Belvedere della Valle dei Calanchi

Piazza Alberto Ricci marks the edge of Civita di Bagnoregio, where the town's tuff plateau opens onto the Valle dei Calanchi. The viewpoint brings the eroded landscape into focus, from its clay ridges and gullies to the strata visible in the valley walls.

Why it matters

The view reveals the geological structure that underlies Civita's precarious setting. The exposed cliff layers include a calcareous base, sandy clays, sands, conglomerates and deposits associated with the ancient Vulsini volcano. Erosion cuts the clay into the narrow ridges known as calanchi, while the town occupies a tuff outcrop above the valley.

What to notice

Look across the valley for the changes in colour and texture that mark its geological layers. The sharp ridges and branching gullies are characteristic forms produced by erosion in the clay. Beyond the viewpoint, the wider landscape is shared by several towns and is known as the Forre della Teverina. Civita's silhouette stands out against the pale slopes.

Context and history

The calanchi are not a single formation or viewpoint but an extended landscape shaped by erosion across the surrounding territory. Their strata and landforms are also the subject of interpretation at Civita's Geological and Landslides Museum. From the belvedere, the relationship between the settlement's tuff base and the clay slopes around it is visible in the same panorama.