Civita di Bagnoregio and Castiglione in Teverina

Is certainly one of the most characteristic villages in Italy which, thanks to the extraordinary landscape with which it is surrounded, leaves every visitor speechless. Founded by the Etruscans, Civita di Bagnoregio is a magical place located on a tuffaceous promontory, flanked at the base by two deep canyons carved by the waters of the Rio Chiaro and Rio Torbido. It is surrounded by the spectacular Valle dei Calanchi and can only be reached through a narrow pedestrian bridge about 300 meters long, from which you can enjoy one of the most beautiful views of Lazio. Nicknamed “the dying city” because of the constant erosion of the tufaceous rocks in which it is located, today it is a small town where time seems to have stopped. After the pedestrian viaduct, you can reach the historical centre of the town by entering through the Porta di Santa Maria, the only one left of the original five and decorated with a pair of lions with the intention of grasping human heads. From here, you reach the main square of the city, dominated by the Church of San Donatos. The tour continues with a walk through the characteristic alleys of the village with the typical low snuffed houses enriched with decorative details such as medieval balconies and external stairs called “Profferli”. Not to be missed, a visit to the panoramic underground caves of the Antica Civitas, transformed into a small museum of rural history. Inside, typical tools of the past are preserved, such as wine and oil presses, an oil mill, barrels, scales and spades, but also numerous archaeological finds dating back to the Etruscan and Roman period.

The tour continues as far as Castiglione in Teverina, a village that stands on a hill of tufa origin between Lake Bolsena and the Tiber, on the border with Umbria. This peculiarity means that, from Castiglione in Teverina, you can enjoy a splendid natural landscape, rich in woods, lush vegetation and hills designed with rows of vines lined up alternating with fields of olive trees. The village is also known as the small wine capital. In fact, in the heart of the village, you can admire the MUVIS – “Museum of Wine and Food Science” -, the largest of its kind in Europe.