Civita di Bagnoregio

There is a little hill town called Civita di Bagnoregio, also known as "the dead city." Like many small Tuscan and Umbrian towns, it was built as a fortification on top of a hill.
Several hundred years ago, the hill began to erode and a substantial part of the town went with it. Most of the surviving inhabitants decided to get out while they could. Today a handful of people (and dogs) still live there, mostly surviving on tourism. Rick Steves popularized Civita several years ago, but it is still a quiet--though attractive and well-kept--little place.

We had the most enjoyable simple meal of our trip on a chilly, drizzly morning in Civita. Imagine walking down a cold, wet street, and peering through an open doorway to find this:
There were two or three long tables in a small room, with this fireplace blazing away at the back. The bread for our perfect bruschetta was toasted on the hearth (see the racks?). Just out of this picture a man stood, slicing razor-thin slices from a huge ham. With our lovely bruschetta, the house wine served from the ceramic pitchers you see on the mantel, and a plate of local meats and cheeses, we wanted nothing more.