Cosenza
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Comune di Cosenza | |
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 Municipal coat of arms |
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| Country |  Italy |
| Region | Calabria |
| Province | Cosenza (CS) |
| Mayor | Salvatore Perugini |
| Elevation | 238 m (781 ft) |
| Area | 37 km² (14 sq mi) |
| Population (as of December 31, 2004) | |
| - Total | 71,680 |
| - Density | 1,937/km² (5,017/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET, UTC+1 |
| Coordinates | |
| Gentilic | Cosentini |
| Dialing code | 0984 |
| Postal code | 87100 |
| Frazioni | Borgo Partenope, Donnici, Sant'Ippolito |
| Patron | Madonna del Pilerio |
| - Day | February 12 |
| Website: www.comune.cosenza.it | |
Cosenza (Greek: Konstantia) is a city in Calabria, located at the confluence of the rivers Busento and Crathis. The municipality, with a population of around 70,000, is at the centre of a urban area which counts almost 200,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Province of Cosenza, which has a population of about 730.000.
Thanks to its cultural past, Cosenza was once known as the Athens of Calabria. The Accademia Cosentina, for example, was one of the very first academies to be founded in Italy (1511). To this day, the city remains an important cultural centre with museums, theatres, libraries, and the University of Calabria.
To call the town picturesque is to use an inadequate word. At every step, from the opening of the main street at the hill foot up to the stern medieval castle crowning its height, one marvels and admires. George Gissing, 1897
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[edit] Geography
Cosenza stands 238 m above sea level in a valley between the Sila inland plateau and the coastal range. The old town, overshadowed by its castle, descends to the river called in Antiquity Crathis, whereas the growing modern city lies to the north, beyond the Busento, on level ground. The old town centre is crossed by the winding Corso Telesio.
[edit] History
[edit] Origins
The ancient Cosentia, capital of the Italic tribe of the Bruttii, was a bulwark of the Italic people against the Hellenic influences of the Ionian colonies. Over the centuries it maintained a distinctive character which marked it out among the inner cities of the region. Under Emperor Augustus it became an important stopover on the Roman via Popilia, which connected Calabria to Sicily. During the Roman Empire, although merely a colonia, the town benefited from municipal privileges.
[edit] Alaric's legendary tomb
In 410 AD Alaric, king of the Visigoths, captured the great city of Rome and became the first foreign enemy to capture this city in over 800 years. When he left Rome, Alaric had amassed a great amount of treasure from his conquest of the city.
According to the Gothic historian Jordanes,[1] Alaric left Rome and headed south with his troops. When they reached the area of Cosenza, he died. No one is certain how this happened. Some believe he contracted a disease that took his life. Others feel that his death came from an attack by enemy forces. In any case, his troops honoured their king by burying him in a tomb. This was no normal tomb. His burial place is said to have been at the confluence of the Busento and Crathis rivers. A horde of slaves were used to divert the water from the Busento, allowing them to dig a tomb large enough for Alaric, his horse and all of the treasure amassed from his conquests. Once the tomb was completed, the river was returned to its bed and the tomb covered with water. Then, to ensure that no one would reveal this location to anyone, Alaric's troops killed all of the slaves.
[edit] Norman, Hohenstaufen and Angevin period
The city's archdiocese, dating to the sixth century, is one of the most ancient and important of the region, counting more than 130 parishes. Bitterly disputed between the Saracens and the Lombards, the town was destroyed, then rebuilt around 988; only to be ravaged again in the early 11th century. In the attempt to escape the devastation, the population left the town and sheltered on the surrounding hills where they built some small hamlets (still denominated casali).
By the first half of the eleventh century, Lombard Calabria became a feudal dukedom of the Normans, with Cosenza as capital. The town soon rebelled against the rule of Roger Guiscard and was only recaptured after a long siege. Subsequently, under the Hohenstaufen rule, 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 construction and economic activities, organising an important annual fair.
The Cathedral was rebuilt and then consecrated in 1222; in 1242, 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, the town was involved in the see-sawing fight between Angevins and Aragonese. In 1432 King Louis III of Anjou settled in the castle of Cosenza with his wife Margaret of Savoy. When she died untimely, in 1434, she was buried in the Cathedral.
[edit] Spanish domination
In 1500, in spite of resistance, Cosenza was occupied by the Spanish army led by Captain Consalvo de Cordoba. ?During the sixteenth century the town experienced a period of expansion as the seat of the Viceroy of Calabria. At the same time its cultural importance grew thanks to the foundation of the Accademia Cosentina; among its most renowned members were Bernardino Telesio, Aulo Gianni Parrasio, the Martirano brothers, Antonio Serra and others. In 1707 the Austrians succeeded the Spanish in the Kingdom of Naples, followed by the Bourbons. After the proclamation in 1799 of the short-lived client Parthopean Republic and a vain resistance, the town was finally occupied for the Bourbons by Fabrizio Cardinal Ruffo’s Lazzari; Cardinal Ruffo was native of the province of Cosenza.
