Bike Across Italy - Day 9 - Orvieto to Sorano (42 miles)
The 'dead city' of Civita - you're looking for a room with a view May 20, 2007: Hospitality, Fortress-style + The Dead City of Civita Day 9 PHOTO GALLERY "If this doesn't capture the imagination, nothing will." That's the first thing that escaped from my lips as the 'dead city' of Civita appeared before me like some kind of surreal Magritte daubing. It is called 'dead' because of the dwindling number of inhabitants now eking out a living in this medieval village perched on a rock in a giant volcanic basin. Erosion of a massive scale separated the city from the nearby town of Bagnoregio. It reminded me of a little Disney World fortress, floating on a giant moat of thin air. We locked up the bikes and began the hike on the long suspended footbridge spanning the chasm to get to the village. There wasn't a lot over there, a few cafes, souvenir shops, a church and so forth, but a wonderful cobbled ambiance and I could