The city was founded in Roman times however most of the town itself was destroyed by an earthquake in 1857. On top of this the remaining structures suffered significant damage in World War II. As a result, Potenza has lost many of its ancient and medieval buildings but it is still a vibrant city definitely worth visiting. The historic centre of Potenza is located in the upper part of the city and the square of Mario Pagano provides a perfect base for exploring the town. Via Pretoria runs east to west across the city and is packed with bars, shops and restaurants, as well as cultural, architectural and historical buildings including the Palazzo del Governo, the recently restored Francesco Stabile theatre, and the church of San Francesco d’Assisi which was founded in 1274. The church houses the De Grasis sepulchre and a 13th century Madonna in the Byzantine style that is worth visiting. The Romanesque church of San Michele Arcangelo, dating back to the 11th century, has many beautiful artworks including over 500 ancient frescos, one of which depicts St. Michele slaying the dragon. Also worth visiting is the Torre Guevara, the last remnant of an old castle which now hosts art exhibitions.
At an altitude of 819 metres, it is the highest regional capital in Italy.
Potenza is surrounded by numerous parks and public villas where you can take regenerating walks or admire breathtaking views. The Montereale park is the historic green space of the city, but the capital city has got many vast green areas, such as the Villa of Santa Maria, Baden Powell Park, Elisa Claps Park, Basento River Park and Europa Unita Park.
It’s only 10 km from Potenza to Pignola, the northern access point to the Appennino Lucano-Val d’Agri-Lagonegrese National Park, a protected area with endless scope for walking, mountain-bike trails and bridle paths.
10 km from here lies the La Sellata Pass and Abriola, located right in the centre of the Sellata-Pierfaone-Arioso range. In winter, this is the area’s main skiing centre and offers wonderful walking in summer. Here it’s not unusual to encounter wild horses or herds of grey Podolica cows, whose milk is used to make the typical local cheese, caciocavallo. The 12th-century sanctuary church of Madonna di Monteforte, situated on the side of Mount Pierfaone (1,444 m), is a popular pilgrimage site. Located a few kilometres from Potenza, the WWF Oasis that contains the Lake of Pantano di Pignola which spreads out into a valley surrounded by mountains.
Simplicity and freshness are the hallmarks, starting from fresh pasta, traditionally made by hand using only two ingredients: water and flour. Handmade pasta is the undisputed star of local cuisine and flavoured by either vegetables or meat ragù. Potenza still has a long tradition of using dairy products characterised by the production of soft cheese filled with butter, soft cheese, ricotta, caciocavallo and pecorino. Among the typical products there are also the meat sausage, salami and small pieces of meat conserved in oil or lard.
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