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POTENZA (anc. Potentia)

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Originally appearing in Volume V22, Page 207 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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POTENZA (anc. Potentia) , a See also:town and episcopal see of See also:Basilicata, See also:Italy, See also:capital of the See also:province of Potenza, 103 M. by See also:rail E. by S. of See also:Naples. Pop. (1901), 12:313 (town); 16,163 (See also:commune). Situated 2700 ft. above See also:sea-level on an isolated See also:hill above the Basento (anc. Casuentus), it is much exposed to winds and has a far more northerly See also:climate than its position (400 40' N.) implies, and is indeed one of the coldest places in Italy (mean temp. See also:Jan 37.8°, See also:July 70.9°, for whole See also:year 530 F.). It has been almost entirely rebuilt since the See also:earthquake of 1857. It has a school of the See also:industrial arts and sciences, grows See also:good See also:wine, and makes bricks. The See also:ancient Potentia See also:lay some 470 ft. See also:lower, by the See also:river. Its name shows that it was of See also:Roman origin, and its importance was no doubt due to its position at the intersection of the road leading See also:west to the Via Popillia and See also:north-See also:east to the Via See also:Appia, with the Via Herculia. No remains are visible, but a consider-able number of See also:inscriptions have been found.

Potentia must be distinguished from Potentia in See also:

Picenum, on the Adriatic See also:coast, near the See also:modern See also:Porto di See also:Recanati, a See also:colony founded in 184 B.C., the same year as See also:Pisaurum, but of which little is known. The See also:abandonment of the old site and the erection of the new town probably date from the earthquake of 1273. By the Angevines Potenza was made a domain of the See also:San Severino See also:family; in the beginning of the 15th See also:century it was held by See also:Francesco See also:Sforza, and in 1435 it passed to the See also:Guevara family; the Loffredi, who succeeded by See also:marriage, continued in See also:possession till the abolition of the See also:great fiefs. In 1694 there was a severe earthquake; and the more terrible earthquake which on the 16th and the 17th of See also:December 1857 passed through See also:southern Italy, and in Basilicata alone killed 32,475 persons, laid the greater See also:part of Potenza in ruins. In 186o it was the first town to rise against the Neapolitan See also:government.

End of Article: POTENZA (anc. Potentia)

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