Ancient World

History of Bivona

The history of Bivona, an Italian municipality in the province of Agrigento in Sicily, begins with the appearance of the first human settlements in the municipal area dating back to the Copper Age. Also documented in the Bivona area are settlements from the Greek, late Roman and medieval periods. The town of Bivona, although sometimes believed to be of Islamic origin, is documented from 1160: first a simple hamlet, then a lordship, it was one of the main feudal centers of the Vallo di Mazara. In 1554 Emperor Charles V elevated Bivona, the first among Sicilian cities, to the rank of duchy, giving it the title of city; until 1812, therefore, the town was administered by noble Spanish families (De Luna of Aragon, Moncada, Alvarez de Toledo), which, however, caused its social and economic decline. Following the abolition of feudalism, Bivona became the capital of a Bourbon district; in 1860, having become part of the Kingdom of Savoy, Bivona filled the role of capital of the district of the same name in the province of Girgenti.

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See also

• ▸Ancient history of Yemen
• ▸List of new churches by John Douglas
• ▸Great Pyramid of Giza

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