Italy is a country rich in hidden treasures and captivating destinations where history, art, and natural beauty come together in a unique and unforgettable experience. Among the lesser-known yet equally fascinating gems, Civita di Bagnoregio, Caprarola, and Bomarzo stand out. Let’s discover what makes these places so special.
Among the most impressive examples of nature’s relentless work, Civita di Bagnoregio is a suspended island connected to the world by a small pedestrian bridge. Bagnoregio is located halfway between Orvieto and Lake Bolsena. The ancient Bagnorea, now Bagnoregio, the birthplace of Saint Bonaventure, was once connected to Civita by a strip of land that, despite earthquakes and devastation, still preserves the Romanesque-Gothic church of Sant’Agostino, the Cathedral of San Nicola with a sixteenth-century bell tower, and the intriguing Town Hall.
A place of great suggestion and fascination, thanks to the abandoned medieval and Renaissance buildings, many of which are largely in ruins, where unexpected traces of life emerge, with restored doors and windows, courtyards decorated with flowers, and archaeological relics from the town’s past. Such as the silent square of San Domenico, dating back to the 11th century, which houses a wooden crucifix in the style of Donatello, or the Marzocchi-Alemanni palace. However, it is the farthest limit of the town, where the borders of the village reach their end, that deserves a visit on its own. The view resembles a lunar landscape created over the centuries by water erosion, a spectacle best enjoyed with the fortunate coincidence of a sunset.
A stroll along Civita’s narrow streets allows you to discover small and charming local craft shops, but above all, shops selling locally produced wine and olive oil, which you can taste on the spot with bruschetta samples.
A fun fact: Civita was the location for a film in which Alberto Sordi played a country priest who traveled with a moped (the connecting bridge with Bagnoregio seen in the film has since collapsed and no longer exists).
Along the shores of Lake Vico, amid splendid natural landscapes in every season, you arrive at the ancient village of Caprarola, located 15 kilometers before Viterbo, home to the famous Farnese Palace. Built according to the design of Vignola in the late 16th century on behalf of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, it is one of the finest architectural creations of the late Renaissance. The frescoes in the interior rooms represent the greatest monument of painting in Italy between the seventh and eighth decades of the 16th century. Notable are the helical staircase leading to the noble floor, a masterpiece by Vignola, and the rooms frescoed by the Zuccari brothers, including the rooms of the Farnese Deeds and the Council of Trent. The garden-park, visitable only during certain times of the year, features monumental fountains and various architectural motifs, culminating in an elegant building surrounded by 28 caryatids and a giant fountain.
Bomarzo is a small village very close to the border between Lazio and Umbria, famous worldwide for the evocative Park of the Monsters, an original creation realized towards the end of the 16th century by Pierfrancesco Orsini, also known as Vicino. In the park, enormous sculptures, grotesque and bizarre, confirm the author’s passion for artistic expressions of diverse origins. In the village, around Palazzo Orsini, a series of small streets and characteristic houses with external arches and stairs wind through, creating a suggestive play of light and shadow. The palace, which serves as the town hall, was renovated in the 16th century by Vicino Orsini. Noteworthy on the noble floor is the Council room with 17th-century frescoes.
