Civita di Bagnoregio: The Dying City

Civita di Bagnoregio, about 120km north of Rome in the Tuscia area of northern Lazio, is one of Italy's most otherworldly sights: a medieval village clinging to an eroding pinnacle of volcanic tufa, reachable only by a long pedestrian footbridge over a deep canyon of clay badlands. Known as la citta che muore, the dying city, it has only a handful of permanent residents as erosion slowly consumes the surrounding cliffs. Reaching it without a car takes effort, which is why the trip rates as more demanding than its short size suggests: a COTRAL bus from Rome Saxa Rubra runs to Bagnoregio town in roughly two hours, followed by a local shuttle or a walk to the bridge, then a steep footbridge climb to the village itself; driving via the A1 autostrada is faster at around 1 hour 45 minutes. A one-day plan works well by arriving late morning, crossing the bridge and exploring the village's single main square, the Romanesque church of San Donato, the small medieval streets, panoramic terraces over the valley and the Etruscan-era cave dwellings and tunnels beneath. Lunch in one of the village's few trattorias, serving Tuscia dishes and local wine, is part of the experience, after which the afternoon light over the badlands rewards photographers. A small entry fee, around €5, is charged at the bridge and helps fund stabilisation works. Spring and autumn offer the clearest air and most comfortable walking, while early morning or late afternoon bring the most atmospheric mist and golden light over the canyon; midsummer middays are hot and the exposed bridge offers no shade. Civita di Bagnoregio gives Lazio visitors a uniquely dramatic encounter with a fragile, living relic of the medieval past.