Northern Calabria

<< Calabria

The Province of Cosenza occupies all of Northern Calabria. This part of the region is mostly mountainous and houses part of the Pollino National Park and the Sila National Park, two large protected areas known for their beautiful and pristine natural environment. The Province of Cosenza touches the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Ionian Sea, and both coasts feature many popular seaside resorts. This area is also known for hosting various historic and archaeological sites.

Cosenza

Cosenza is a city in Northern Calabria, located in a valley among the Apennines. In ancient times it was the capital of the Bruttians, an Italic tribe, an later it was taken by the Romans. Disputed between various local powers in the Middle Ages, it has always remained the main center in the area, and it has hosted a prestigious cultural organization since the 16th century. To this day, the city features various historic landmarks and interesting museums.

Norman-Swabian Castle

The Norman-Swabian Castle (Castello Normanno-Svevo) is a medieval castle located on top of a hill overlooking the center of Cosenza. The fort was built around the 10th century, and was later damaged and restored a few times. Now it hosts cultural events.

Cosenza Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta)

The Cosenza Cathedral (Duomo di Cosenza) is the main church of the city, located at the center of the old town. The cathedral was built between the 12th and 13th century on the site of a previous church, and features a blend of Gothic and Romanesque style. Inside, it hosts various decorated chapels and some ancient artworks, including two medieval funerary monuments.

Museum of the Bruttians and the Enotrians

The Museum of the Bruttians and the Enotrians (Museo dei Brettii e degli Enotri) is an archaeological museum in Cosenza dedicated to the ancient history of the city. Its collection includes numerous findings from the area around the city, and dated between the Paleolithic and the Roman age. The museum houses large exhbitions focused on the Bruttians and the Enotrians, two ancient Italic peoples.

National Gallery of Cosenza

The National Gallery of Cosenza (Galleria Nazionale di Cosenza) is an art museum in Cosenza. Its collection includes numerous paintings dating between the 16th and 20th century, mostly by Italian artists.

Bilotti Open-air Museum

The Bilotti Open-air Museum (Museo all’Aperto Bilotti) is an art exhibition located along Corso Mazzini, one of the main avenues of Cosenza. It features various sculptures and works of contemporary art made by prominent artists of the 20th century, such as Dalí, De Chirico, Modigliani, and many others.

Rende

Rende is a city located just north of Cosenza, with the old town placed on a nearby hill. Inhabited since ancient times, its history has always been linked with Cosenza. The modern part of Rende houses the headquarters of the University of Calabria, and over the past few decades it has grown rapidly.

Norman Castle

The Norman Castle (Castello Normanno) is a medieval castle located in the old town of Rende. Erected by the Normans during the 11th century and later expanded, it was one of the main forts in the area for centuries. Still well preserved today, now it hosts a museum of contemporary art.

Fiumefreddo Bruzio

Fiumefreddo Bruzio is a small town located on the hills near the Tyrrhenian Sea west of Cosenza. The town developed around a castle in the Middle Ages, and now it is known for its beautiful old town.

Castello della Valle

Castello della Valle is a ruined castle in Fiumefreddo Bruzio. Built during the 13th century, it was later reworked with the addition of Renaissance elements. The castle was mostly destroyed during the Napoleonic Wars, and in the 1970s it was partly restored.

Paola

Paola is a town and seaside resort located on the Tyrrhenian coast west of Cosenza. The town has been inhabited since ancient times, and now it is known as the birthplace of Saint Francis of Paola, and for hosting an important sanctuary.

Sanctuary of San Francesco da Paola

The Sanctuary of San Francesco da Paola (Santuario di San Francesco da Paola) is a religious complex located on a hill overlooking Paola. The sanctuary was originally built in the 16th century in Renaissance style, and has been restored during the 20th century. The church houses Baroque decorations and modern elements, and it is a popular site of pilgrimage.

Diamante

Diamante is a seaside resort located on the Tyrrhenian coast in the Province of Cosenza. For centuries, it was a small fishing town, and became famous for the production of the Diamante citron. Now it is a tourist destination also known for its beautiful coastline and a festival dedicated to chili peppers.

Murals of Diamante

The old town of Diamante is decorated with a series of colorful murals that cover the walls of many houses and buildings. The murals were painted starting in 1981 by several artists from all over the world.

Scalea

Scalea is a popular seaside resort located on the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria, in the Province of Cosenza. This area has been inhabited since the Paleolithic, and once hosted the Greek colony of Laus. The current town was founded in the Early Middle Ages, and became an important port and fortified position. Now Scalea is a tourist destination known for its long beach.

Beach of Scalea

Scalea features a long sandy beach that extends for kilometers along the Tyrrhenian Sea. This is one of the most popular beaches in the region and it features a group of small rocky skerries at its northern end.

Praia a Mare

Praia a Mare is a town located on the Tyrrhenian Sea in the Province of Cosenza, near the border with Basilicata. Originally a small fishing village, it developed during the 20th century as a tourist destination.

Dino Island

The Dino Island (Isola di Dino) is tiny island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea just off the coast near Praia a Mare. The island was used as a base by Saracen vessels in the Middle Ages, and by the English fleet during the Napoleonic Wars. In the 20th century, the island was supposed to be developed into a luxurious resort, but the project failed and it was abandoned. Nevertheless, the island is a tourist attraction and houses a unique flora.

Papasidero

Papasidero is a tiny town in the Province of Cosenza, located among the mountains of the Pollino massif. This area has been inhabited since the Paleolithic, while the current town emerged during the Middle Ages.

