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Ponte Buggianese

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Ponte Buggianese

Ponte Buggianese (ZIP code 51019) is 24,3 kilometers far from Pistoia, that is the Chief Town of the homonymous province to whom the municipality belongs.

Ponte Buggianese has a population of 7.618 inhabitants (Pontigiani) and a surface of 29,47 square kilometers thus showing a population density of 258,50 inhabitants per square kilometer. It rises 18 metres above the sea level.

The City Hall is located in Piazza del Santuario 1, phone ++39 0572 - 93211, fax ++39 0572 - 636467: the E-Mail address is info@comune.ponte-buggianese.pt.it.

Population: The municipality of Ponte Buggianese had a popolation of 7.274 inhabitants accordingly to the results of the national census made in 1991. After the national census made in 2001 the population was 7.618 inhabitants, thus showing during the years 1991 - 2001 a percentual variation of 4,73% inhabitants.

The inhabitants are distributed in 2.875 families with an average of 2,65 people per family.

The place: The territory of the municipality lies between 14 and 23 metres above sea level.

The altimetric spawn is thus of 9 metres.

Work and workers:There are 202 industrial firms employing 986 people that are the 40,95% of the total of the workers. There are 203 service firms employing 469 people that are the 19,48% of the total of the workers. There are also 177 firms employing 548 people that are the 22,76% of the total of the workers. There are also 45 administrative offices emplying 405 workers that are the 16,82% of the total of the workers.

There is a total of 2.408 workers, that are the 31,61% of the inhabitants of the municipality.

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Ponte Buggianese

Ponte Buggianese rises on the north-westerner side of the Marsh of Fucecchio.

The local economy is mainly based on the production of fruits, vegetables and on the activity of numerous textile industries and other ones working in the fields of shoes and clothes production.

The place name probably comes from the compound of "ponte" (bridge), with probable reference to a close bridge on a torrent, and of "buggianese", with reference to the close locality of Buggiano, coming the toponym of this latter from the Latin proper name of person "Abudius".

During the Middle Ages the territory along which the actual village of Ponte Buggianese rises, was entirely covered by marshy lands. The place was populated after the reclamation of the waters coming from the close Marsh of Fucecchio.

The first official document where the locality is quoted goes back to the XVI-th century, when the village started to form.

Since its foundation Ponte Buggianese was under the jurisdiction of the close locality of Buggiano, but during the next century the local community started to claim its autonomy and to contrast the local feudatories.

At the end of the XVIII-th century, by coming the Lorena's Dukes to the power, the village of Ponte Buggianese raised its economic chances up.

The Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo of Lorena put in action several wise reforms aiming both to change the territorial organization of the village and to improved the life condition of the inhabitants. In addition to reclaim the territory of Ponte Buggianese, he issued a decree esteblishing that each family had to own a house.

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Ponte Buggianese

The Lorena's domination was interrupted by the invasion of the territory operated by the French troops leaded by Napoleone Bonaparte that stayed on until 1814, when the French occupation ended and the village of Ponte Buggianese came back again to the Lorena's Dukes.

The village of Ponte Buggianese reached its autonomy after the Unity of Italy, occurred on 1861 by the action of the King Vittorio Emanuele II of Savoia.

Among the most important monuments to see in Ponte Buggianese we point out here the Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo (Saint Michael Archangel Church), the Santuario di Santa Maria del Buon Consiglio (Saint Mary of the Good Advice Sanctuary) and the remains of the Medieval village.

Among the numerous celebrations periodically taking palce in Ponte Buggianese we remind the "Frog Festival" held yearly on August and during which it is possible to taste some good typical local foods and wines.