[edit] Modern Cosenza
From 1806 to 1815 Cosenza fought in an unequal struggle against French domination. Cruel suppressions characterised that period and in 1813 the town, a cradle of the Carbonari secret societies, saw many rebels executed. The local riots of 1821 and 1837 heralded the Risorgimento. They were followed by the uprising of 15 March 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. In 1860, some months after the rapid and overwhelmingly heroic deeds of Garibaldi’s troops, a plebiscite proclaimed the annexation of Calabria to the new Kingdom of Italy.
[edit] Main sights
[edit] Church of San Domenico
Founded in 1448, the church combines Renaissance and Medieval elements. Its most interesting feature is the rose window defined by 16 little tuff columns. The wooden portal (1614) is inlaid with floral motifs, figures of saints and coats of arms.
Inside the church are works by the Cosentine painter A. Granata (late 18th century): Santa Rosa, Santa Caterina, San Ludovico, San Giacinto and San Domenico. The high altar is made of polychrome marble (1767). In the transept, there is a Deposition and a San Vincenzo Ferreri (late 18th century, anonymous). The sacristy is noted for its ribbed vault, a double lancet window with a narrow arch and a wooden choir installed in 1635.
[edit] The Cathedral
The origins of the Duomo are unknown; it was probably built in the first half of the 11th century. After an earthquake destroyed the cathedral church on 9 June 1184, rebuilding was completed by 1222 when the Duomo was consecrated by Emperor Frederick II. In the first half of the 18th century it was covered by a baroque superstructure which obliterated the original structure and its works of art. In the first half of the nineteenth century the façade was transformed in neo-gothic style, which completely changed its character. At the end of the 19th century, Archbishop Camillo Sorgente entrusted the work to Pisanti, who recovered the original old arches and the ancient structure of the church. In the 1940s the work was finally completed. In the transept is the tomb of Isabella of Aragon, wife of king Philip III of France. A long aisle links the Duomo to the archbishops' palace, the Palazzo Arcivescovile, which houses an Immacolata by Luca Giordano. One can also admire the rare and precious Stauroteca, a gift of the Emperor Frederick II to the Duomo upon consecration. The work was produced in the royal goldsmiths' workshops, better known as “Tiraz”, and was produced in a cultural environment which blended Muslim, Byzantine and Western cultural elements.
[edit] Monastero delle Vergini
In via Gaetano Argento stands the "Convent of the Virgins". The external part of the main entrance is made of decorated tuff, while the internal part is carved of wood. The convent contains a 16th-century painting of the Annunciation. In front of it, is the 13th-century Madonna del Pilerio attributed to Giovanni da Taranto, while on the walls are four other anonymous 16th century paintings: the Visitation, the Circumcision, the Adoration of the Shepherds and the Adoration of the Magi. In the apse is the altarpiece Transit of the Virgin (1570). The cymatium houses a painting portraying the Coronation of the Virgin, while at the base of the two columns are paintings, attributed to Michele Curia, the "Master of Montecalvario", of two unidentified saints. The wooden choir dates to the 17th century.
[edit] Giostra Vecchia
In the fifteenth century, at Palazzo Falvo the Renaissance was introduced at Cosenza, in the Giostra Vecchia. Here are located the church and monastery of Saint Francis of Assisi. The Latin cross plan has a nave and two aisles. In the nave stands the impressive high wooden altar built in 1700. Above it is a painting by Daniele Russo representing the Perdono d’Assisi (1618). The left aisle is home to a wooden 17th-century crucifix, the altar of the Madonna della Febbre and the statue of the Madonna with Child, in marble, dating to the 16th century. The sacristy has a painted wooden ceiling, a wooden armadio representing episodes from the Passion of Christ and pictures of saints and Franciscan monks. The stone arch is characterized by the painting of St. Francis of Paola, while on the walls are some frescoes dating to the beginning of the 15th century.
[edit] Hohenstaufen Castle
The Castello Svevo ("Suabian" or Hohenstaufen Castle) was originally built by the Saracens on the ruins of the ancient Rocca Brutia, around the year 1000. The Hohenstaufen was restored by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, adding the octagonal tower to the original structure, in 1239. According to tradition, his son Henry lived in this castle,as a prisoner at his father’s command.
All signs of the ancient Saracen structure have now disappeared. In the internal cloister, the modifications made by the Bourbons in order to convert it into a prison can also be seen. The entrance-hall is covered by pointed arches with engraved brackets. A wide corridor is dominated by some fleur-de-lis from the Angevin coat of arms which contains these flowers. They are engraved on the ribbed Swabian arches.