Romito Cave

The Romito Cave (Grotta del Romito) is cave located in the Pollino National Park north of Papasidero. Found in 1961, this cave features evidence of human occupation dating back at least 17,000 years. Various burials and human remains have been found here, along with some rock engravings, including a large depiction of an aurochs, the extinct wild ancestor of modern domestic cattle.

Cerchiara di Calabria

Cerchiara di Calabria is a town in the Province of Cosenza located among the mountains of the Pollino National Park. A town of ancient origins, it was a fortified position during the Middle Ages, and now it is known for its beautiful environment.

Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Armi

The Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Armi (Santuario di Santa Maria delle Armi) is a religious complex located among the mountains near Cerchiara di Calabria. The complex was built around the 10th century over a previous Byzantine monastery, and was later restored during the Renaissance. The sanctuary is adorned with various ancient artworks and frescoes, and it is now a tourist destination.

Rocca Imperiale

Rocca Imperiale is a small town in the Province of Cosenza, located at the northeastern corner of Calabria, near the border with Basilicata and the Ionian Sea. The beautiful old town of Rocca Imperiale is located on a hill, but the municipality also includes a seaside resort on the nearby coast.

Swabian Castle

The Swabian Castle (Castello Svevo) is a 13th-century castle located in the old town of Rocca Imperiale. Erected under the rule of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, most of the current structure dates from the 15th century, when it was greatly expanded. The castle features some imposing fortifications, and it has been partly restored and turned into a tourist attraction.

Roseto Capo Spulico

Roseto Capo Spulico is a small town located along the Ionian coast of the Province of Cosenza. Founded as a small Greek colony, the modern town emerged during the Middle Ages, and became a seaside resort in the second half of the 20th century.

Marina di Roseto Capo Spulico

Marina di Roseto Capo Spulico is the seaside resort of Roseto Capo Spulico, located on the Ionian Sea. This place is a popular summer destination, and it is known for its long and beautiful sandy beach. Along this beach is the Castrum Petrae Roseti, a small fort erected in the Late Middle Ages.

Sibari

Sibari is a small town near the Ionian coast of the Province of Cosenza, part of the municipality of Cassano all’Ionio. The city was founded in the 8th century BCE as a Greek colony, and became one of the richest towns of Magna Graecia. Later destroyed and abandoned, the modern town only emerged in the 20th century after the ruins of the ancient city were found.

National Archaeological Museum of Sibari

The National Archaeological Museum of Sibari (Museo Archeologico Nazionale della Sibaritide) is an archaeological museum located near the Archaeological Park of Sybaris. The museum houses numerous artworks and objects found among the ruins of the ancient city, and dating between prehistory and the Roman age.

Archaeological Park of Sybaris

The Archaeological Park of Sybaris (Parco Archeologico di Sibari) is an archaeological area featuring the ruins of the ancient Greek colony of Sybaris. Various structures of the old town have been brought to light, including part of a theater.

Corigliano Calabro

Corigliano Calabro is a town in the Province of Cosenza, located near the Ionian Sea. A city of ancient origins, it developed as an agricultural center in the 19th and 20th century, and in 2018 it merged with the nearby Rossano to form the municipality of Corigliano-Rossano. The town features a few historic landmarks.

Corigliano Calabro Castle

The Corigliano Calabro Castle is a large castle located in the old town of Corigliano Calabro. Originally erected in the 11th century by the Normans, it was later reworked and expanded, and slowly turned into a luxurious noble residence. The castle is one of the best preserved medieval forts in the region, and the interior is richly decorated with artworks.

Rossano

Rossano is a town located near the Ionian coast of the Province of Cosenza. Inhabited since ancient times, it has remained an important regional center throughout its history. The city features some historic attractions, and in 2018 it merged with the nearby Corigliano Calabro to form the municipality of Corigliano-Rossano.

Diocesan and Codex Museum

The Diocesan and Codex Museum (Museo Diocesano e del Codex) is a museum in Rossano which hosts various religious objects and artworks. Among these, the most notable are the Rossano Gospels (or Codex Rossanensis), a Byzantine illuminated manuscript of the New Testament. Dating from the 6th century, this is one of the oldest and best preserved surviving documents of its kind. The museum is located right next to the Rossano Cathedral (Duomo di Rossano), which was erected in the 11th century and later reworked.

Giorgio Amarelli Museum of Licorice

The Giorgio Amarelli Museum of Licorice (Museo della Liquirizia Giorgio Amarelli) is a museum in Rossano dedicated to licorice. The museum showcases the history of licorice and how it is produced, and houses various historic tools and documents.

Abbey of Santa Maria del Patire

The Abbey of Santa Maria del Patire (Abbazia di Santa Maria del Patire) is a medieval abbey located among the mountains near Rossano. Founded in the 11th century, it was one of the richest abbeys in the region in the Late Middle Ages, but later declined. The church features a well-preserved Romanesque structure, along with ancient mosaics and artworks.

San Giovanni in Fiore

San Giovanni in Fiore is a town located among the mountains of the Sila in the Province of Cosenza. The town developed in the Late Middle Ages around an abbey, and now it is a tourist destination and the main center in the Sila plateau.

San Giovanni in Fiore Abbey

The San Giovanni in Fiore Abbey (Abbazia Florense) is a religious complex built during the 13th century among the mountains of the Sila. The abbey was originally built in Romanesque style, but it was reworked several times, and now features Gothic and Baroque elements. Inside, there are some ancient artworks and the complex also houses the Demological Museum of the Economy, Work and Social History of the Sila (Museo Demologico dell’Economia, del Lavoro e della Storia Sociale Silana). This museum is dedicated to the history and traditions of the people who live in the mountains of the Sila.