The Villages Of Umbria

The Villages Of Umbria

Our tour today will take you to one of the most evocative man-made sights in all of Italy and yet very few people, even in Italy, are aware of its existence.

Civita di Bagnoregio, which bills itself today as the dying city, is a small medieval town with a stable year-round population of 25 souls, but which explodes to more than 300 during the summer months!

However, it is neither its size nor its age which makes it so special it is its actual physical location. Perched on the pinnacle of a narrow, pointed plateau 1,440 ft. above sea level, it has been steadily eroding away over the centuries. Every time another piece of the ancient plateau plummets into the surrounding valley, another bit of this evocative city risks to disappear with it!

After our visit here we will continue to Orvieto. The most prominent sight in Orvieto is of course the Dome built in 1290 in honor of the Bolsena miracle. Enchanting sights wait inside, like the stained-glass windows of the apse or the frescoes in the chapels.Orvieto is built on a high rock, dominating the valley of the Paglia River.

The center of the medieval city is Piazza del Popolo, with the 13th century Palazzo in dark tuff rock. A little distance away is the world-famous 16th century Pozzo di San Patrizio, whose bottom is reached by two separate flights of stairs, one to go down and the other to rise, so that the animals loaded with water containers would not meet.

Upon leaving the city, an unforgettable stop will be at the Town of the Dead, the Etruscan cemetery on the road from Orvieto down to the railway station, where sepulchers are built in blocks of tuff rock almost like homes along the ancient streets of the cemetery.

Departures (Local Time)

8:30 AM (Hours: 8)