Don and Carol--my KState professors spending the semester with us--have a house in Civita, which has been an ongoing design project for them for about 30 years. They invited us to their "hometown" for a tour, a fantastic lunch made by our client's father and brother, and the general splendor of the area.
This Medieval town was virtually abandoned after a major earthquake, its population dwindling from its original 500 to 10. Today it's eerily quiet (tourists will invade when the freezing wind stops threatening to blow you off the bridge) as cars aren't allowed in...you get to walk that entire bridge. Your reward is a trip back to a simpler time, to a world so private that it's hard to imagine.
Civita is a single dot in a landscape of piercing landscape, caused by centuries of erosion and landslides. The oddity of Civita is only enhanced by the softness of its green landscape set against its sharp angles. A tunnel leads you from the stone city to an exterior field of cotton and chestnut trees.
It's easy to see why the Watts have put such love into the restoration of their home. Civita is the perfect escape. They welcomed us into their house and garden home so we could get a feel for the potential of careful Italian construction and restoration:
(The Watts' garden house and cliff side garden...)
If this was the view out of my shower, I'd drown due to distraction:
After spending time with the views, we were treated to lunch at one of Civita's few restaurants.
Our bruschetta (with olive oil pressed there), homemade sausage, and beans were made right on the fire in front of us:
What an experience! I could have stayed in Civita forever (especially after we discovered a little caffe with tiramisu!)
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