My original plan for this article was to write in detail about life in the little town of Bagnoregio, however in the end the little time I was there was mostly spent sleeping. So I will write about what I spent my time doing instead of getting to know the town.
The original plan for this trip was for the photographer for this article, Hannah Ferguson, and I to spend three hours walking around the town before catching the bus back to Viterbo. Instead we found our bus chugging away, leaving us in a field, at the wrong stop. Fortunately our layover was only one stop away, so we started walking.
Here is where I give you the first important tip when traveling to Civita di Bagnoregio, the bus from there to Viterbo only runs twice a day, although we didn’t know this as we watched it whizz by us. We did notice when it wasn’t at the station, but we took it in stride and decided to walk the two and a half hours to Civita. By the time we arrived in the city the sun had set. In the thirty minutes or so we spent wandering around the city I noticed a few things.
First Bagnoregio is really two towns, the tiny modern Bagnoregio, and the ancient clifftop city, which is mostly a ghost town if you ignore the odd tourist shop. Second Bagnoregio is a small town and by late evening almost everything is winding down.
And third, that the bus station was closed. After this third revelation we spent an hour wandering around looking for a hotel and wondering if we would have to walk seven and a half hours home. Fortunately Bagnoregio is a tourist town with lots of air b&bs and hotels to stay in and we were, by sheer luck, graciously hosted within the dead city of Civita. Which I suggest doing even if your trip to the city is on purpose, as having your morning coffee on the edge of a cliff in a dead medieval city is a great experience.
If you do find yourself In Civita I suggest going to “La bottega del nonno leone,” where you can find excellent cured meats and sandwiches. I also suggest leaving the many cats alone, they play nice but are liars and thieves.
I also suggest knowing in advance that transportation to Viterbo does not exist on Sundays, and that you will have to walk for four hours to Montefiascone to catch a train that will inevitably be canceled leaving you in a freezing train station at night with no way home.
Article author
My name is Wilder Yaconelli I am from Northern California near San Francisco. I study English at cal poly Humboldt. I am studying in viterbo for two semesters because I want to become fluent in Italian language. My family is from Lazio and I hope to reconnect with them while I am here. I am thrilled to have this opportunity to work on a magazine.
Mi chiamo Wilder Yaconelli vengo dalla California del Nord vicino a San Francisco. Studio l’inglese al cal poly Humboldt. Sto studiando a Viterbo per due semestri perché voglio diventare fluente in lingua italiana. La mia famiglia è laziale e spero di riconnettermi con loro mentre sono qui. Sono entusiasta di avere questa opportunità di scrivere su una testata on line.
Gallery
Bagnoregio city
Civita in lontananza raggiunta
Photographic author
My name is Hannah Ferguson and I am a senior at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I will be graduating this December with a Bachelors in Art History. I chose to take my last semester abroad so that I could fully immerse myself in Italian culture and language. I’m excited to experience the art and culture that I have spent my time in college only ever reading about, and very excited use these experiences in my postgraduate life!
Mi chiamo Hannah Ferguson e sono una studentessa presso l’Università del Nevada, Las Vegas. Mi laureerò questo dicembre con una laurea in storia dell’arte. Ho scelto di fare il mio ultimo semestre all’estero per potermi immergere completamente nella cultura e nella lingua italiana. Sono entusiasta di sperimentare l’arte e la cultura con cui ho condiviso il tempo al college leggendo e studiando. Sono molto entusiasta di poter continuare a coltivare queste esperienze nella mia vita post-laurea!
