Bivona

Bivona lies among the mountains of western Sicily, a town whose fertile lands supported a sizeable agricultural community under the lordship of the Luna family. First recorded from the twelfth century, it grew from a rural settlement into an important Sicilian feudal centre. Its ducal palace stood as a sign of the family's authority over the town and surrounding estates.

In 1554 Charles V raised the barony of Bivona to a duchy and granted the town the title of city. Pietro de Luna and his wife Isabella de Vega made their residence here, and the palace became the seat of the new duchy. The Lunas' position linked this inland community to the noble and viceregal politics of the Kingdom of Sicily.