Civita Bagnoregio (Viterbo) "La città che muore" located in a vast canyon atop a pinnacle ruled by wind and erosion, is 70 miles north of Rome and has a permanent population of 15 people who proudly talk about their village and its Etruscan and Roman roots. Civita is connected to the town of Bagnoregio by a narrow pedestrian bridge. The original bridge that connected these two villages eroded away over the centuries and was bombed out during WWII. In 1965 a new bridge was built for local foot traffic- si va a piedi. The walk is long but the view is spectacular! You enter the town through an archway cut in the rock made by Etruscans 2,500 years ago. As you pass under the 12th-century Romanesque arch, the Santa Maria gate, you feel a great sense of tranquility and you will be embraced by ancient history as you walk in the smooth cobblestones. This was once the main Etruscan road leading to the Tiber Valley and Rome. It's difficult to imagine such a charming site with  no cars, no pollution, no lodging, a few shops, and only one small restaurant. Soon you will find yourself  in Piazza San Donato or Piazza del Duomo. Nearby the church, the Chiesa San Donato (8^th century- the only church in town, built upon a pagan temple) there is a Romanesque bell tower, campanile (8^th century) and the Palazzo Alemanno now a government building. Near the church there is a wine cellar and an olive press that dates back to Etruscan times. Civita is a poet's dream, an artist's masterpiece, a visitor's fantasy. Each  footpath holds a surprise. You can walk the streets and alleys, admire the architecture, the balconies, the stone, the flowers. The warm stone walls glow, and each stairway, window, archway is a sketch pad, the focus of your camera. Today, Civita has three components: the aging, full-time residents, who welcome visitors with their big heart; rich, big-city Italians who are buying pieces of this unique treasure for their country escape; and visitors, like ourselves, enjoying "un cammino verso civiltà del passato."

►For more information about this "hidden treasure" visit a web publication
          "Accross the Bridge: A portrait of Civita di Bagnoregio" by  Prof. Carol Martin Watts