Cosenza

Cosenza (in Latin Consentia ) is a Italian city, which, with its: 70000 inhabitants, is the chief town of the province of the same name pertaining to the area of Calabria. According to the legend, it is in this city, and more precisely in the course of the Busento than Alaric Ier was buried with its treasure.

Geography

August 1st The town of Cosenza is located at 238 m of altitude, the foot of the mountain of Sila, and is sprinkled by the Crati, which receives Busento just upstream. This river has its outlet in the Ionian Mer, in the east of Calabria, in the Plaine of Sibari.

History

According to certain historians, the town of Cosenza was founded in 356 av. J. - C. by warlike people, the Bruze S. Of others support the thesis of its foundation by the Oenotriens.

Cosenza is subject to the influence of the Greeks and was protagonist of the Punic Wars. Become Roman colony, it took importance at second century BC, while becoming a big step on via Popilia. Thereafter, it fell under the domination from the Byzantines, then belonged to the Royaume of Sicily dominated successively by the Normands, Souabes Hohenstaufen and Angevins. Cosenza began its decline for the period of Spanish domination.

13th century, Cosenza played an important political role and became the point of reference of all septentrional Calabria.

Of XVe at the 16th centuries, the city took a notable importance from the cultural point of view: in 1511, was founded the Academy cosentine, which started to diffuse democratic and innovating ideas. These last led to the revolts of 1813,1829,1837 and especially that of 1844, known for the martyrdom of the Bandiera brothers.

The city was seriously damaged twice, in 1638 by a violent one earthquake, and by the bombardments of the Second world war in 1943.

Today, it is an active city as well on the cultural level as economic: it is the seat of a market of agricultural produce and various, agro-alimentary, mechanical Industrie S, chemical, and of manufacture of pieces of furniture and clothing. However it is depopulated, especially the historical center, whereas it had reached the 100.000 inhabitants in 1971 and counted of them 106.000 more in 1981.

Economy

August 1st

Culture

The town of Cosenza kept few traces of the various dominations passed, but preserves a great number of churches and palate, among which:

The Cathedral, of Romance style, was rebuilt towards 1184. The transformations made in 1748, gave him an aspect Baroque. Inside is fall it from Isabelle d' Aragon, wife of the king Philippe III; in the shape of a trefoil Gothic window, it represents the Madonna with the child, the king Philippe III and his wife. The unit is overcome by a four-leaf clover. Above the furnace bridge baroque, one can admire a painting of the Virgin of Pilerio, which according to the popular belief saved Cosentins of the Peste in 1602. On the face of the Virgin, one notes a spot, testimony of his grace. Inside the cathedral a staurothèque is preserved, which one says that it contains a relic of the Holy Cross: out of wood gilded with the fine gold, it is enriched by a filigree and invaluable stones.

The Rendano theater was built in the honor of the type-setter Alfonso Rendano in 1887. Its construction knew many vicissitudes until 1909, year of its inauguration.

The castle, set up on the hill of Pancrazio, was built in 1184 and was modified by Frederic II, then by Angevins. Its plan is rectangular, with a gross polygonal tower of the 13th century.

The Bibliothèque is one of most important the Mezzogiorno , with more than 200.000 books and various handwritten of XVIe and XVIIe centuries. A section is entirely dedicated to the document concerning with the history and the culture of Calabria.

The Academy cosentine was founded at the 16th century by the poet Paulus Parrasius (Paulo Parrasio). It alternated periods of intense cultural activity and periods of decline. It was started again by the philosopher Telesius (Bernardino Telesio), who returned his old splendors to him. It remains one of the oldest academies of Italy.

The place of March 15th is the principal meeting place of the cosentins. They is there that the palate of the government is, the theater Rendano, the Academy cosentine, the Public library, the Telesio college. It is dedicated to the Martyrs cosentins of the Rebirth.

Monuments and inheritance

August 1st

Administration

Hamlets

Borgo Partenope, Donnici, Sant' Ippolito

Communes bordering

Aprigliano, Casole Bruzio, Castrolibero, Dipignano, Mendicino, Paterno Calabro, Pedace, Piane Crati, Pietrafitta, Returns, Rovito, Trenta, Zumpano

Personalities born in Cosenza

Tatiana Found, plastician (1968)

See too

List of the Italian cities of more than 25.000 inhabitants

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Simple: Cosenza

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