Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral (Cosenza)

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In the heart of the city stands the Cathedral of Cosenza with architectural forms and decoration of sacred subject to various renovations and additions. Built with a Romanesque style between the eleventh and twelfth centuries was rebuilt after 1184 following an earthquake in 1222 and consecrated in the presence of Frederick II which gives the opportunity for the reliquary of the Holy Cross, the famous reliquary. At the end of the sixteenth century was destroyed by another earthquake, the tower rebuilt left winger in the next century. In the eighteenth century were made with certain actions of the Baroque style in the nineteenth century the façade was completely rebuilt and was finally restored in the twentieth century. Currently, the facade has three portals in sandstone rose above the central portal on the window which depicts the ascension of Christ and two smaller four-lobed rose windows above the side doors. The interior has three naves divided by columns with capitals with round arches and two chapels of the utmost importance, one dedicated to Our Lady of Pilerio, which according to tradition she saved the city from the plague of 1576 and the earthquake of 1783, the other of the Blessed Sacrament on the altar has a painting of the Madonna delle Grazie. In the transept there is the tomb of Isabella of Aragon and a Roman sarcophagus carved with hunting scenes at the end of the nave found in the basement of the building in 1934 during some restoration work.