Bibbiano
Bibbiano: a village with a long history
Bibbiano is a hamlet located in the Italian municipality of Buonconvento, in the province of Siena, Tuscany. The toponym Bibbiano derives from the term "bibbio," which is another name for the common pochard, an aquatic bird that lives in this area. The history of Bibbiano dates back to the 9th century, when the Counts Guinigi built a fortress in this area. The village was then passed to the Guiglieschi family until 1051 when it was donated to the abbey of Sant'Antimo. In 1197, it was sold to the Republic of Siena by the Counts Cacciaconti. In the 14th century, Bibbiano was ruled by the Bichi, Petrucci, Borghese, Chigi, and Malavolti families. In 1833, the hamlet had a population of 360 inhabitants.
Monuments and places of interest
Religious architectures
The Church of San Lorenzo is the parish church of Bibbiano. Completely reconstructed in 1822, it originally held Renaissance and Baroque paintings by Francesco Vanni, Ventura Salimbeni, and Brescianino. These works are now housed in the Museum of Sacred Art in the Val d'Arbia in Buonconvento. Near the Segalari nucleus, there is the Chapel of Sant'Antonio, a small religious building of medieval origin with traces of 15th-century pictorial decorations.
Bibbiano Castle
Bibbiano Castle is a high medieval castle that was declared a national monument in 1922. The fortified structure is surrounded on three sides by a moat with a stone bridge and a partial walkway for the patrol. Inside, there is a ring courtyard with the keep at the center. An arched passageway that spans the inner clearing connects the keep to the walls. On the arch, a walkway supported by brackets leads to one of the two original corner turrets with a battlement rebuilt in style. On the noble chapel of the castle, there was a noteworthy pictorial work, a Holy Family, which was long believed to be by Baldassarre Peruzzi.
Conclusions
Bibbiano is a village with a long history located in the province of Siena, Tuscany. The toponym Bibbiano is derived from the name of a water bird called a common pochard that proliferated in this area. The hamlet has a population of around 360 inhabitants and is characterized by the presence of some monuments and places of interest such as the Church of San Lorenzo, the Chapel of Sant'Antonio, and Bibbiano Castle, a fortified structure declared a national monument in 1922. The castle is surrounded on three sides by a moat with a stone bridge and a partial walkway for the patrol, and it is an example of medieval architecture. The history of Bibbiano must be discovered by visiting its monuments and traversing its characteristic alleys.
