In 788 Charlemagne set a condition for freeing his hostage Grimoaldo III and letting him return to Benevento: pull down the walls of Acerenza. The condition was accepted. Five years later, in 793, it was Grimoaldo himself who had them rebuilt on the mount.
That block of rock at 833 metres was a fortress for centuries: Procopius records that Totila put a garrison of 300 men on it. Today it carries a cathedral out of all proportion to the town, begun in 1080, with a crypt of 1524 and a marble bust that tradition holds to be Julian the Apostate: Acerenza has been an archiepiscopal see for nearly a thousand years. There are 2,553 residents.
cattedrale di Acerenza · Museo diocesano di arte sacra
18 places to stay · top rated: Il Casale del Borgo 9.8 · All'Arco Casa Vacanza 9.7
Next up: The three patrons of Acerenza, Tuesday 17 November
Nearest airport: Bari Palese, 78 km away
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📅 Every year, Saint Laviero on 17 November; Saint Marianus on 30 April, Saint Canius on 25 May
Acerenza has three patrons and three dates. Saint Laviero was born here, in vico Tergia, and died a martyr at Grumentum on 17 November 312: his feast is preceded by a triduum of prayer.
Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
Outside Acerenza, but an easy day trip away.
