Cosenza, Calabria, Italy
The Province of Cosenza (Italian: Provincia di Cosenza) is a province in the Calabria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Cosenza.
It has an area of 6,650 km², and a total population of 733,797 (2001). There are 155 comunes (Italian: comuni) in the province.
The Province of Cosenza includes a community of speakers of the Occitan language (also known as Langue d'oc) in Guardia Piemontese: it was established by members of the Waldensian or Vaudois movement, who emigrated there to escape religious persecution in the 13th and 14th centuries (see this link). There is also a considerable Arbėreshė community, who settled in Italy during the 15th and 16th centuries.
