We are planning on traveling to Civita on our way to Rome on a Thursday the first week of March. Has anyone visited Civita during the off season, during the week? Is it worth a trip during that time or do you think a lot of sites/eating areas will be closed?
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23281 posts
Are you asking about Civitavechia? There is really very little there to see and do. There are some Etruscan ruins/museum north of Civitavechia that are worth a visit but little else to recommend for there.
Posted by
OP
Columbus, IN, USA
15 posts
Civita di Bagnoregia, a Hill Town of Central Italy. A friend said it was their favorite town as you have to walk up a bridge to get to the city and its surrounded by a canyon. Looks cool in pictures and thought it might be interesting to see but since we're going off season, I don't want to waste hours traveling to find little to see/do there.
Posted by
Portland
3601 posts
For the life of me, I cannot understand what all the fuss is about Civita. True, it's an oddity, in that it's a tiny town perched atop a mesa that is being eroded away. And, yes, the sole access is via a pedestrian-only bridge. Once there, there isn't much to do. There aren't a lot of sights or eating places (one? two?), and things may be closed out of tourist season. At the beginning of March you may very well have bad weather, and then it would be a total waste of your time. A worthwhile stop in the same area would be Orvieto. Its cathedral is stunning, inside and out. There's a small museum and lots of places to eat. Some of the sights are underground (St. Patrick's Well ?), so weather won't be so important.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
Lora,
I've visited Civita in the "off season" (fall) but suspect it will be a bit "quiet" in early March. However, IMHO it's worth a visit if you're going to be in that area.
It's possible that some of the small Cafes will be open, but to be sure you might send an E-mail to Franco, who owns Antico Forno as I'm sure he'd be able to provide some information. I had a great meal there on my last visit!
I'm assuming that you only have a limited time and therefore won't be able to spend any time in Orvieto? I have to agree with a previous reply in that it's well worth a visit. The inside of the Duomo is incredible! If you decide to stop in Orvieto for a few hours, park at the bottom of the hill by the station and take the Fuicular up into town. All the information is in the Italy Guidebook.
Happy travels!