It has an area of 6,594.44 square kilometres (2,546.13 sq mi) and a total population of 369,538 (as of 2017). There are 100 comuni (singular: comune) in the province (see communes of the province of Potenza).[2]
In 272 BC, the province was conquered by the Romans. The new rulers named the region Lucania. In the 11th century, the area became part of the Duchy of Apulia, which was at the time ruled by the Normans. From the 13th century, it was part of the Kingdom of Naples, though Potenza was ruled by local vassals. In 1861, the province was unified with the rest of Italy in the newly formed Kingdom of Italy.
The region has suffered from numerous earthquakes in historic times, and is still a seismically active area.
