Holiday apartment in Cosenza: Art, History and Calabrian Cuisine

Cosenza combines art in historic buildings, architectural history and culinary traditions. The Palazzo Arnone, the Cathedral, the Castello Normanno-Svevo and the MAB provide specific settings for this; the city’s dishes and sweet specialities add to them. The cityscape thus brings together collection pieces, a sacred building, the history of a fortress and art along a shopping street.

Art in Historic Buildings

In the historic centre, the Galleria Nazionale di Cosenza is housed in the Palazzo Arnone, a building constructed in the 16th century. Its collection includes works by Mattia Preti and Luca Giordano. The Museo dei Brettii e degli Enotri is located in a cloister that was also built in the 16th century. The Palazzo Arnone and the cloister thus represent two different museum locations in historic buildings.

Cathedral and Castello Normanno-Svevo

In 2011, UNESCO declared the Cathedral of Cosenza a “Patrimonio testimone di una cultura di pace”, a “cultural heritage testimony to a culture of peace”. The Cathedral includes the Chapel of Madonna del Pilerio, with its namesake altarpiece.

The Castello Normanno-Svevo on Colle Pancrazio is considered Cosenza’s most important monument. Ruggero II restored it in 1130. After the earthquake of 1184, Frederick II of Swabia had the Castello rebuilt and added an octagonal tower in 1239. The tower therefore belongs to the rebuilding after the earthquake and not to the earlier restoration. During a visit, the ruins of the Cappuccini Church and the Cappuccini Monastery can be seen alongside the castle.

Art Along the Shopping Street

The MAB is an open-air gallery along Cosenza’s main shopping street. It was established in 2006 and expanded in the following years. The open-air gallery is therefore spatially distinct from the museums in the Palazzo Arnone and the cloister. Its location on the shopping street gives the art a different spatial setting from the museums in the Palazzo and the cloister.

Dishes and Sweet Traditions

Cosenza’s culinary tradition includes fusilli, pasta e patate ara tijeddra, patate e pipareddre, broccoli di rapa e salsiccia, and lagane e ciciari. Traditional sweet specialities include Mostaccioli di San Giuseppe, as well as focaccias made from bee honey or figs, cooked grape must, flour and almonds.

A festive Christmas aspect of the cuisine is represented by Cuddrurieddri, Turididdri and Scaliddre. These preparations are distributed at finger-food kiosks along the city’s main streets. For orientation in Cosenza, the Galleria in the historic centre, the Castello on Colle Pancrazio and the MAB on the main shopping street can be distinguished.

Getting There

Cosenza can be reached via the A3 Salerno–Reggio Calabria motorway. From the Cosenza exit, follow the signs to the city’s historic centre. The access route is therefore directed towards the historic-centre area.

Further places for planning your trip: Amendolara, Solfara Mare, Tarsia, San Demetrio Corone, Francavilla Marittima, Scalea, Villapiana Lido, Amica

For the overarching travel overview: Cosenza.