is a town and
Comune in the
Province Of Potenza , in the Southern Italian region of
Basilicata . It is bounded by the comuni (
Municipalities ) of
Cancellara ,
Forenza ,
Genzano Di Lucania ,
Oppido Lucano ,
Palazzo San Gervasio ,
Pietragalla .
With its strategic position 800m above sea-level, Acerenza has been prized by a series of invaders.
In
318 BC the town, then known as Aceruntia, was conquered by the
Roman Consul Giugno Bubulco . Later, it was taken by the
Goths and then the
Lombards , who fortified the town. In
1061 , it was conquered again by the
Norman Roberto Il Guiscardo .
The town has been the . In
1080 , Archbishop Arnando began construction of Acerenza's cathedral. The cathedral houses a famed marble bust of
Julian The Apostate .
