Venusia

Venusia is an ancient city in southern Italy with the site corresponding to the modern town of Venosa in Basilicata. In antiquity it lay within Magna Graecia and later came under Roman influence before evolving into a medieval settlement.

The area was inhabited by Lucanians before Roman control. In the 3rd century BCE the Romans established a colonia at Venusia, integrating it into provincial administration and promoting settlement. It remained an active urban center through the late antique period and continued into the medieval era.

Venusia is notable as the birthplace of the Roman poet Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus), born there around 65 BCE. The town is cited in ancient sources and remembered for its role in Latin literary history.

Today Venosa is a comune in the province of Potenza, Basilicata. Its historic center preserves medieval fortifications, religious buildings, and the ruins associated with its ancient past. The site of Venusia is of interest to scholars of Roman and pre-Roman southern Italy, and Venosa hosts museums and archaeological exhibitions.