Buća

The House of Buća (Бућа; in Italian Bucchia) was a noble Serbian family that served the Republic of Ragusa, and one of the most important families to come out of Kotor. A cadet branch was admitted to the nobility of the Republic of Ragusa, another branch moved instead to Šibenik.

Name
The family is known in Serbian sources as Buća,   (Cyrillic: Бућа) but also as Bućić or Bučić. In Latin, Italian and French sources they are known in a variety of forms, mostly Bucchia or de Bucchia, but also Bucchich, Buchia, Buche, Buchi, Buchie, de Bucha, de Buchia, de Bucho, de Buça, Boce o Buca. Other versions found in Serbo-Croatian include Buča and Bućin.

Origin and early history
The family name seems to derive from the medieval name Buchius or Bucchius reported both in Dalmatia and earlier in various Italian locations. The first Bučić to be in the archives is a Jakov Bučić present in Kotor in 1186.

Service in Serbia
The first known Buća was Tripe Mihov (Trifun Buća, Трифун Бућа). Kotoran families held high offices in the Serbian court, and the most notable was the Buča family, while the most notable individual was Nikola Buća. Nikola and Toma Pavlov, another notable Kotoran, traded in salt.

The Buća were among the wealthiest and most powerful of Kotor (Kingdom of Serbia and Serbian Empire). Founded later with the House of Drago, it gave rise to one of the most important families in the region: the House of Drago-Bučić.

Service in the Republic of Ragusa
A branch of the family moved to Šibenik in 1449, while another branch had earlier moved to Dubrovnik in the 14th century. The latter, between 1440 and 1640 counted 30 members of the Great Council, representing 1.36% of total. In these two hundred years, they also got 27 senatorial positions (1.36%), five Rectors of the Republic (0.21%), five members of the Minor Council (0.23%), but were never Guards Justice.

Recent History
Kotoran branch became extinct in the 17th century, the Dubrovnik in the 19th century, but the Šibenik branch still survives in Italy, precisely in Milan and Parma, respectively in the Bucchich and Peracchia - Bucchich families.

Members

 * Nikola Buća (14th century), protovestiarios of Serbian Emperor Stephen Dušan (r. 1331-1355). It seems he was the first member of the family to be admitted to the Ragusan nobility, as requested by the Emperor.
 * Jeronim Bučić (16th century) - From Kotor, was Bishop of local diocese since 1581. He edited an adaptation of The Life of St. Tryphon, adding four hymns.
 * Vincenc and Dominik Bučić (16th century) - Brothers from Kotor, both Dominicans, were popular theologians, leaving several published and unpublished writings. The second was the confessor of Blessed Osanna of Cattaro and General Vicar for Dalmatia.
 * Vincenc Bučić (17th century) - Bishop of Kotor from 1622 to 1656.
 * Gregorio Bucchich (Grgur Bučić) (1829 - 1911) - Born on the island of Hvar, he was a famous Croatian naturalist, in particular an expert in ichthyology and meteorology. He was the discoverer of the gobius bucchichi and was the first director of the meteorological station on the island of Hvar.