Buonvicino
Buonvicino: a millenary history
Hello friends! Today I'm talking about Buonvicino, a municipality in Calabria with a millenary history. The name of the municipality, which has about 3,060 inhabitants, probably derives from the Byzantine-Calabrian family name "Bombaci" or from the dialectal term "bombaci" which means "snail". Buonvicino is located on the left cliff of the Corvino stream, at 400 meters above sea level, and is part of the Pollino National Park.
The origins of the municipality
The area where Buonvicino now stands was inhabited since ancient times by Greek tribes. Along the isthmian road that leads to the Corvino valley, there were three villages: Salvato, Tripidone and Trigiano. The inhabitants of Salvato and Tripidone were engaged in pastoralism and the collection of forest products, while those of Trigiano in agriculture.
Life in the villages
Life in the villages of Buonvicino was not easy due to the numerous struggles with the Lucanians, Roman occupation, barbarian invasions and Saracen raids. For this reason, many inhabitants of neighboring villages moved to Salvato, which is located on a very high and inaccessible cliff called "Sasso dei Greci". Even Tripidone, located on the left side of the "Stretto", was a hidden and protected area, thanks to the presence of three equidistant rock peaks.
A well-defended territory
The three villages were positioned along the isthmian road in order to be able to observe the continuous traffic without any danger. The position was in fact very well defended naturally, and this guaranteed safety to the inhabitants, who could dedicate themselves to their daily activities without fear.
Conclusions
Here is a brief history of Buonvicino, the suggestive Calabrian municipality that you can visit today. I hope I have made you know this corner of Italy better and enough to arouse your curiosity to discover it in person. Have a good trip, friends!
