The Footbridge to Civita
Discover The Footbridge to Civita
Last updated on October 8, 2026Introduction
There is one way into Civita and this is it: a reinforced concrete footbridge, built in 1965, running from the edge of Bagnoregio across the gap to the tufa outcrop the village sits on. No car reaches Civita. Everything that goes in -- people, shopping, building materials -- crosses on foot.
Architecture
The gate into Civita is cut through the tufa under a tower with a small arcaded loggia at the top. The two lions are dated to 1497 and the eagle with its carved head to around 1550, so the sculpture was added over roughly half a century rather than at once.
It is the last of five, and the only one that is both a monument and the working front door. Inside it the street plan is Etruscan in origin -- cardi and decumani, inherited by Rome -- under an architectural dress that is medieval and Renaissance throughout. Cutting a passage rather than building one is the normal method here: the chamber tombs, the cisterns and the Bucaione tunnel through the lowest part of the village are all made by removing rock.
How it was built and evolved over time
The gap opened before the bridge was thought of. Progressive erosion of the hill and of the valley around it cut Civita off, producing the typical calanchi forms and continuing to do so. The isolation is the cause, not a consequence, of the structure.
The fight is much older than 1965. The Etruscans, who founded Civita in the sixth century BC, were already dealing with seismicity and instability: tremors and landslips in 280 BC prompted works to embank rivers and cut drainage channels so the water would run off properly. The Romans, arriving in 265 BC, took up the same imposing programme of rainwater canalisation and torrent containment. After them it was neglected, the ground degraded fast, and the town was abandoned.
1965 is the modern answer, in concrete. The footbridge replaced what the landscape had removed, and it did so on the only terms a crumbling outcrop allows: pedestrian loading.
And 2013 made it pay. Access became chargeable in June 2013. The toll raised enough that communal taxes were abolished in Civita and in Bagnoregio -- a village of about ten residents funding its own comune through the gate.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the only way in?
For practical purposes yes. The reinforced-concrete footbridge of 1965 carries everything and everyone that enters Civita. A tunnel cut in the rock, the Bucaione, climbs into the lowest part of the village from the Valle dei Calanchi as the one alternative.
Can I drive or cycle across?
No. The bridge may be crossed only on foot. The comune of Bagnoregio permits residents and authorised persons -- the people who live or work in Civita -- to cross at set times on cycles and motorcycles.
Why is there a gap at all?
Erosion. The hill and the valley around it have been progressively eroded, producing the calanchi and removing the ground that used to connect Civita to Bagnoregio. An ancient road once crossed here from the Tiber valley to Lake Bolsena.
What does it cost to cross?
Five euros a head, bought at the gate, chargeable since June 2013. There are two ticket offices -- Piazzale Battaglini on busier days, Mercatello near the bridge on quieter ones -- plus online sale and the free Civita di Bagnoregio app.
Where does the money go?
Into the comune. The toll raised enough that communal taxes were abolished in Civita and in Bagnoregio itself.
How many people live in Civita?
About ten, as of 2025. The figure moves by one or two between sources.
How long is the walk to the bridge?
From Piazzale Battaglini, about 15 minutes, or there is a shuttle service to the Belvedere.
What is at the far end?
The Porta di Santa Maria, also called della Cava -- the only survivor of the five gates the ancient settlement had.