Cosenza

Encyclopedia : C : CO : COS : Cosenza

---

Cosenza is a town and comune in the Calabria region of southern Italy, on the Crati River. It is the capital of Cosenza province.

Geography

The town stands 238 m above sea level at the confluence of the Busento and Crati rivers in an intermontane valley between the Sila and the coastal range of mountains. The old town, overshadowed by its castle, descends to the River Crati, whereas the growing modern city lies to the north, beyond the Busento, on level ground. The historic city centre is crossed by the winding Corso Telesio.

History

Origins

Cosenza, the ancient capital of the Italic tribe of the Bruttii, was a bulwark of the Italic people against the Hellenic influences of the Ionians. Over the centuries Cosenza maintained a distinctive feature which marked it out among the inner cities of the region. Later, under the Emperor Augustus, Cosenza became an important halting place along the via Popilia, the Roman route which connected Calabria with Sicily. During the same period the town benefited some municipalprivileges, although it was a colony. Cosenza belonged to the III Region of the Western Roman Empire until its fall, therefore its destiny was strictly connected withthe history of Rome.

The legend of King Alaric

In 410 AD the town was besieged by Alaric I, king of the Visigoths, but it escapeddevastation thanks to the king’s sudden death, probably caused by malaria. The story tells that, according to their habits, the invaders diverted the flow of the river Busento, buried the king in its riverbed and later returned the river to its original path. This legendary event, which was also sung by the German poet August von Platen, originated the myth of a fabulous treasure, booty of Alaric's raids and buried along with him.

Norman, Hohenstaufen and Angevin period

Bitterly fought for by the Saracens and the Lombards, the town was destroyed and then rebuilt around 988; it was then ravaged once again at the beginning of the 11th century. In the attempt to escape the devastation, the population left the town and took shelter on the surrounding hills where they built some small suburbs (which are still denominated Casali). During the first half of the same century Calabria became a feudal dukedom of the Normans, with Cosenza as its capital.

The town soon rebelled against the domination of Roger Guiscard and was then captured after a long siege. The town took part in the conquest of the Holy Sepulchre with its crusaders led by the Archbishop Pietro. Cosenza's archdiocese was one of the most ancient of the region, its foundation dating back to the 6th century AD; it maintained its importance over the ages and counted more than 130 parishes. Subsequently, underthe Hohenstaufen domination, the town became the seat of the Court of Calabria (Curia Generale). The Emperor Frederick II had a particular interest in the town; he promoted the planning of new buildings and fostered economic activities, organising an important annual fair.

The Cathedral was rebuilt and then consecrated in 1222; in 1242 his Frederick's son Henry was buried there. Subsequently, Cosenza bitterly fought against the Angevin domination supported by the clergy. While the uprising spread through the valley of the Crati river, the town was involved in the ups and downs of the fight between the Angevins and the Aragonese. In 1432 the King Louis III of Anjou settled in the Castle with his wife Margaret of Savoy. When she died untimely, in 1434, she was buried in the Cathedral.

Spanish domination

Once the Spanish conquered the reign, Cosenza was occupied by the Spanish army led by the Great Captain Consalvo de Cordoba (1500). The town tried to rebel, but in vain. It was exactly during the XVI century that Cosenza experienced aperiod of great richness and expansion and it became seat of the Viceroy of Calabria. At the same time its cultural importance grew thanks to the foundation of theAccademia Cosentina; among its most renowned members there were Bernardino Telesio, Aulo Gianni Parrasio, the Martirano brothers, Antonio Serra and others who gave great contribution to the intellectual activity of the town. In 1707 the Austrian succeeded to the Spanish, and in 1799, after the proclamation of the Republic - which was however short-lived - and a vain resistance, the town was finally occupied by Cardinal Ruffo's Lazzari; Cardinal Ruffo was native of the province of Cosenza.

Modern Cosenza

From 1806 to 1815 the name of the town was often mentioned in the chronicles of the South of Italy thanks to the fierce and unequal struggle against the French domination. The riots of 1821 and 1837 ware amongst the first heralds of Italian Risorgimento. They were followed by the uprising of March 15, 1844, which reached its climax with the “noble folly” of the Bandiera Brothers, who were executed together with some of their followers in the Vallone di Rovito in Cosenza. Some months after the rapid and overwhelming Garibaldi’s conquest of Calabria, in 1860 a popular plebiscite proclaimed the annexation of Calabria to the new Kingdom of Italy.

Nowadays Cosenza is a town of more than 76,000 inhabitants with a remarkable importance from a cultural viewpoint. In the latest years - thanks to the renovationand better exploitation of the historical heritage - cultural activities have been considerably enhanced. Consequently, Cosenza is now a reference point non onlyfor Calabria, but also for other regions.

Economy

The town's economy is still partly based on agricultural products from the surrounding countryside, for which it is an important market, though equally important are activities related to local administration and culture (University of Calabria). Industry is not a major factor, and the few manufacturing units, generally on a small scale, are engaged in the building materials, textile, paper and wood processing sectors. The most important economic impulse is given by trading and commerce. In fact, as it's the major city of a large area, it constitutes an important site for shopping and trading for neighbouring towns and villages.

Main sights

The town consists of an old quarter on the slopes of Pancrazio Hill on the right side of the Busento River, characterized by a picturesque warren of streets, and a modern area, built to a regular plan, on the other side.

The most important monuments include:

• the Romanesque Duomo (Cathedral, 12th century), with Isabella d'Aragona's fine tomb
• the church of S. Domenico (15th century with 18th century additions)
• the church of San Francesco di Paola (16th century, with later additions)
• the church and monastery of S. Francesco d'Assisi (13th-15th century)
• the Castle on the top of Pancrazio Hill, originally a 10th century construction

Museums and cultural institutions

• Accademia Cosentina
• Biblioteca Civica
• Biblioteca Nazionale
• Museo Civico
• Teatro `A.Rendano'
• Galleria Nazionale - Palazzo Arnone
• Museo all'aperto "Bilotti" - Open air museums (Corso Mazzini - Piazza Bilotti)
• Casa delle Culture

Events and Festivals

• Fiera di S.Giuseppe - March
• S.Giuseppe Rock Festival - March
• Festival delle Invasioni - July
• Festa del Vino (Wine Festival in Donnici area) - October

Famous people

• Aulo Giano Parrasio (humanist, 1470-1521)
• Bernardino Telesio (philosopher, 1509-1588)
• Francesco Saverio Salfi (philosopher, 1759-1832)
• Giuseppe Spiriti (economist and scientist, 1757-1799)

See also

• Calabria

External links

• [Official site]
• [Cosenza in Rete]
• [ItalianVisits.Com]

 

---

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.

Search Titles

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

?