Civita Houses

If interested in reserving a space for a Member Stay, please contact us at info@civitainstitute.org to inquire about availability.

We have prepared a brief Welcome Letter for guests with directions, available for download. Please see the Visitor Conditions link (below) for more information. If you have further questions after reading the information below, please email us.

All Educational Program participants at The Civita Institute facilities are required to be “fully vaccinated” against COVID-19 and to provide proof of such vaccination to The Civita Institute prior to their use of the facilities. Proof of vaccination shall be delivered via email to info@civitainstitute.org in order to reserve use of the facilities and consists of a scanned copy of either a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-approved COVID-19 vaccination card or an equivalent European Union (EU)-approved COVID-19 vaccination card. As stated by the CDC, individuals are considered “fully vaccinated”: (a) 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series (such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines), or (b) 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine (such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine) and (c) after receiving all vaccine boosters that they are eligible to receive. If you do not meet these requirements for either a CDC/FDA or EU-approved COVID-19 vaccine, you are not “fully vaccinated” and will not be allowed to visit the facilities of The Civita Institute. For more information, please download our Visitor Conditions.

Located approximately 60 miles north of Rome, in central Italy, Civita di Bagnoregio is an ancient and astonishing hilltown set within one of Europe’s most remarkable geological landscapes. With Etruscan underpinnings, Civita's first inhabitation predates the founding of Rome. The historic hill town of Civita does not provide for automobile access, allowing the citadel to retain an unusually intact group of buildings, spaces, and ambience dating largely from medieval and renaissance times.

The Civita Institute facilities include a series of historically-significant houses/ apartments that have been restored for our educational and nonprofit arts organization's use for more than 40 years by the late Professor Astra Zarina, a primary founder of NIAUSI now dba The Civita Institute, and her husband architect Tony Costa Heywood. Both Professor Zarina and Mr. Heywood were donors of these properties to The Civita Institute.

Clustered around a courtyard and garden, there are spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. The volcanic, tufo stone structures contain our residences, library spaces and collections. We continue to expand our library of materials. We have completed a series of historic restoration and maintenance projects since assuming ownership of the facilities in 2013, 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.

Accommodations are for our nonprofit arts organizational use only. They are not commercial lodging nor are they open to the general public. Our program participant spaces are located in autonomous apartments within the Civita Institute compound: Lo Studio, Il Nuovo and Il Ruderino. Each dwelling is suitable for one person or a couple, though it may be possible to accommodate family members and friends by prior arrangement. Note that summers can be quite hot and the dwellings are not air-conditioned.

Fellows, Educational Program participants, and Members staying in Civita may have access to a comprehensive library of materials related to Civita and other Italian hill towns, as well as general material on architecture and urbanism.  The courtyard, garden, and terrace overlooking an extraordinary EU-protected valley surrounding the hill town are generally available.  

Civita di Bagnoregio is located on a promontory, accessible only by a pedestrian bridge which is 2 km by foot or public minibus from the town of Bagnoregio. While some services (restaurants, etc.) are available in Civita, grocery stores, post office, banking, public transportation, and other services are readily available in Bagnoregio. It should be noted that there are no handicap accessible facilities available at The Civita Institute. However, by request, we will do our best to make our facilities accessible to people with disabilities and those for whom access is a challenge.

Thank you for your support!

The Civita Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and donations are tax exempt to the extent allowable by law.