Things to do in Cosenza
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Piazza del Duomo
This church originated in the 6th century, was consecrated in the 13th and rebuilt in Baroque-style in the 18th. Here you can see Isabella of Aragon's tomb (1271) and a copy of 13th-century Byzantine Madonna del Pilerio. Mary's face has a spot, a sign of her 1576 sacrifice. She had inflicted herself with plague to save those who carried around her likeness.
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Piazza XV Marzo
This elegant square is fronted by the Palazzo del Governo and the neoclassical Teatro Rendano. Smack bang in its middle is a 1914 statue of hero-philosopher Bernardino Telesio. The northwest corner has his Accademia Cosentina and, within it, an excellent library and museum. South of the piazza stretches shady Villa Vecchia, a huge and welcome oasis of green.
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Gran Caffè Renzelli
This venerable cafe behind the duomo has been run by the same family since 1801 when the founder arrived from Naples and began baking gooey cakes and desserts (cakes start at around €1.20). Sink your teeth into torroncino torrefacto – a confection of sugar, spices and hazelnuts – in elegant 19th-century surroundings.
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L’Arco Vecchio
This family concern is deep in the old town in a 16th-century house. It has attractive low-ceilinged rooms, white tablecloths, pretty paintings and a glossy baby grand, and serves tasty, traditional dishes like lagane e ceci (pasta with chickpeas, garlic and oil).
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Odisseas Ghirol
There’s not much elbow room at this pint-sized Greek restaurant with just a few scrubbed pine tables. But this is the place to come if you yearn for something different from traditional Calabrian cuisine, with authentic Greek dishes on the menu like moussaka and souvlaki.
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Ristorante Calabria Bella
This is one of the best choices in the old town, located beside the cathedral. Join the local businessmen and ladies-who-lunch tucking into Calabrian cuisine, such as grigliata mista di carne (mixed grilled meats), in a series of wood-beamed rooms.
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Castle
From Piazza XV Marzo, follow Via Paradiso, then Via Antonio Siniscalchi for the route to the down-at-heel Norman castle, left in disarray by several earthquakes. It’s empty inside, but the view merits the steep ascent.
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Per… Bacco!!
This smart yet informal restaurant has windows onto the square. Inside are exposed stone walls, vines and heavy beams. The reassuringly brief menu includes a generous antipasto (€8) and various baccalà (cod) dishes.
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A Giulia
A tiny local restaurant with exposed stone walls, on a street just across the bridge, this is friendly and has daily pasta dishes and an antipasti buffet, and carafes of local wine.
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Teatro Rendano
Head along the corso to Piazza XV Marzo, an appealing square fronted by the Palazzo del Governo and the handsome neoclassical Teatro Rendano.
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Convento di San Francesco d'Assisi
Walk up Via del Seggio through a little medieval quarter before turning off to reach the 13th-century Convento di San Francesco d'Assisi.
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Cathedral
The 12th-century cathedral has been rebuilt in restrained baroque style in the 18th century.
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Villa Vecchia
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Convento di San Francesco d’Assisi
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