Down in the Valley

Today the gate by the bridge at the western end of town is the most important entry and exit for Civita, providing the link to Bagnoregio and other nearby towns, as well as the world beyond, but in centuries past the eastern gate was probably at least equally important. The main street leaves the east end of Civita through a passage deeply recessed into the outcropping tufo, once covered by a gateway similar to the one through which we entered the town, and a reminder of the centuries of movement along this ridge.

This is now the only route to reach the farmland in the valley from the town. The paving changes as the road turns back upon itself and descends around the south side of the hill. Looking up, houses built of squared blocks of tufo can be seen rising out of the mass of tufo that forms their foundation. Carved into the tufo at the side of the path are grottos used until recently for donkeys, pigs and chickens. One large grotto is a chapel to the Madonna. It had fallen into disuse, but has been reinstated, with evidence of the recent festival still in place with a garland of flowers around the doorway, niches in the interior walls filled with candles, and flowers in front of the altar forming a carpet on the dirt floor. Continuing on, the sheer cliff gives way to a series of terraced gardens. A small path branches off to the south, going down to vineyards and olive groves, and grazing horses and cows.

The main path continues, reaching a tunnel passing through the entire hill. The Etruscans had originally carved a channel, just large enough for a man to stand in, to bring water from a spring on the north side of the hill to a cistern on the south side. In the 1930's erosion made a path to the north side of the town impassable, and the ancient water channel was enlarged. This passage is now large enough for a laden donkey or a flock of sheep. We leave the bright, sunny south side of the hill and enter the cool, dark tunnel, emerging at the other end into a forest of chestnut trees on the north side of the town, below sheer tufo cliffs. Medieval records show that the chestnut grove has been here for hundreds of years. Signs posted on the trees forbid the collecting of chestnuts by people hunting for truffles, since each local family has the right to collect the nuts in a certain area. Twenty years ago no one bothered much with hunting truffles and they weren't part of the local diet or restaurant menu. Now they are popular throughout Italy, and it has been discovered that they can be found close at hand. As we walk along the path, we see several tourists walking through the forest; apparently at least a few tourists find their way here and enjoy hiking in the valley beyond. We are surprised to see that the path is blocked by large boulders of tufo, fallen during a winter landslide. Once again the surface area of the town above has been diminished, if only slightly.

We are in Civita for many of the same reasons that draw other newcomers. This is a town that has changed only slowly over a long period of time, giving the built environment a richness not found in newer places. The continuity with the past becomes especially valuable during times of rapid change. The natural environment is also important in Civita. Except for a few hours during the day when most people visit, it is very quiet, often a complete silence broken by an occasional cow bell or or distant church bell. The town and the valley are inseparable, together giving Civita its unique qualities. The climate is mild, plants grow easily, the air is clean, the views spectacular in the ever-changing light. High quality food and local wine and olive oil are readily available. There is no need for a fitness club, just the climb up the bridge to keep you in shape. Civita has been discovered by outsiders like ourselves who value these things, but, perhaps more importantly, the families who have always lived here now realize the value of what they had previously taken for granted. Civita, for a brief time in the middle of the twentieth century, was a dying town, largely because of social and economic rather than geological factors, but today the future of the town, barring a major natural catastrophe, seems assured for at least a while. What is not clear is the nature of that future, and how the indigenous inhabitants, newcomers, and short-term visitors will share the uniqueness of Civita.