Busentus, River: Ancient name for the river Busento.
Buseto Palizzolo (TP): A commune (area: 72.7 km²; alt. 270 m (at Busento)) in the province of Trapani. Located 19 km E of Trapani, it is situated on a hill of M. Luziano. Population: 3,210 (1991).
Busone (AG): An archaeological site located on a hill to the NW of Agrigento. Excavations have revealed a prehistoric necropolis. Grave goods include several statuettes carved from small stones depicting a goddess.
Bussènto, River (SA): A river (length: 37 km; basin: 307 km²) in the Cilento of southern Campania. It originates from some mountain streams which unite to the SW of sanza and empties into the Gulf of Policastro at a point 2 km W of Policastro Bussentino.
Bussi sul Tirino (PE): A commune (area: 26.3 km²; alt. 330 m) in the province of Pescara. Located 52 km SW of Pescara, it is situated on a terrace to the left of the river Tirino, near a mountain cascade. Population: 3,236 (1991). The nearby cascade is utilized for the production hydroelectric power and has allowed for the development of local chemical and aluminum production industries.
Busso (CB): A commune (area: 23.6 km²; alt. 736 m) in the province of Campobasso. Located 14 km W of Campobasso, it is situated on a hill to the right of the river Biferno. Population: 1,446 (2006e); 1,487 (1991).
butcher’s-broom: A plant used for creating hedges in Sicily. Because its edible shoot resembles asparagus, the Sicilians named it sparagi di trono.
Butera (CL): A commune (area: 296.53 km²; alt. 402 m) in the province of Caltanissetta. Located 55 km SE of Caltanissetta, it is situated on a high, steep hill to the right of the torrent Comunelli, overlooking the W portion of the fertile Piana di Gela. Population: 5,120 (2006e); 5,673 (1991). The local economy is based on sulfur-mining.
History: The site of the town was first occupied by an ancient Sikan settlement during the Late Bronze and Iron Ages. They were the earliest members of that race to come into conflict with Greek colonists who, in c689 BC, had founded Gela, located about 20 km to the SE. Scholars believe that this early settlement was the Omphake, a town mentioned by Pausanias (8.46.3) as having been conquered by Antiphemus, the Greek leader of Gela.
In AD 853 it was besieged and captured by the Saracens who held it until 1089. After the Normans conquest of Sicily the town became a fief of the Aleramici family. Under the succeeding Swabian dynasty, Butera came under the control of the Lancia family. When Charles I of Anjou seized the Kingdom of Naples, Butera became a royal holding, remaining so until the outbreak of the Sicilian Vespers revolt. The Aragonese kings of Sicily established Butera as the seat of a county and it passed through the hands of a number of noble families. In 1563, after Sicily became part of the Spanish Empire, King Philip II raised it to the status of a principality, awarding it to the Brancifonte family. The title of prince of Butera came to acknowleged as the chief noble on Sicily. In 1805, Butera passed passed back to the Lancia family as part of the dowry of Stefania Branciafonte in her marriage to Giuseppe Lancia of Trabia. The Lancia retained control only until 1812 when feudalism was finally eliminated on Sicily.
Points of Interest: The site of a large ancient Sikan-Greek necropolis is located at Piano della Fiera, located to the N of the town. The lowest, or earliest, of the sites levels is comprised of cave-tombs called grotticella. Dating from the 8th to early 7th centuries BC, the grave goods found in these included locally made pottery decorated with painted or incised designs, and bronze fibulae and razors. These goods show little Greek influence at this time. The second oldest level, dating from the second half of the 7th century BC, shows significantly greater Greek influences thanks to the foundation of Gela. Several hundred graves are on this level and are a combination of both Greek and Sikan tombs, including a large dolmen tomb. The natives who utilized the necropolis at this time practiced both inhumation and cremation. It appeared to be a common practice at this time to partially cremate the body and preserve the severed heads in vases. Grave goods include local pottery as well as Greek artifacts of Protocorinthian and Geloan types. The destruction of the Sikan community is indicated by the fact that no graves have been discovered containing Corinthian, Ionic or Attic ware. The use of the necropolis was not resumed for about three centuries later with the third level dating to the 2nd half of the 4th century BC. This appears to correspond with the Greek revival intitiated in Sicily by Timoleon. The burials on this level consist of monuments with stepped entrances and topped by epitymbia columns. They graves contain goods including Sicilian red-figure ware. The graves of the highest level indicate that the town had fallen on difficult economic times. Grave goods (including unpainted alabastra) from these 3rd Century BC graves are of significantly poorer quality.