Civita di Bagnoregio also known by the pseudonym of ” city that dies “is a famous semi-abandoned town located in the heart of the Tuscia . The fame of this city derives from its particular history that has made it a popular destination for national and international tourism. Every year over seven hundred thousand people go to Civita di Bagnoregio to live the experience of visiting this place. The setting for this magical place is there in valley of the Calanchi which offers a suggestive spectacle born of the wind and rain.A long bridge, which can only be covered on foot, leads to the “dying city” which has a typical Renaissance appearance, from here you can start the tour of the town passing through Corso Mazzini, where characteristic little shops have come to life and continuing to walk will lead you to up to the Civita viewpoint from which you can enjoy a breathtaking view. The center of the village is piazza San Donato called “la piazzetta”, here is the D ome which served as the cathedral until 1699. The other place of worship in the city is located in piazza Cavour . The history of Civita di Bagnoregio is very particular, its roots are very ancient and date back to the Etruscan period, as evidenced by the archaeological findings made in this area.
The first certain information on the existence of this village dates back to the sixth century, when it was mentioned as one of the main episcopal see of the peninsula. The city also played a central role during the domination of the Roman Empire in the Viterbo area, also if the most intense and lasting relationship was that with the Papal State. Civita for many years belonged to the family Monaldeschi, former lords of Orvieto, following various dominations, starting from the year 1100, the city obtained the status of a free municipality, while remaining under the political and administrative influence of nearby Orvieto. The historical symbol of Civita di Bagnoregio is San Bonaventura born in 1221 and became protector of this community.
A strong plague epidemic put the village in serious crisis and caused the population to decrease significantly, to this was added the loss of municipal autonomy with the siege of the city during the sixteenth century by Charles VIII, king of France. Between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the city was hit by a continuous series of soil erosion phenomena further aggravated by two earthquakes, which undermined its stability and structural safety. Thus it was that a large part of the population decided to leave the town by creating a new village that bears the name of Bagnoregio. Thus this seductive ancient village remained almost totally uninhabited for centuries until today. In recent years Civita has come back to life becoming a sort of open-air museum that seduces those who visit it.