Every design for Rende

At Arcavacata, where the University of Calabria has its headquarters, Rende is a town of students, lecture halls and busy evenings. Down in the Crati valley the modern city runs straight into Cosenza, and together they form the cultural and economic centre of the area.

Its character comes from being two towns at once. The modern part spreads over level ground by the river, while the old town sits on a high hill, gathered around the mother church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Up there the Castello Normanno, built by Bohemond I of Antioch, keeps watch, and the Museo Civico Palazzo Zagarese and the Museo dell’Arte dell’Otto e Novecento hold the memory of the borgo. Hamlets such as Nogiano, Commenda and Quattromiglia fill the space between.

Climb to the castle on a clear day and the whole of Rende lies below you: the old roofs at your feet, the valley floor with its campus and avenues, and the Crati winding through.