Civita di Bagnoregio: The Dying City That Clings to Life

Civita di Bagnoregio, a small village with just 11 residents in the comune of Bagnoregio, located in Viterbo province, Lazio, is often referred to as the 'dying city' (città che muore). Unlike many abandoned towns, Civita is in a constant state of decline, sustained by the bridge leading to Porta Santa Maria. Interestingly, the COVID-19 pandemic made the town feel more vibrant, as isolation and lockdowns affected all Italian communities equally. The author references Piero Calamandrei's reflections on pre-war retreats to the mountains with friends such as Nello Roselli, Alessandro Levi, and others, as noted in Jean Clair's L'inverno della cultura (2011) and Vincenzo Trione and Tommaso Montanari's Contro le mostre (2017). Nestled on a rocky outcrop between the Fossato del Rio Torbido and Fossato del Rio Chiaro valleys, Civita serves as a haven for those in search of life in Italy's secluded areas.