Rende: Historic Centre, Museums and Castello

Rende stretches along the Crati River to the Serre Cosentine. The subjects range from sacred art and peasant culture to contemporary Italian art and art installations.

Historic Centre and Sacred Art

The historic centre of Rende preserves its medieval urban structure as well as the historic names of its streets and squares.

The Giudecca district in Rende’s historic centre is characterised by narrow lanes and arcades.

The Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore was built in the 12th century. Its interior contains paintings by Cristoforo Santanna, Giuseppe Pascaletti and Giuseppe Grana.

Another historic church is the Chiesa del Rosario. It was built in 1679 by the brothers Raffaele and Giuseppe De Bortolo and designed in the Baroque and Rococo styles. Its tripartite façade features tuff from Mendicino. It also contains a nativity scene with Neapolitan figures from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as an 18th-century organ. Several specific details from the building’s history, architecture and furnishings therefore come together in this structure.

The Castello above the Crati Valley

The Castello in Rende is also known as the “Gigante di Pietra” and was built on a hill in 1095. It stands between the Surdo and Emoli streams and overlooks a large part of the Crati Valley. Its position between the two streams and its view over the valley give the structure two different geographical references within Rende.

The atrium displays the coats of arms of the Magdalone and Alarçon de Mendoza families. In addition to its location, these heraldic depictions are therefore among the specific details of the Castello.

Museums between Peasant Culture and Contemporary Art

The Museo Civico e Pinacoteca “Achille Capizzano” is housed in the historic Palazzo Zagarese. Affiliated with it is the demo-ethno-anthropological section named after Raffaele Lombardi Satriani. It documents peasant culture through clothing, objects and photographic documents.

The MAON is housed in the 18th-century Palazzo Vitari in the historic centre of Rende. Thus, the MAON and the Museo Civico are located in two different historic palazzi: Palazzo Vitari and Palazzo Zagarese, respectively.

Through its exhibitions, the Museo del Presente spans the period from Italian artists of the 20th and 21st centuries to young artists from all over Italy. It also has a permanent exhibition dedicated to the Calabrian Futurists, drawn from the Bilotti family’s donation.

The Museo d’arte contemporanea “Roberto Bilotti Ruggi d’Aragona” has a collection of more than 400 works. The Polo Culturale of Rende also includes the Museo all’Aperto (MAR), an open-air museum with art installations. Unlike the museums housed in palazzi, the MAR’s art installations are located outdoors.

Other places: Cosenza, Farneta, Roggiano Gravina, San Demetrio Corone, San Donato Di Ninea, Cetraro, Rose and Belvedere Marittimo.

To the higher-level travel overview: Cosenza.