Acerenza (Lucano: Lagerénze) is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").^[3]

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2023) You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Italian. (January 2022) Click [show] for important translation instructions. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Italian Wikipedia article at [[:it:Acerenza]]; see its history for attribution. You should also add the template {{Translated|it|Acerenza}} to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

Quick Facts Country, Region ...

Acerenza
Comune
Comune di Acerenza
Location of Acerenza
Acerenza Location of Acerenza in Italy Show map of Italy Acerenza Acerenza (Basilicata) Show map of Basilicata
Coordinates: 40°47′48.85″N 15°56′26.45″E
Country	Italy
Region	Basilicata
Province	Potenza (PZ)
Government
• Mayor	Fernando Scattone
Area [1]
• Total	77 km2 (30 sq mi)
Elevation	833 m (2,733 ft)
Population  (31 December 2019)[2]
• Total	2,268
• Density	29/km2 (76/sq mi)
Demonym	Acheruntini
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	85011
Dialing code	0971
Patron saint	St. Canio
Saint day	25 May
Website	Official website

Close

With its strategic position 800 metres (2,600 ft) above sea-level, Acerenza has been sacked by a series of invaders.

The town, then known as Aceruntia, Acheruntia or Acherontia, was conquered by the Romans in 318 BC. Later, it was taken by the Ostrogoths (it was mentioned as an important fortress during the Gothic Wars) and then the Lombards, who fortified the town. In 788 Charlemagne ordered that its walls be destroyed. In 1041, after a period in which it was fought over by the Principality of Salerno and the Byzantine Empire, it was conquered again by the Norman Robert Guiscard.

The town has been the see of an archbishop since at least 499, when a Justus is known. According to legend, the town's first bishop was appointed by St. Peter.

From the 16th century, Acerenza was held under the feudal lordship of the Marquess of Galatone, that family being granted the title Duke of Acerenza on 12 April 1593 by Philip II of Spain. Through marriage the duchy of Acerenza was inherited by the family of the Prince Belmonte, in whose line the title has descended to the present day.

This section is written like a travel guide. (January 2022)

• Acerenza Cathedral, begun in 1080 by archbishop Arnando. In Romanesque-Gothic style, it houses a famed marble bust of Julian the Apostate. It has a nave and two aisles with 16th century canvasses, and a crypt from 1524.
• The church of San Laviero Martire (12th century). It has a Baroque-style stone high altar with an altarpiece of the Martyrdom of Saint Laviero (18th century).

The movie From the Vine is set in Acerenza.