Bibbiena @ In the heart of the Casentino valley
Like many other Tuscan towns,
Bibbiena seems to boast Etruscan origins. However, the first definite historical evidence concerning this town situated on a hill at the confluence of the Archiano torrent and the Arno river dates back to 976. At that time, Bibbiena was governed by the Bishop of Arezzo. Bibbiena sided with the Ghibelline from Arezzo in the long and bloody war between Guelphs and Ghibelline. When they were defeated in Campaldino in 1289, the Florentine besieged and destroyed Bibbiena. In 1360 the Talati family sold Bibbiena to Florence. In the 16th century the Medicis granted to Bibbiena a series of privileges, thanks to which the town developed and reached its present structure. Today, Bibbiena is an important economic and commercial centre in the Casentino valley.
Bibbiena
Bibbiena was the birthplace of Cardinal Bernardo Novizi, the secretary of Pope Leo X, the author of the comedy
La Calandra and a friend of Raphael, the great painter.
