Additional Information for Applicants

Accommodations within the facilities of The Civita Institute consist of five autonomous houses, each with its own cooking kitchen and private bathroom. Three of the houses have clothes washing machines within them and two have adjacent access to a laundry room. The houses range in size and capability to accommodate creative and research work wihin them. All of the houses are suitable for two persons sleeping matrimonial style or in single beds. Two of the houses have additional single beds. Please read more about the houses, here.

Civita di Bagnoregio is located on the top of an inland island in the Valley of the Calanchi in the Upper Lazio region of Italy. Tuscany is just to the north and Umbria to the east. It is approximately 20 km (12.5 miles) from Orvieto which is accessible by bullet train, the Frecciarossa, or autostrada about 97 km (60 miles) from Rome. Parking may be available under the foot bridge to Civita with prior coordination with The Civita Institute or is available at nearby parking lots operated by the Comune of Bagnoregio.

Civita is reached by walking along a pedestrian bridge seeming to float above the valley. It is about one-and-a-half km (1/4 mile) in length and steep near the portal to Civita. At times, the Croce Rossa, Italy's Red Cross, is able to provide motorized ascent for those unable to do so otherwise. It should be noted that there are no handicap accessible facilities available in Civita. Tractor service is provided by the Comune to assist the delivery of goods into Civita for restaurants, residents, and guests (including Fellows) for the price of ticket (approx. 5 euro; patience and a tip are recommended). Within the town there are several high-quality restaurants open during high season and one or two usually remain open all year (Italians may not tip but we strongly recommend 10% tipping by Americans). There are several excellent restaurants in Bagnoregio, too.

Services such as a grocery store, post office, bank, or public transportation, etc., are not available in Civita; instead, there are remarkably good shops for baked goods, meat and poultry, cheeses, and fresh pasta in Bagnoregio, about 2 km (1.3 miles) by foot or car. Though they close for riposo, or siesta, from noon to four, or so, and close on Sundays, we heartily recommend shopping in these excellent small stores that are owned by locals and maintain a way of life threatened by supermarkets, chain stores, and non-local owners.

Many locals in Civita di Bagnoregio and in Bagnoregio do not speak much English and their Italian has a unique dialect. This cultural aspect is authentic yet many locals are friendly and fond of communicating even through differing languages. Enduring friendships have been made between Fellows and locals simply by conveying a simpatico/ simpatica friendliness. Still, the Fellowship experience may benefit from language studies prior to arriving on site. Below are some recommended resources available online.

http://www.danteseattle.org
http://www.percorsoitaliano.com
https://seattle-perugia.org

While Civita di Bagnoregio has magical qualities that make it easy to get lost in its beauty and history, it is a centuries-old, working village with layers of complex political, cultural, and historic frameworks that define how the town operates. The unexpected will happen but with patience and a smile, a solution will arise. Note that summers can be quite hot and the houses are not air-conditioned. During Italy's many holidays, an extraordinary number of tourists can arrive particularly from late morning to early evening. Please consider how this might affect the scheduling of your proposed Fellowship project. Below are some resources to get you started on background research.

https://www.facebook.com/civitainfopoint/
https://www.facebook.com/civitadibagnoregio/
http://looks-civitadibagnoregio.com/
https://www.facebook.com/comunedibagnoregio/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy
http://www.quirinale.it/qrnw/presidente/lingue/en/en.html
http://www.parlamento.it/home

Fellowships of The Civita Institute have changed many people's lives. We wish you the best of luck and will always answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to email us at fellowships@civitainstitute.org.