GENZANO DI LUCANIA is a borough in the Province of Potenza (PZ) 588 metres above sea level, on a plain which overlooks the valley of Bradano. The town is characterised by the "old town" with its origins and mediaeval structures, and the "new town".
The old centre is built on a spur, surrounded by three valleys. In the 1Vth.- V11th. Centuries B.C., the inhabitants of the settlement of Roman origin, the "Pagus Gentianum", moved there, using the spur as a natural defence. The name probably derives from, a GENTIUS who had a large estate in the district of "Pila Grande".
The fortress of the Longobardi, was after conquered by the Normans and the Swabians. Between the end of the 13th. Century and the beginning of the 14th. Century, the Chatelaine of Genzano and Monte Serico was the Spanish Princess, Aquilina Sancia. She was the sister of Apollonis, second wife of Roberto d'Angiò, who founded a great monastery of the Poor Clares with the adjacent church of the Annunziata. The "Testament of Aquilina Sancia", now published for its historical and cultural importance, was recuperated by Signor Gigino Bovenga from his manor house in "Pozzo Baddar" in the district of "Mattina Grande". The De Marinis family bought the manor in 1616 and remained there until the end of feudalism, living in the palazzo of the same name, which is now the town civic centre.
The great emigration at the beginning of this century towards Brazil, Argentine and the State of New York, and then after the Second World War to the north of Italy and diverse European countries limited the growth of the Genzanesi population. In 1961 the inhabitants were 8,002, at the moment ther are only 6,300. The land around Genzano is cultivated mainly with wheat, cereals and vines. There are about 300 hectares of woods with a dam on its small river which should be used for irrigation. The most important religious festival is "Saint Antonio Abate" on the 17th of January.
The festival of the "Madonna delle Grazie" is celebrated either on the 1st or 2nd Sunday of August to commemorate the finding of a sculpture in coloured sandstone by an unknown artist on the 25th of March in 1621 in the district kown as Valley of the Greeks called "Capodacqua". Considering the more than fifteen private associations of cultural importance, the most important is the "Vincenzo Bellini" Band, which is directed extremely professionally by M° Fedele Zotta, who dedicated a piece for soloist flute to Francesco Falanga in 1994. Per le foto si ringrazia Franco Pedota