A day out
Civita di Bagnoregio: Lazio town that refuses to die Dying town
Each summer Italian and international animators, cartoonists, illustrators and street artists descend on the spectacular mediaeval hilltop town of Civita di Bagnoregio in the province of Viterbo, 110km north of Rome. Entitled La Città Incantata (The Enchanted City), the annual event is designed to “save” Civita from its impending demise.
Christened La città che muore by the Civita-born writer Bonaventura Tecchi, this “dying town” has long been condemned by authorities over fears that its collapse into the valley is not only probable but inevitable. Today the town’s community has dwindled to just ten permanent residents, although that number increases to around 100 during the summer months.
Perched on exceptionally unsound foundations, the hamlet has gradually been reduced due to centuries of earthquakes and landslides which have chipped away at its soft volcanic base. The original town centre remains intact, however, surging out of the desolate Calanchi valley whose chasms and chalky cliffs resemble a mini-Grand Canyon.
UNESCO appeal
In 2015 the Lazio region’s governor Zingaretti launched an online appeal, calling on UNESCO to recognise Civita as a World Heritage Site. Zingaretti stated that Civita is “now in extreme and urgent need of main-
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