We left Orvieto late this morning, at 10:35, because we just couldn’t wake up! We felt discouraged because we knew rain was forecast for much of the day, and today was our last day in Italy. I think we were getting travel weary. I had been on the road since April 4, when I’d left for Morocco.
We ate breakfast in the Hotel Duomo: cappucino, blood orange juice, boiled egg, salami, and toast with blueberry jam.
Parts of our drive to Civita di Bagnoregio looked similar to the countryside west of where we live in Northern Virginia. We passed a beekeeping place with signs for Miele – Honey.

on the drive to Civita di Bagnoregio
At Civita di Bagnoregio, we encountered the worst possible thing you can encounter when traveling: fog. Fog has ruined many a vacation for me, and it seems this happens in some of the most scenic places. We stopped at a cozy cafe, hoping that the fog would clear. It never did.

a coffee break while hoping for the fog to clear
The 2,500-year-old village of Civita di Bagnoregio is a town about 120 kilometers (75 mi) north of Rome. Civita is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, famously known as βthe dying city.β It perches on a pinnacle in a huge canyon. No traffic is allowed, and it is connected to the world via a long pedestrian bridge.
The town is noted for its striking position on top of a plateau of crumbling volcanic tuff, or volcanic ash, overlooking the Tiber river valley. It is in constant danger of destruction as the edges of the plateau collapse due to erosion, leaving the buildings to crumble as their underlying support falls away. As of 2004, there were plans to reinforce the plateau with steel rods to prevent further geological damage (Wikipedia).

Civita di Bagnoregio in the fog
Civita’s history goes back to the Etruscan and ancient Roman times. In the Middle Ages, Civita had a population of about 4,000. Following a 1695 earthquake, many of the residents left as they feared their houses would collapse into the valley below. Apparently the population today is only 11 hardy citizens. Civita’s architecture is still stuck in the Middle Ages.

the valley at Civita
We crossed the pedestrian bridge and entered the village through Porta Santa Maria, a 12th-century Romanesque arch. This was cut by the Etruscans 2,500 years ago, when the town was a stop on an ancient trading route.

pedestrian bridge to Civita di Bagnoregio

the walls of the town

the valley around Civita

Porta Santa Maria
The town church faces Civita’s main piazza. The church, with its campanile (bell tower), marks the spot where an Etruscan temple, and then a Roman temple, once stood. A cathedral until 1699, the church houses records of about 60 bishops dating back to the 17th century. Inside are Romanesque columns and arches in Baroque-era whitewash.
Leaving the church, we walked to the edge of town, passing eateries, olive presses, gardens, a rustic town museum, and valley views. According to Rick Steves: Best of Italy, “the rock below Civita is honeycombed with ancient tunnels, caverns (housing olive presses), cellars (for keeping wine at a constant temperature all year), and cisterns (for collecting rainwater, since there was no well in town). Many date from Etruscan times.”

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We left Civita close to 1:00 and drove the rest of the way to Rome. We checked in at the Fiumicino Airport B&B Delux in Fiumicino, close to the airport, and then walked around the town, which ran along a waterway. We stopped into a restaurant for dinner.
Back at our Airbnb, as we prepared for our early morning flight home, we got a text from our youngest son (26) who had been struggling mightily. (His struggles have been perpetual). He asked if he could come home to live with us. He said he wanted to go to Massage Therapy School and get his life on track. We debated as to whether we should allow this as we had given him limitless opportunities to get his life on track, and he had let us, and himself, down every time. He had perfected the art of quitting everything meaningful he’d ever undertaken except for things that harmed him.
After much debate, we said we would allow it, but only under certain conditions. We made a long list of our requirements for him to move back in, and we sent it to him, telling him he would have to agree to meet our conditions in order to move back home. He agreed to the conditions, but I seriously doubted he would meet any of them.
*Thursday, May 9, 2019*
I know that fog would affect your mood in seeing this incredible place but the photos are wonderfully atmospheric, Cathy. As well as being tired you were stressed by the home situation. Are things on a more even keel now, or have you just agreed to let him get on with it? Life has changed in many respects since then. π π
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Thanks, Jo. I guess you can say it’s atmospheric, but I still would have preferred sunny! He is still in Nicaragua, which is for the best. It’s much less stressful if he is not under our roof. As for agreeing to “let him get on with it,” it makes no difference what we agree to or not; he does whatever he damn well pleases. As long as he’s not living in our house, I’m a lot less stressed and thus happier.
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π€ππ
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Like Jo I think the fog actually adds atmosphere to the photos. It does look like a lovely place. I think when you travel like you do, constantly moving around and yet seeing the same things can get tiring. There is only so many cathedrals you can take in.
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Yes, I’ll grudgingly admit that the fog makes the pictures look “atmospheric.” Still. Fog wouldn’t be my preference! Actually, I did feel that many of the Italian hill towns started to look alike, and so many cathedrals start to blend together. Lately, that’s why I enjoy traveling in the U.S. because I find so many unusual things wherever I go. I’m having fun reliving my Road Trip to Nowhere. I saw so many quirky and regional things and learned so much. π
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I enjoyed my trips in the US. Even though I did part of the Canyons Circle they were all so very different they remained interesting. Sometimes when we go away here in the UK and visit a few gardens, even I become ‘gardened out’. Mixing things up is much better.
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I’m hoping to do the Canyon Circle in mid-October. Many things must come together, but I’m hoping for the best. Yes, I can understand getting “gardened out” and “churched-out.” Too much of anything is oversaturating. π
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Ah, Civita! Brings back memories…and I think itβs most atmospheric in the fog, I was so excited to see the scene before me when we arrived.
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It certainly is a jaw-dropping sight! π
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What a fascinating place, and I know the fog spoilt it for you, but it still looks stunning, especially that opening shot.
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Thanks so much, Anabel. It really is such a stunning spectacle! π
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I recognised the place straightaway and found my last blog about the place. I don’t know if you knew of it’s changed status but anyway, here’s an update on things. https://travels-with-my-camera.blog/2017/08/20/citiva-a-dying-village-is-born-again/
I do hope things are getting better with your son and that there is less stress in your life. We all have enough what with Covid19.
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Thanks for sharing your post about Civita, Mari. Your photos are marvelous. In my opinion, blue skies are always preferred. I think a tourist tax is a great idea for many places! My son is still in Nicaragua, so he’s not under my roof and thus is not stressing me out.
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Stunning scenery again!
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Thanks, Carol. Beautiful Tuscany and Umbria! π
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