Civita di Bagnoregio, Calcata and Tuscania: Tuscia's Medieval Villages

By Federico Francolini, Viterbo · Updated 27 October 2026

Tuscia’s villages are built on and out of tufo, the soft volcanic stone left by ancient eruptions. Rivers carved the tuff into narrow spurs and cliffs, and Etruscans, Romans and medieval communities built on top of them for defence. The result is a landscape of towns that seem to float above ravines. This guide covers three very different ones: the famous Civita di Bagnoregio, the bohemian Calcata and the quietly grand Tuscania.

Civita di Bagnoregio

Why it’s special

Civita sits alone on a crumbling pinnacle of tuff and clay above the Valle dei Calanchi, a landscape of eroded badlands. Its foundations go back to the Etruscans. Over the centuries landslides and earthquakes ate away the hill, the main town of Bagnoregio grew on the neighbouring ridge, and Civita was gradually abandoned — earning the nickname la città che muore, “the dying town”. Today only a handful of residents live there year-round, and the only way in is a long, steep pedestrian footbridge, built in the 1960s.

Inside, it takes 20 minutes to cross: a gate carved through the rock, a small piazza with the church of San Donato, flower-filled lanes, and viewpoints over the calanchi. The magic is in arriving early or staying late, when the day-trippers have gone.

Tickets

Entry to the bridge requires a ticket. At the time of writing the official price is €5, with free entry for children under 6 and a few other categories (residents of Bagnoregio, people with 100% certified disabilities and a companion, licensed guides with groups, and others). You can buy online from the official ticket service or at the ticket offices:

• Mercatello, at the foot of the bridge: open daily (roughly 8:00–19:00 in winter, 8:00–20:00 in summer);
• Piazzale Battaglini, in Bagnoregio: open at weekends;
• Palazzo Alemanni, inside Civita (also home to the geological museum).

Check before you go: hours vary with the season and crowd-management plans. On busy days buying online avoids queues.

Getting there from Rome

Civita is not on a railway. The usual route without a car is:

1. Train from Roma Termini (or Tiburtina) to Orvieto on the Rome–Florence line — around one hour on faster regional trains.
2. Cotral bus from Orvieto (railway station / Piazza d’Armi) to Bagnoregio, typically under an hour.
3. Walk about 15 minutes through Bagnoregio’s main street to the Belvedere, or take the local shuttle, then walk down to the bridge.

Important: at the time of writing the Orvieto–Bagnoregio bus does not run on Sundays and runs less often on Saturdays; buses are also timed for school traffic. Check the Cotral timetable before planning. Many travellers solve this with a tour from Rome or Orvieto, or a taxi from Orvieto.

By car: take the A1 to the Orvieto exit and follow signs for Bagnoregio (about 20 km). Park in Bagnoregio (Piazzale Battaglini) and walk or shuttle to the bridge; there is also paid parking closer to the bridge.

Tips

• Arrive before 10:00 or after 16:00; the bridge is steep — wear proper shoes.
• The view from the Belvedere in Bagnoregio, before you descend, is the classic photograph.
• Consider staying overnight in Bagnoregio or in Civita itself (a few B&Bs exist). Evening on the empty bridge is unforgettable.
• Visit the Museo Geologico e delle Frane in Palazzo Alemanni to understand why the hill is collapsing.

Calcata

Calcata is about an hour north of Rome, in the green Valle del Treja. The village perches on a tuff outcrop above the river. In the 20th century it was judged unstable and most residents were moved to a new settlement, Calcata Nuova, on the plateau nearby. From the 1960s and 70s artists, artisans and counter-culture newcomers moved into the empty houses, and the village became known as a bohemian enclave.

Today it’s tiny, car-free and full of studios, small galleries and cafés. A walk around the outer lanes takes less than an hour, which makes it perfect to combine with a hike in the Parco Regionale Valle del Treja: woodland paths along the river, Etruscan and Faliscan remains, and the waterfalls of Monte Gelato a short drive away, near Mazzano Romano.

Getting there: Calcata is best reached by car (via the Via Cassia bis / Via Flaminia area, roughly one hour from central Rome). Cotral buses serve the area from Rome’s Saxa Rubra hub, but connections are infrequent and may involve a change — check Cotral’s journey planner. Park outside the village and walk in.

Tip: many shops and restaurants keep short hours on weekdays out of season; weekends are livelier.

Tuscania

Tuscania, west of Viterbo, is a walled town of towers and churches on a gentle hill. It was an important Etruscan centre and later a medieval town of real power. It was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1971, and much of what you see has been carefully restored.

The highlights are two remarkable Romanesque churches just outside the walls:

• San Pietro, on its own hill with the remains of the old acropolis, with a richly carved façade, rose window and cosmatesque floor;
• Santa Maria Maggiore, at the foot of the hill, with a beautiful carved portal and medieval frescoes.

Check before you go: opening times for both churches are limited and change with the season.

Around Tuscania there are Etruscan necropolises, and the town’s National Archaeological Museum displays sarcophagi from local tombs. Tuscania combines naturally with Tarquinia (about 25 km away) — see our Etruscan Tuscia guide.

Getting there: by car via Viterbo or Vetralla. Cotral buses connect Tuscania with Viterbo; services are limited at weekends.

Other villages worth your time

• Bagnoregio itself, with a pleasant main street and churches; birthplace of the theologian St Bonaventure.
• Bolsena, on the lake of the same name, with its castle and medieval centre — see our lakes guide.
• San Pellegrino in Viterbo, the medieval quarter of the provincial capital.
• Pitigliano and Sorano are just across the border in Tuscany and are often combined with Tuscia trips.

A three-day village itinerary

• Day 1: Rome → Orvieto by train → Bagnoregio by bus. Late-afternoon visit to Civita, sleep in Bagnoregio.
• Day 2: Early Civita, then by car or bus to Viterbo; afternoon in San Pellegrino, evening soak at the free hot springs.
• Day 3: Tuscania in the morning, Tarquinia’s necropolis in the afternoon, train back to Rome from Tarquinia.

In short

• Civita di Bagnoregio: €5 bridge ticket (check before you go); train to Orvieto + Cotral bus (no Sunday service); go early or stay overnight.
• Calcata: car-free artists’ village; combine with the Valle del Treja.
• Tuscania: two outstanding Romanesque churches and Etruscan heritage; combine with Tarquinia.