Cosenza

Cosenza (kōzān'tsä) [key], city (1991 pop. 86,664), capital of Cosenza prov., Calabria, S Italy, at the confluence of the Busento and Crati rivers. It is an agricultural and secondary industrial center. Manufactures, produced mainly by individual artisans, include textiles and furniture. The chief city of the ancient Brutii, it was taken by the Romans in 204 B.C. According to tradition, Alaric I (c.A.D. 370–410), the Visigothic king, was buried in the bed of the Busento at Cosenza. The city has suffered from numerous earthquakes. A castle built by Emperor Frederick II dominates the old part of the city.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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