Buggiano
Borgo a Buggiano: a small historic village in the province of Pistoia
Borgo a Buggiano is a hamlet of the city of Buggiano, in the province of Pistoia. Its name comes from the Latin "Abudius" to which the suffix "-anus" indicating belonging was added. Since ancient times, the territory was inhabited by the Ligurians, Etruscans, and Romans thanks to its strategic position for controlling the road between Florence and Lucca. The first reference to Borgo a Buggiano dates back to 1097 when some residents of the castle of Buggiano began to live in the plain.
A history marked by wars between Guelfs and Ghibellines
Over the centuries, the territory of Buggiano was the scene of bloody clashes between the two political factions of Guelfs and Ghibellines, culminating in a violent battle between the Florentine Guelfs and the Lucchese Ghibellines in the territory of Buggiano. In 1315, the battle of Montecatini was fought in the forest of Santa Maria, where the Ghibelline troops acquired hegemony over Valdinievole and dealt a very serious blow to the Guelfs. Subsequently, Buggiano became part of the Florentine possessions, sharing political and economic fortunes.
The market of Borgo a Buggiano, a source of prosperity
Under Florentine rule, Borgo a Buggiano experienced a period of relative peace, especially in trade, thanks to the presence of a weekly market that gained a position of preeminence among all those in Tuscany. On the contrary, the ancient castles of Buggiano, Colle, and Stignano began to decline. Granted by the Florentine Republic in 1386, thanks also to the interest of Coluccio Salutati, the market of Borgo a Buggiano was governed by a whole series of meticulous communal provisions.
The Feast of the Holy Crucifix, a historically significant event
Despite the achieved political stability and economic prosperity, the old municipal hatreds returned to emerge from time to time, as demonstrated by a very violent clash between rival factions followed by a miraculous episode. The Council of the community of Borgo a Buggiano established that the day of the miraculous event should be celebrated as the Feast of the Holy Crucifix, in which all the inhabitants of the municipality should participate "as if commanded by the Church itself, under penalty of a fine."
Borgo a Buggiano today
Today Borgo a Buggiano is a small historic village where it is possible to admire monuments and attractions that tell its thousand-year history. The narrow streets of the historic center lead to the Church of Santa Maria, one of the first parishes of the city, where you can admire the painted stone cross dating back to the fourteenth century. Borgo a Buggiano is an ideal place to spend a few hours discovering its historical roots and the life of the past.
