Potenza is a town and comune in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is the capital of the Potenza province.

• Area of the commune: 173.95 km²
• Area of the province: 6545 km²
• Population of the commune (2001 census): 69,060
• Population of the province (2001 census): 393,529
• Number of communes: 100

The province lies in the southern part of Apennines, and is almost entirely mountainous; it has been (and is still) a poor and underdeveloped area, and in the past (approx. 1850-1950) it was hit by heavy emigration waves. Today, only the biggest centers have recorded an increase in population.