The Solo Scale:

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Despite how busy you might see Rome, Florence, and Venice, the truth in the countryside is that Italy is full of dying towns. While the main cities are thriving thanks to tourism, there are a large number of smaller towns that are going to simply cease to exist. My family comes from one of them.

When I was younger and we visited, the town had a thriving population (of mostly my relatives) and you could wander the town to the bottega to buy some ice cream and visit with the neighbours. Even a decade later, people had passed away or moved on, and the population began to dwindle. Now, if I were to return, I’d be lucky to find more than two dozen people left in that village. This isn’t a unique story as it’s happening across a large part of Italy these days.

Civita di Bagnoregia is a unique kind of dying town. This is a city that’s literally crumbling, thanks to the type of rock at its base. The current population (when you exclude visitors and non-permanent residents) is eleven. When you reach the city, you begin to understand why.

If you’re going to visit, make sure you have some cardio ability. If you don’t, acknowledge that your journey into the town may take a while. The walk into the city is no joke. Small little golf-cart sized trucks can make the journey to replenish food and water, but for those visiting, it’s a hike.

Reaching the town requires a bus ride. The first stop is the main piazza where there’s an overlook of the city. When you’re ready, you’ll descend a set of stairs and begin the hike into town over a long road (about 1km). The last bit is also the steepest and the hardest, so save some of your cardio for that last burst.

Once you arrive, you’ll be able to wander the town, head inside the church, and get great views of the surrounding landscape. The area is dotted with more of the same rock features that this town was built on.

Back in the medieval era, this was a wise move — after all, it’s much harder to conquer a city on a hill (one of the main reasons so many towns are atop hills). It’s a shame that the rock beneath it began to crumble away, and with it, the future of Civita di Bagnoregio.

Still, it’s not gone yet. In fact, it’s still used as a movie set (most recently for Pinocchio). The rocks made of tuff and clay will eventually crumble away, but not yet. It’s a truly unique location in Italy and a far more lesser-known one. You can easily spend a full half-day here, marvelling at the sights.

Remember to bring water, take your breaks, and what goes up must come down. When you’re done for the day, you’ll be hiking back to where you began. Make sure to save some energy for that return trip back.

Want to read more about the town? Check out their website online!

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