{"id":7258,"date":"2024-01-02T05:59:33","date_gmt":"2024-01-02T10:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/panoramitalia.com\/?p=7258"},"modified":"2024-01-02T05:59:36","modified_gmt":"2024-01-02T10:59:36","slug":"what-brought-italys-dying-town-back-from-the-edge-of-extinction-a-tourist-toll","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/panoramitalia.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/02\/what-brought-italys-dying-town-back-from-the-edge-of-extinction-a-tourist-toll\/","title":{"rendered":"What brought Italy\u2019s \u2018dying town\u2019 back from the edge of extinction? A tourist toll"},"content":{"rendered":"

By charging visitors to enter its crumbling walls, the medieval town of Civita di Bagnoregio has turned the threat of destruction to its advantage<\/strong><\/h3>
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The Guardian –<\/strong> As leaders of some of Europe\u2019s most popular holiday destinations ponder recent anti-tourism protests, they should perhaps take inspiration from the mayor of Civita di Bagnoregio, a hamlet perched on a plateau of volcanic rock surrounded by steep ravines in Italy\u2019s Lazio region.<\/p>

Francesco Bigiotti, who also manages the main town of Bagnoregio, has rushed in where other mayors fear to tread \u2013 anyone wanting to cross the footbridge to visit his medieval village must pay.<\/p>

Civita<\/a>, a tiny settlement about 74 miles north of Rome, founded by the Etruscans more than 2,500 years ago, is the only town in Italy to charge an entrance fee. <\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>

A \u20ac1.50 toll was introduced in 2013 and increased at the beginning of August. Visitors are now required to pay \u20ac3 on weekdays and \u20ac5 on Sundays or public holidays. For a few euros more they can get a private tour of the village \u2013 home to a year-round population of just 10 people \u2013 or a bruschetta and a glass of wine.<\/p>

Authorities in overcrowded Venice<\/a>, where in July an estimated 2,000 protesters marched against mass tourism, have long contemplated charging people to see one of their most prized assets, St Mark\u2019s Square, but the idea has always proved too contentious.<\/p>

Bigiotti enthuses about his hamlet\u2019s initiative, which has coincided with a surge in visitors \u2013 Civita is forecast to attract 850,000 people this year, compared to 40,000 in 2010.<\/p>

\u201cThe ticket price has not discouraged people at all,\u201d he told the\u00a0Observer<\/em>. \u201cIn fact, it has increased the quality of tourism. In some ways, it makes the site more precious. Even the tourists are more attentive, they stay for longer and are more respectful.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>

While the ticketing system allows Bigiotti to monitor the flow of tourists, it also enabled him to pull off another significant feat: he has abolished communal taxes, comparable to council tax, in both Civita and Bagnoregio, which has a population of 3,650. He also boasts of a zero unemployment rate thanks to the 400 jobs created via the 200 or so tourism-linked businesses that have sprung up in the past few years.<\/p>

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Up to 850,000 tourists are expected to visit Civita di Bagnoregio this year.\u00a0Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cBagnoregio is the only Italian town where you no longer pay communal taxes,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been able to improve local services \u2013 the health service is better, there is transport for disabled people. We\u2019re managing to live autonomously thanks to tourism and culture. Really, it\u2019s a miracle.\u201d<\/p>

Indeed, a miracle of sorts has occurred. Civita became known as \u201cthe dying town\u201d due to the forces of nature \u2013 earthquakes, landslides and floods \u2013 that have threatened its survival since the 17th century. But far from being a death knell, the label \u2013 which even features on signposts leading to the village \u2013 has proven to be a deft stroke of marketing.<\/p>

A series of landslides in 2014 and 2015 saw some of its medieval properties plummet into the ravine when the sides of the volcanic outcrop gave way. Geologists have described it as melting like an ice cream. However, the disaster encouraged a group of Italy\u2019s cultural heavyweights, including Oscar-winning composer Ennio Morricone and director Bernardo Bertolucci, to back a petition calling for Civita to be given world heritage status by Unesco. The regional government of Lazio pledged more investment to preserve what was becoming increasingly recognised as a cultural and historical gem, and a bid for the site to be listed was submitted in March this year.<\/p>

Some of the tourists\u2019 entrance fee also goes towards preserving Civita\u2019s fragile beauty, Bigiotti said. But not everyone is happy to pay for the privilege. A group of Italians could be heard grumbling when the Observer <\/em>visited last week, before begrudgingly handing over their cash and joining the flow clambering up the sloping footbridge, which was partially blown up by the Germans during the second world war.<\/p>

The town is inaccessible to vehicles apart from mopeds and a couple of tractors, used to transport construction materials and waste, or to ferry supplies for the handful of restaurants and bars. But once through its main entrance \u2013 a huge stone gateway \u2013 any irritation at having to pay quickly evaporates as visitors are taken back to the middle ages.<\/p>

The main piazza contains a bell tower and a 13th-century church. The town\u2019s few narrow streets, flanked by stone houses, are meticulously maintained. There are a couple of B&Bs to host those who want to stay the night, while the majority of the properties have been turned into holiday homes. There is little to do apart from gaze at Etruscan remnants, have a bite to eat or buy a souvenir.<\/p>

Read more here<\/a><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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