Bibbiena


Bibbiena is a town and comune in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany, the largest town in the valley of Casentino. It is located from Florence, from Arezzo, from Siena, and from the Sanctuary of La Verna. There are approximately 11,833 inhabitants
The town is on top of a hill at an elevation of.

Geography

The municipality of Bibbiena is located in the heart of the Casentino, the valley in which the first stretch of the Arno river flows which, after having crossed the Valdarno, flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea near Pisa. Bibbiena occupies the northern part of the province of Arezzo, is located at an altitude of 425m above sea level and is about 30 km from the provincial capital. Florence, the regional capital, is 60 km further west. It borders to the north with Emilia-Romagna, to the west with Poppi, to the east with Chiusi della Verna, to the south with Castel Focognano, to the south-west with Ortignano Raggiolo.

History

Already mentioned in the works of Dante and Ariosto, Bibbiena offers a wealth of artistic and cultural attractions that are little known. From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, from the 8th century to the present day, Bibbiena has a series of historical monuments, of which only a few are mentioned here
The religious buildings include:
The Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Sasso, a unique example of Renaissance art, is just one kilometer from the residential area of Bibbiena. In the central part of the upper church you can see the "Madonna del Sasso" by Bicci di Lorenzo, built on a small rock, the top of an enormous boulder: the "Sasso", from which the monastery takes its name. The ancient Marian cult surrounding the boulder prompted the architect to integrate the base of the rock into a small, lower-lying church, which houses the "Madonna del Buio", a wooden sculpture from the school of Donatello. A valuable painting of Lappoli can be seen in the third church. In the upper church, on the other hand, there are works by Fra Paolino del Signoraccio, Ligozzi and Ludovico Buti. Finally, in the choir, the large painting of the Assunta by Fra Paolino and Fra Bartolomeo can be seen.

Society

Inhabitants surveyed

Ethnicities and foreign minorities

According to ISTAT data as of 31 December 2010, the foreign resident population was 2,104 people. The nationalities most represented on the basis of their percentage of the total resident population were:
Every year, in Bibbiena, the historical carnival is celebrated, also known as "Carnevale della Mea", which traces its roots back to 1337 and is linked to the medieval popular legend of the Mea. On the last day of Carnival, Shrove Tuesday, the traditional propitiatory rite of the "beautiful apple" takes place, during which a juniper is burned by the oldest in the village in the center of the "piazzolina" to reap the good wishes. for the year to come.

Culture

The town holds its yearly "Rievocazione della Mea" festival on the last Sunday of Carnival and Shrove Tuesday as well as a similar celebration in the summer with parades in historical costume and a show in the main square.

Theater

The Dovizi Theater, established in the mid-19th century, is located in Bibbiena.

Events

The "Sagra delle Sagre" takes place every year in Bibbiena. In the historic center of the town many of the Casentino valley festivals gather for a day in June.

Anthropogenic geography

Fractions

In the territory of Bibbiena, with the exception of the municipal capital, there are twenty-one hamlets

Other localities in the area

Other relevant localities within the municipal area are those of Casanova, Caselle, Contra, Molino di Gressa, Moscaio, Pianacci, Pollino, Santa Maria del Sasso, Tramoggiano.

Economy

In the past, the production of Casentino cloth played an important role in the local economy.

Infrastructure and Transport

The municipality is affected by the crossing of the Casentinese railway.

Administration

Below is a table relating to the successive administrations in this municipality.
Period StartsPeriod EndMayorPartyOfficeNote
15 February 198811 June 1990Ezio BartoliniPartito Comunista ItalianoSindaco
11 June 199024 April 1995Ezio BartoliniPartito Democratico della Sinistra, Partito Comunista ItalianoSindaco
24 April 199514 June 1999Giorgio RenziPartito Democratico della SinistraSindaco
14 June 199914 June 2004Ferruccio Ferricentro-sinistraSindaco
14 June 20048 June 2009Ferruccio Ferrilista civicaSindaco
8 June 200926 May 2014Daniele Bernardinilista civicaSindaco
26 May 201427 May 2019Daniele Bernardinilista civicaSindaco
27 May 2019Still in officeFilippo Vagnolilista civicaSindaco

Sister cities