Bed and breakfast accommodation in Cosenza Monasteries

Cosenza, in deep Calabria, stands hidden in a valley that runs between the high plateau of the Sila and the mountains that back the coastline. It’s a true mountain town, with long, cold winters and broiling summers. People come here for access to the mountainous region that forms the Parco Nazionale della Sila, a true wilderness area with superb flora and fauna, that offers outstanding walking and opportunities for outdoor activities. 

Cosenza has always been a cultural hub, with a university, museums and churches. The main sights are in the old town, which is topped by the massive ruins of a Swabian castle, its narrow streets tumbling down the hill to the River Crati. The Duomo dates from the 13th century, and you can also visit other churches, the town’s gallery and museum or the open-air sculpture collection, known as the Museo all’Aperto Bilotti, in the area of the new town to the north.

Cosenza, founded by a southern Italian tribe, was subsumed by Rome and was certainly Christian by the 4th century. As the Roman Empire fell apart, its allegiance turned to Byzantium. In 410 the Visigoth  Christian king Alaric I sacked Rome and then came south, to die near Cosenza. He was buried, with the treasure looted from Rome, below the modern town at the River Busento, which was temporarily while the tomb was dug. 

Over the centuries Cosenza was variously administered by the Lombards, Normans, Angevins and Spanish, all Christian rulers. During the centuries the main religious orders all established churches in the city.