Civita Houses

The Facilities of The Civita Institute
The facilities of The Civita Institute are located approximately 60 miles north of Rome in the ancient and astonishing hilltown of Civita di Bagnoregio, one of Europe’s most remarkable geological landscapes. Clustered around a courtyard and garden, there are spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. The local volcanic, tufo stone structures contain our residences, grounds, library, and archival collections. 

Accommodation in the Civita Houses is for members of The Civita Institute only. Our facilities are not commercial lodgings nor are they open to the general public. Our member-stays and program participant spaces are located in autonomous apartments within the Civita Institute complex: Lo Studio, Il Nuovo and Il Ruderino. Each dwelling is suitable for one person or a couple, though Studio and Nuovo are able to accommodate family members and friends by prior arrangement. Leaders of Educational Programs and Facilities Docents will be housed in the Ruderone and Giardino apartments.

The Civita Institute continues to expand its library of materials originally collected by Professor Zarina. There are hundreds of books on architecture, urbanism, and art along with extensive materials related to Civita and other Italian hill towns. Portions of the library are located in each of the apartments. Availability of the library in the Sala Grande is variable.

Planning Ahead
Civita di Bagnoregio is remarkably beautiful, but you will want to know some challenges, too. Summers can be quite hot, and most dwellings are not air-conditioned. There are no handicap accessible facilities at The Civita Institute (crossing the bridge in a special ‘golf cart’ type vehicle can be pre-arranged with the Croce Rossa, Red Cross of Italy). Several restaurants are typically open (less so in February) but there is no grocery store, post office, bank or cash machine – these are available in Bagnoregio.

If interested in reserving a space for a Member Stay, please read the informational materials contained in the brief Welcome Letter and our Visitor Conditions. If you would like to inquire about availability for a member-stay or have further questions, please email us at info@civitainstitute.org.

Of Historical Note
With underpinnings of the Etruscan civilization (8c – 4c BCE), Civita's first inhabitation predates the founding of Rome and traces of both Etruscan and Roman construction remain. Nowadays, Civita di Bagnoregio is a magical inland island praised by international visitors as the ‘city in the sky’. Perched on top of a promontory, the hill town is accessible only by a pedestrian bridge which is 2 km on foot and is particularly steep near the Etruscan entry portal to Civita. Challenging access has allowed the citadel to retain an unusually intact group of buildings, spaces, and ambience for pedestrians only dating largely from medieval and renaissance times.

The Civita Institute facilities include a series of historically significant buildings and apartments that were restored by the late architect and Professor Astra Zarina. Astra acquired her first building in 1961, the Sala Grande, and for the next 40 years continued to acquire and restore properties in Civita with her husband, architect Tony Costa Heywood. Astra was a primary founder of NIAUSI in 1981 now dba The Civita Institute and initiated the donation of the Zarina-Heywood estate to The Civita Institute for fulfillment of its mission, a cornerstone of the donation documents signed in 2007, and is:

is to inspire and foster an interdisciplinary understanding of the unique qualities of Italian hill towns that remain pertinent to our contemporary experience through the promotion of historic preservation, education and scholarly research, artistic creation, cultural exchange, and professional explorations.

Since 2013, we have completed a series of historic restoration and maintenance projects as new owners of the facilities, with more work to come. The Civita Institute Facilities Committee has compiled a summary update in 2024 on this progress and is available for viewing here.

Thank you for your support!