[edit] Spirito Santo
The church of Sant'Agostino, also known as the Spirito Santo, was built in 1507 by the Augustinians. The original portal has several inscriptions in Gothic characters. The interior has a series of paintings from the eighteenth century. Further on a narrow street leads to the so-called “Area of the Bandiera Brothers”, the Vallone di Rovito. Here, the insurrectional patriots of 1844 were executed by a firing squad.
- Arenella
Further on, is the area called Arenella, which lies on the right bank of the River Crati. On the left side of Corso del Plebiscito, you can see the Mercato dell’Arenella, an iron structure which used to host the old town market, now used for concerts and a flea market. On the right hand side, you can admire the church of San Gaetano. Turning right, just past the church, you will reach Palazzo Arnone, where some years ago were located the courthouse and the prison. It now houses the Galleria Nazionale - National Gallery.
- San Francesco di Paola
In the Arenella, are the Church and Monastery of Saint Francis of Paola (1510). The interior, with an aisleless single nave, houses the tomb of Ottavio Cesare Gaeta. On the right wall, are two 18th-century paintings: a Sacra Famiglia and Madonna con San Francesco e Sant’Agostino. On an altar, you can see a wooden statue of Saint Francis of Paola; while on the left side of the nave, on another altar, is a wooden statue of San Michele Arcangelo. The Madonna with Child in Glory and Saints Paul and Luke (1551) was painted by Pietro Negroni. In the apse, a 16th century triptych made by Cristoforo Faffeo represents the Madonna and Child in glory with saints Catherine and Sebastian. At the back of the altar is a wooden choir built in 1679 by M. Domenico Costanzo da Rogliano. On the wall of the sacristy you can see remains of frescoes dating back to 1550-1600. On the vault you can see some pastels representing scenes from the life of the Saint from Paola.
- San Salvatore
The small church of San Salvatore serves the parish which professes the Byzantine-Albanian faith. Inside the nave are a wooden ceiling, some frescoes of the Apostoli, of the Salvatore and of the Madonna, as well as a splendid iconostasis.
- Open Air Museum
In the modern part of Cosenza, in an area stretching from the pedestrianized Corso Mazzini to Piazza Bilotti, lies the open-air "Museo Mab" (Museo all'aperto Bilotti). The museum hosts a wide range of modern art sculptures that stand in the street for residents and tourists to enjoy alfresco. The sculptures were donated to the city by the Italian-American entrepreneur and art collector, Carlo Bilotti. They include Saint George and the Dragon by Salvador Dalì, Hector and Andromache by Giorgio de Chirico, "the Bronzes" by Sacha Sosno, The Bather by Emilio Greco, The Cardinal by Giacomo Manzù and various marble sculptures by Pietro Consagra.
[edit] Museums and cultural institutions
- Accademia Cosentina
- Museo Civico Archeologico
- Museo delle Rimembranze
- Galleria Nazionale - Palazzo Arnone
- Museo all'aperto "Bilotti" - Open air museum
- Teatro "Alfonso Rendano"
- Teatro dell'Acquario - Teatro Stabile d'Innovazione della Calabria
- Teatro Morelli
- Casa delle Culture
- Universitá della Calabria - UNICAL University of Calabria
- Biblioteca Civica - Civic Library
- Biblioteca Nazionale - National Library
- Biblioteca dei Ragazzi - Children's Library
- Biblioteca dell'Archivio di stato - State Archive Library
- Biblioteca provinciale di Cosenza - District Library
- Biblioteca del Conservatorio di Musica "Stanislao Giacomoantonio"
- Biblioteca del Centro jazz Calabria - Archivio discografico
- Biblioteca della Fondazione Antonio Guarasci
- Biblioteca ecclesiastica SS. Crocifisso - Church Library
- Biblioteca arcivescovile del Seminario cosentino - Theological Library
- Biblioteca del Liceo classico "Bernardino Telesio"
- Biblioteca della Soprintendenza per il Patrimonio Storico Artistico ed Etnoantropologico
[edit] Events and festivals
- Fiera di S.Giuseppe - March
- S.Giuseppe Rock Festival - March
- Festival delle Invasioni - July
- La sagra dell'uva e del vino (Wine Festival) in Donnici - October
- Festa del Cioccolato (Chocolate Festival) - October
[edit] Famous historical people
- Aulo Giano Parrasio (humanist, 1470-1521)
- Bernardino Telesio (philosopher, 1509-1588)
- Pietro Negroni (painter, 1505-1565)
- Antonio Serra (economist, late 16th century)
- Sertorio Quattromani (philosopher, 1541-1607)
- Francesco Saverio Salfi (philosopher, 1759-1832)
- Nicola Misasi (writer, 1850-1923)
- Alfonso Rendano (pianist and composer, 1853-1931)
- Alessandro Longo (composer and musicologist, 1864-1945)
[edit] Notes
- ^ Jordanes, De origine actibusque Getarum (551), taken up by Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,, chapter 31.
