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Cosenza

Panorama of Cosenza from the Pancrazio Hill

History

The history of Cosenza started a very long time ago, 900 B.C. when a nomad people called Itali, became to live there. After the Itali people, near the 600 B.C., come the people of Brutii that are the really founders of the city. In 311 B.C. the people of Sibary (the ancient Magna Graecia) stops in Sila, because of the rich of the woods that are in the mountains near Cosenza (30km of distance to go at 2000mt). After the 270 B.C. Romans people arrived here. In 218 B.C. the people tired of Romans was allied to Annibale and go to the second punic war with him. But in 202 B.C. Romans wins at Zama and Cosenza was destroyed and rebuilded by the Roman Consul Valerius Flaccus. The Romans stay here up to the 300 A.C. In the meantime the new christian religion delete the pagan degrade of the Romans. Surrounded by seven hills, Pancrazio, Vetere, Guarassano, Venneri, Gramazio, Triglio, Mussano, Cosenza is lapped by two rivers, the Crati an the Busento. The Busento ended in Crati river at the base of the Pancrazio Hill, were the legend remember that was buried King Alarico of Visigoti with his horse and his tresaure (409 A.C.) (every time comes more scientist people to search the thesaure whithout any results).

Alarico's bridge on Crati

Cosenza has a drammatic list of events, because the dominations, the wars, and the earthquaques have modified its face more times. In 589 was the time of the Longobardi, in the 863 was the Saraceni, destroyed in 957 by Bizantini, in 1059 became the Normanni, in the 1160 Federico II of Svevia rebuild the Castle over the ruin of the precedent Normanni Castel, and build the Cathedral (Duomo) 1150. In the 1283 start the long period of the spanish domination, began from the Aragona Family and ended in 1734 by the Borboni Family. With the arrive of the French people and after the domination of the Piemontesi (Savoia Family) terminate the autonomy of culture, the sociality, the free factories enterprise, and the quite rich life of the local people, because the project of the unification of Italy delete all. The city migrates from the Pancrazio hill, in the fascist period (1922-1944) under Mussolini, and starts his development along the Crati river, were today is placed. The old city is always on the Pancrazio Hill like a museum, and the new city live on the flat land.

The Svevo-Normanno Castle. (1100-1200)

Beautiful monuments are stored now in the old city. The Castle in Svevo-Normanno style with the towers in exagonal plan. Builded around the 1100 and rebuilded in 1200.

Culture

The culture have big roots here. This is the land of the famous Bernardino Telesio, philosopher-scientist, father of rivolutionary astronomics theories. Tommaso Campanella, famous philosopher, remembered for the utopic opera of the "City of the Sun". Here born the mytic Academia founded by Aulo Giano Parrasio with scientist like the mentioned Telesio, the literate Francesco Saverio Salfi and the humanist Sertorio Quattromani. Today the develop of the old Academia is the university located at 5km near Cosenza in the Rende district, one of the most important city of the province of Cosenza. The pride of culture by the people of Cosenza is expressed through the many people that still like to go to the Theatre.

The Theatre (1879)

Buildt in the 1879 like a copy of the mytic theatre 'La Scala' of Milan. It was partially destroyed by bombing at the end of Worl War Two (1945). Rebuildt in 1960 is now a better example of culture. The artistic program is divided into two parts, one musical & lyric and the other theatral.

Churches

Cosenza Cathedral. (1150)

The Churches of Cosenza are very plenty of history - The Duomo (Cathedral) placed in the center of the old city. Built in the 1140 was destroyed by an earthquaque and rebuilt in 1184. In the Duomo there is the grave of the Queen Isabella d'Aragona.

Cloister of S.Francesco d'Assisi.

- The monastic group of Friars Minori of S.Francesco d'Assisi compounded by the Church, Monastery, and a beautiful cloister built in 1217 founded by Beato P.Pietro Cathin.

The S.Domenico Church and his internal (1500) - The monastic group of Friars Minimi of S.Francesco di Paola (1416-1507), the biggest Saint venerate here, because He is the first Saint of Calabria, and also the protector Saint Of Calabresi and people of the Sea, for his biggest miracle of the crossing of the sea with only his cloak. He was born in Paola, a little seaside city near Cosenza (only 30 Km from Cosenza to the sea), placed on the Tirrenic Coast in the Mediterranean Sea.

Internal of Church of S.Francesco di Paola.

The monastic group is from 1650, compouded by the Church and the Monastery with a cloister full of paintings of that time.

Hotels


  * * *   Centrale       Via Macallè       75681
  * * *   Domus          Quattromiglia    839652
  * * *   Europa         Roges            465064
  * * * * Executive      A3 Cosenza Nord  401010
  * * * * Hotel          Via Molinella    412165
  * * *   S. Agostino    C/da S.Agostino  461782
  * *     San Carlo      Piano di Maio    401050
  * * * * San Francesco  Commenda         461721

Services

Bus.

Emergency Phones Carabinieri 112 Police 113 Hospital 6811 Ambulance 411155 Medical Guard 31831 Firemen 115
Usefull Phones Airport(Lamezia Terme) 0968/414111 Airport(Crotone) 0962/791150 Railway Station 482333

Cosenza

History

Alarico's bridge on Crati

The Svevo-Normanno Castle. (1100-1200)

Culture

The Theatre (1879)

Churches

Cosenza Cathedral. (1150)

Cloister of S.Francesco d'Assisi.

Internal of Church of S.Francesco di Paola.

Hotels

Services

Bus.

Pharmacies.

Emergency Phones

Carabinieri 112 Police 113 Hospital 6811 Ambulance 411155 Medical Guard 31831 Firemen 115

Usefull Phones

Airport(Lamezia Terme) 0968/414111 Airport(Crotone) 0962/791150 Railway Station 482333

See also: