The Dying Town

(image form Google)

 "I have been to Civita twice in 2008 and 2010.  The views from the outside walls of Civita of Umbria stretch for hundreds of miles.  They are nothing short of spectacular.  My brother-in-law said of the view, “if ever I had a glimpse of heaven, this is it!”" (Mrs. Corley)

This week I decided to interview, Mrs. Corley, who is an Italy con-assure and my teacher, what her favorite place to visit in Italy was to visit. I traveled with her to Italy once and knew she would be able to tell me. Without missing a beat she told me of a place known as Civita di Bagnoregio. 

" Civita di Bagnoregio is a charming medieval village, founded by the Etruscans over 2,500 years ago.  Over time, however, as the walls of the tiny city have eroded, so has the population, which is now somewhere between 10 – 15 year-round residents." she explained. This number can expand all the way up to 100 in the summer months due to tourism. Civita means "old town"and was once the main hub of the area, but declined during the 16th century, and is now the main pinnacle of its former suburb Bagnoregio. 

(picture by Mrs. Corley)

"After earthquakes, serious erosion, and the impacts of two World Wars, Civita has turned into an “island” of sorts, connected to Bagnoregio solely by a long, steep, pedestrian footbridge.  There are no cars, no vespas, no motor vehicles whatsoever in Civita." she explained. Much akin to Venice I supposed reminising on my own Italy journey.  She then eloquently described what the town looked like, 

" Over the last few centuries, layers of Civita have fallen into the great canyon surrounding it, like tiers of an onion, peeling away.   Bagnoregio continues as a small but prosperous town, while Civita became known as il paese che muore (in Italian: "the dying town").  In recent years, thanks to a few popular travel books, Civita has become a tourist day trip."

"Pictures of Civita are certainly spectacular.  This delicate and preciously fragile, tiny hill top town sits high atop a small plateau of volcanic tuff, surrounded by gorgeous, deep canyons and overlooking the Tiber River Valley.  Over the past few centuries, its “city limits” have shrunk as the walls of its outmost buildings have literally fallen into the valleys."  

"It is said that Civita owes much of its unaltered condition to its relative isolation, about a twenty minute drive from Orvieto and about 60 miles from Rome, but hardly near any other well-known Italian city or site. "

"But, for those of us who have visited and wish to continue visiting Civita, that is a good thing.  It’s a treasure and should be treated that way!" she proclaimed.

(Picture by Mrs. Corley)

I asked what was one of her fond memories she answered, " During (a visit), six of us ate lunch (“pranzo”) at one of the only two “ristoranti” in Civita.  There were likely not more than four tables and the dishes came out one at a time, as they were lovingly prepared and served when ready.  That incredible lunch took us about three hours – what a great memory!"

She then told me that Civata was put on the World Monuments Fund's 2006 Watch List of Most Endangered Sites, "due to the threats it faces from erosion and unregulated tourism."

 

 "If you do go to Civita, please treat it with respect, great care, and sensitivity."

This truly sounds like quite the gem of the world and needs saving. They say time travel is impossible, I never believed that...History never really dies.

(image by Google)

If you would like to know more about the World Monuments Fund or how you can help our worlds treasured places, visit this website, http://www.wmf.org/