Arcavacata () is an Italian hamlet (''

frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

'') of the municipality of

Rende Rende is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Cosenza, Calabria, southern Italy, home to the headquarters of the University of Calabria. It has a population of about 35,000, or more than 60,000 if the university students living there are take ...

in the

province of Cosenza The province of Cosenza ( it, provincia di Cosenza) is a province in the Calabria region of southern Italy. Its capital is the city of Cosenza. It contains 150 ''comuni'', listed at list of communes of the Province of Cosenza. The province of ...

, Calabria. Its population is of 1,831.Infos on italia.indettaglio.it
/ref>

History

The name Arcavacata comes from an ancient fortress-lookout ''Arce-vocata'' ("arx suited"), which is found in some papal documents of the Middle Ages. There's also legendary event located a few centuries after today. On a rainy, windy winter night, a blind man and a lame man walked down the street in search of shelter. Suddenly a light illuminated the two patients and a voice ordered them to dig. Listened to the voice, the light led their way. While digging, they realized they were touching an arch and under the arch something particular stopped them. The light became more intense, it illuminated everything and so the blind man saw and the lame began to walk. The voice told them that they were healed and that a church should be built in that place. What they had found was a painting depicting the Holy Mother with baby Jesus. The church was erected and the picture was placed above the altar (it is still there today). Dug out of an arch, the picture gave its name to the place where it was found: Arcavacata. The painting is from the 14th century and is of perennial devotion to the Mother of Consolation by the inhabitants of Arcavacata.

Geography

The village is located on the hills north of the urban area of

Cosenza Cosenza (; local dialect: ''Cusenza'', ) is a city in Calabria, Italy. The city centre has a population of approximately 70,000; the urban area counts more than 200,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Province of Cosenza, which has a populati ...

, close to

Quattromiglia Quattromiglia, also known as ''Quattromiglia di Rende'', is an inhabited area of the municipality of Rende in the province of Cosenza, Calabria. With a population of 8,813, it is the most populated district of its municipality. History The origi ...

and from Rende.

Culture

The hamlet of Arcavacata is famous because in its territory there is the

University of Calabria The University of Calabria ( it, Università della Calabria, UNICAL) is a state-run university in Italy. Located in Arcavacata, a hamlet of Rende and a suburb of Cosenza, the university was founded in 1972. Among its founders there were Beniamino ...

, the largest campus in Italy. In the hystorical centre there are a lot of ancient construction like houses and old palace: for example the important palace of the noble family Magdalone of Rende. There are also some important religious structures like the Saint Mary of Consolation's Church, built in the historical centre of Arcavacata in the second middle of the 19th century.

Gallery

File:Chiesa di Maria Santissima della Consolazione (Arcavacata, Rende).JPG, Church of Our Lady of Consolation. File:Campus di arcavacata.jpg, The University of Arcavacata File:Arcavacata centro storico.jpg, The old centre File:Madonna-della-Consolazione-Arcavacata.jpg, The Holy Virgin of Consolation, Patron of Arcavacata File:Chiesa Arcavacata.jpg, The Church during the Patron festivities of 2022 File:Casino Magdalone Arcavacata (CS).jpg, The Magdalone’s Palace File:Altare Chiesa Arcavacata.jpg, The High Altar and the Icon of the Holy Virgin of Consolation.

References

External links