Civita is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, it is a hamlet with
11 inhabitants belonging to the municipality of Bagnoregio.
It’s known as "The Dying Town”, as the writer Bonaventura Tecchi defined it. Civita is situated in the valley of the Badlands. It consists of two main valleys: theFossato del Rio Torbido and the Fossato del Rio Chiaro.
But the question everyone asks is:“How do you get there?”
The only access is a footbridge from the nearby town, built in
reinforced concrete in 1995. The bridge is generally restricted to pedestrians.The
current bridge, at an upper height of 20
meters and about 5 meters wide, is flanked by houses and squares.
How could it resist earthquakes?
The morphology of the region was caused by erosion, landslides and many
earthquakes, such as the ones in 280 b.C. , 1297, 1349, 1695 and the most
recent one dating back to 1764. The top layers are made up of tuff and lava
material. The fast erosion is due to the streams, to atmospheric agents but
also to deforestation.
However, there are some monitoring systems that control the soil
activities, and stabilization interventions that are made periodically.
The peculiar subsoil has brought to light besides the clayey marine deposits
also the microfossils , which is possible to admire inside showcases, exhibited
in the museum situated in the main square.
About 100 years ago, the area was more extensive, there was a church, a
monastery and an orphanage along with other houses.
At the end of the long bridge, you reach Santa Maria gate. It is the only access
to the town.The architecture is simple, sober and elegant. Of Etruscan origin,
with two bas-reliefs featuring a lion holding a head in its claws. Everything
is made of tuff, a material typical of those areas.There have been many
reconstructions.
Subsequently you arrive at the first square called Piazza Colesanti.
Continuing through the various alleys you get to the main square: Piazza S.Donato. Piazza S.Donato includes various architectural eras and styles, at the time was the sacred and secular centre of the town as it still is today.
There we find St. Donato’s church, the most significant monument of the town, built in the 8th century on a pre-existing
Roman temple. Like all the buildings in Civita, the church has suffered several
collapses due to earthquakes, and that’s
also why it underwent major changes and there
are still many works to do.
There are 3 naves, and various sacred paintings such as that of the
Sacred Heart and the Madonna Assunta in Heaven, we also find a remarkable marble baptismal font, in the shape of a pyx
(divided into diamond-pointed panels).
Along the wall of arches there are 4 canvases, the most important of which features portraits
of St. Bonaventura, St. Francesco and St.
Vittoria.
St Bonaventura spent in Civita his teenage years. He was then a Bishop, a
Cardinal and general minister of the Franciscan Order. He was responsible for
one of the most important biographies on Saint Francis of Assisi (the legend
Maior).
In St.Donato’s Square there is also
the geological museum and the landslides. The museum illustrates the history
and the struggle of Civita di Bagnoregio for its own survival, describing the
geological evolution of the area, the instability processes on the slopes, the
monitoring and stabilization plans, and the landslides over history.
From the square, if you continue
to the right, you walk towards the
longest street in town: Via della Maestà, while, if you continue to the left, you get to a small square called Piazza Vescovado.
Once you get to the end of Via dellaMaestà, you can just go back and
enjoy your way back.
The thing I loved the most when I
visited Civita was the attention to detail. For example, each tile of each
house number had a similar. But ...
Don’t stop at my description, go there in person, because it’s really worth it. Unforgettable!
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