CIVITA DI BAGNOREGIO, the architecture of eternity

This village of Civita di Bagnoregio has been a victim of erosion and landslides for millennia. The village has adapted and resisted the threat posed by the rock. The different layers of rock resting on clay struggle to withstand the elements. The village, which is dying and becoming increasingly isolated from the rest of the world, fascinates. Last-chance tourism sparks significant efforts to preserve this empty village. However, in 500 years, the village and its hill will no longer exist. It is into this absurdity that the project develops a columbarium, right in the center of the village.

The project is embedded within the issue of erosion and the disappearance of Civita di Bagnoregio. It observes and records what exists today. The construction is designed to anchor itself within a timeframe relative to erosion. The goal is to document the entirety of the site's erosion. To outlast the village, the structure penetrates through the different rock layers down to stable ground. This cavity, formed at the heart of the village, is circular, seeking balance. Then, concrete is poured directly against the rock walls, forming the external thickness of this cylinder. The structure follows the roughness, irregularity, and shape of the carved rock. Entirely underground, the project is illuminated by a central circulation void. Across the different levels, the walls containing the funerary urns are treated to enhance light diffusion. The height and density of these niches decrease as one descends deeper into the building. These levels allow for contemplation in contact with the rock, providing an understanding of the ground’s stratification and the depth at which one stands. Furthermore, this structure interacts with erosion by evolving over time. Openings in the rock today will gradually expand to reveal the landscape. They adapt to the changing ground level, maintaining entrances. The play of light and pathways will be disrupted by the disappearance of the rock. Over the centuries, the project will reveal itself within the landscape, exposing its irregular rocky forms in the heart of the Calanchi Valley. It is both an echo and a witness to the passing of time, striving to extract itself for eternity.