The city of Telesio, the tomb of a queen and the legend of Alaric
At the confluence of the Crati and Busento rivers, at the foot of the Sila, Cosenza is one of the oldest cities in Calabria, founded by the Bruttii, an Italic people, and called the "Athens of Calabria" for its long cultural tradition: here, in the sixteenth century, the philosopher Bernardino Telesio lived, and here the Accademia Cosentina, one of the oldest academies in Italy, was founded. The old town, on the slopes of the Pancrazio hill, is a maze of lanes, steps and squares, with noble palaces and churches, crossed by Corso Telesio, the main street, which climbs from the rivers to the Piazza XV Marzo, with the beautiful Teatro Rendano and the Accademia. At the top of the hill stands the Castello Svevo, rebuilt by Frederick II, with a splendid view.
The Cathedral of Cosenza, consecrated in 1222 in the presence of Emperor Frederick II, after the earthquake that had destroyed the previous church, is a fine example of Cistercian Gothic, and in 2011 it was recognised by UNESCO as a "Testimony of a Culture of Peace". Inside, it preserves the tomb of Isabella of Aragon, Queen of France, wife of Philip III, who died in Cosenza in 1271 after falling from her horse while returning from the Crusade, and the precious Byzantine icon of the Madonna del Pilerio. Cosenza is linked to a famous legend: in 410, the Visigoth king Alaric, after sacking Rome, died here, and his men buried him in the bed of the Busento, diverting the river, together with his treasure, never found.
Tip: walk up Corso Telesio to the Duomo and the castle; then visit the MAB, the open-air museum in the new town.
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