Cosenza is an Italian town of 65 185 inhabitants, the capital of
the province of the same name in Calabria. Founded by the Bruzi who
made it their capital in the fourth century BC, it exercised a
hegemonic role in the region until the conquest by the Romans and
from the sixteenth century assumed the role of capital of Calabria
Hither.
The city is the leader of an urban agglomeration
including, among others, the contiguous municipalities of Rende and
Castrolibero, which constitutes one of the most dynamic areas of
Calabria in terms of urban planning, socio-economic, cultural and
service provision.
Cosenza, the northernmost
provincial capital of Calabria, stands on the Pancrazio hill, known
as U Castiaddru, in the valley of the Crati river, at the confluence
of the latter with the Busento. This confluence makes it possible to
distinguish the area of the original settlement, located high up
to the Pancrazio hill, and the modern city which developed along the
left bank of the Crati. The historic core, better known as Cosenza
vecchia, reflects the common facies of the ancient hillside
settlements, dominated by steep, narrow and winding alleys along
which stands a building made up of small buildings and stately
palaces, perched on the Pancrazio hill, subsequently on the the
Guarassano and Torrevetere hills, to the left of the Crati, while
the houses on the remaining surrounding hills, Gramazio, Triglio,
Mussano and Venneri, are very rare. The southern area is also bathed
by the Cardone and Iassa rivers.
The entire settlement area
is protected to the west by the southern coastal chain (along which
stands Monte Cocuzzo of dolomitic limestone formation and which many
erroneously believe to be an extinct volcano) which separates the
city from the Tyrrhenian Sea, and to the east from the Sila, the
wooded plateau where the wolf still lives, totemic animal of the
city itself and symbol of the local football team.
The city
covers an area of 37.86 km², at an altitude of 238 meters above
sea level (altitude referring to Piazza Bilotti). The town hall
(Palazzo dei Bruzi, located in piazza dei Bruzi), is located at 233
meters above sea level. The altitude difference of the municipal
area is 402 meters, with the highest point located to the SE (c.da
Destra di Tornaturo at an altitude of 589) and the lowest to the
North (via Popilia loc. Torrevecchia at an altitude of 187), and
East (Vaglio Lise at an altitude of 190).
The city, located in the Crati valley at 238 meters above sea level. but entirely surrounded by the reliefs of the Coastal Chain, Sila and Pollino, it presents a particular microclimate, almost unaffected by the sea, although not far away. The thermal inversion is almost a constant in the valley, thanks to the scarce presence of winds, from which it is sheltered precisely because of the orography of the territory. The minimum temperatures, which, thanks to the nocturnal irradiation and the thermal inversion, reach low values (when compared to altitude and latitude), are flanked by maximums which, especially in calm wind conditions and in the summer season, are very high. Winter in Cosenza is cold (especially in adverse weather conditions and strong cold waves), with the temperature that during the day can reach 10-13 degrees and at night, very often, drop below 2-4 degrees . In anticyclonic conditions, in addition to the accentuated temperature range, mists or fog banks are frequent, especially in the lower areas, with associated frost in the winter period; in summer the days are often sunny, due to a strong influence from the African anticyclone, however it is possible (occasionally) to generate thunderstorms and cumulus clouds in the central hours and frequently there are very high temperatures accompanied by very high humidity values bass. Although it is not located at a high altitude, Cosenza appears to be the snowiest city in Calabria. Snow accumulations can vary from 10 to 30 cm, up to even 50-60 cm in particular conditions.