano; from Rome it is about 120 km. You always leave the car in Bagnoregio: Civita cannot be reached by car.

When to go (and when not to)

The most magical moment is sunset, when the low light sets the tuff and the badlands aglow. In autumn and winter comes the most incredible scene of all: fog fills the valley and Civita floats above the clouds. If you can, avoid spring and summer weekends in the middle of the day: the bridge has no shade and the crowds steal the poetry. Better early morning — and a table for lunch: in the alleys you eat the true dishes of Tuscia, from pici with truffle to bruschetta with local oil, wild boar and boards of local cured meats and cheeses.

Where to stay for Civita

If you are looking for a base in Tuscia, Villa Vacanze Valentina in Bassano in Teverina is ideally placed: Civita 45 minutes away, the Park of the Monsters of Bomarzo 10, Lake Bolsena 40 — and in the evening you come back to the pool, in the silence of the countryside. For couples there is the Lovers' Cottage: Civita at sunset and the lantern-lit garden on your return are a romantic weekend already written. If a trip for two is the idea, here is how to picture a romantic getaway in Tuscia.

Tickets, parking and how to reach the bridge

Entry to the village costs €5 (unchanged in 2026) and can be bought online at civitadibagnoregio.cloud — with direct access to the bridge, no queue — or at the ticket offices in Mercatello, near the bridge, and Piazzale Battaglini at weekends. It's free for children up to 6 and for guests staying inside the village.

You leave the car at Piazzale Battaglini in Bagnoregio: from there you continue on foot towards the viewpoint, or take the shuttle. The bridge is walked only, and it's worth allowing for the final climb: comfortable shoes, water in summer, and the calm of knowing that the view gets better with every step.