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Villa del Prefetto, which is connected to Palazzo della Prefettura and property of the Province of Potenza, is a green oasis in the heart of the city. It is located where once was the garden of Saint Francis’ convent, an area on a steep slope.

The villa was built in the 19^th century, on terraces connected by walkways, symmetrical curvilinear or rectilinear staircases, which were modified in 1934 and lead to panoramic viewpoints. It is surrounded by a park composed of boulevards with maple trees, horse chestnuts, magnolias, cedar trees and ashes. An antique fountain stays at the centre of the garden.

The park was opened to the public in the middle sixties. The Villa remained closed for a long time due to maintenance and was reopened only in the last years thanks to community associations. Nowadays, many events take place here to celebrate the so called “Maggio potentino”, the Holy Patron Saint Gerard and there are also musical events and installations.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)