Rende - History

History

The ancient Enotrii, coming from the plain of Sant'Eufemia and Clampetia (Amantea), founded near the river which they called Acheronte the early Acheruntia and subsequently Pandosia. The florid area was unfit to defend during conflict, so some Acheruntini left the area to take refuge in a more defensible site: today's Nogiano. This new settlement, which dates from 520 BC, was named Aruntia ("the houses of the strong") and then Arintha. Hecataeus of Miletus, who lived in 500 BC, cites Arintha as the City of Bretia of Enotra origin. During Roman domination, Arintha was a Municipio, but when Spartacus with his army passed through the valley of the Crati, many Acheruntini followed him. With the arrival of the barbarians close to Cosentia the Acheruntini offered a brave and staunch resistance, but despite their efforts all areas of Arintha fell into the hands of barbarians in 547 AD. In later centuries, as well as many common Calabrian, Arintha subdued the Byzantine and Muslim rulers; Muslims countered by Acheruntini that in 721 AD took part in the struggle for the liberation of the territory of Naples. The Saracen's reaction was tough and the Cities of Arintha, Bisignano, Montalto and Cosenza suffered retaliation of the Muslims, but in 921 AD an important battle was won and the valley of Crati was freed by Muslim oppression. Saracens returned more than before and forced the rebels to take refuge in Sila; they could return to their lands only with the coming of the Normans in 1059. Arintha was under the direct control of the Normans, particularly Robert Guiscard, which imposed on the City payment of tributes and the presence of a "Lord", the archbishop of Cosenza. But in 1091 the entire district of Cosenza rebelled for the taxes too high. Roger Borsa, the son of Robert Guiscard and designated heir, succeeded his father in the management of the territory. He asked the involvement of Roger I, his uncle, and Bohemond, his brother, who repressed the rebellion by force. Bohemond obtained the control of the county of Cosenza. Bohemond d’Hauteville decided to build a castle on the solitary hill between streams Surdo and Emoli, which dominates valley of the Crati. The massive structure was finished in 1095 with the help of Mirandi Artifices. In this period, for the first time appears in official documents the name Renne, it means Kingdom in the old French language (idiom of the Normans in Southern Italy in that period).

The castle of Rende become the basis for Bohemond before he leave for the Crusade in 1096. In his enterprise was followed by a knight, Pietro Migliarese from Rende, that conducted with him four soldiers and eight attendants, later joined also the Mirandi Artifices already engaged in the construction of the castle. Bohemond returned in Rende in 1106 and again in 1111, before his death.

The earthquake of 1184 was very strong and damaged the castle and several churches, Rende experienced a period of recession. Since 1189 we witnessed in the kingdom of Sicily to a struggle for succession to William the Good, but in 1194 Henry VI, husband of Constance d’Hauteville (heir designated by William) came with his Forces in the kingdom of Sicily, reclaiming the crown. Passing in these lands Henry VI alleged payment of huge taxes that people would never have been able to honour. In defense of them intervened Gioacchino da Fiore, Constance’s confessor, because he knew the people there, spent almost a year in the Rende mountains before becoming Abbot of Corazzo. After the death of Henry VI occurred shortly after, Rende lived a florid period, thanks to the protection of Constance. During Swabian period, Frederick II confirmed the membership of Rende‘s lands to the Archbishop of Cosenza. When the King came to Cosenza for the inauguration of the cathedral in 1222 the citizens of Rende were present with their banner that portrayed the three towers of the castle on a white and red background, the colors of the coat of arms of Bohemond d’Hauteville.

After the death of Frederick, witnessed the dispute about his succession, which ended in 1266 with the battle of Benevento, where Charles of Anjou won against Manfred; in the public areas of the castle there is still a visible reminiscent of an incision about the presence of a thousand people from Rende deployed against Manfred.

During Angevin period, Rende was entrusted to Archbishop-Count of Cosenza. After various events, in 1319 AD we found the presence of family Migliarese from Rende to serve the House of Anjou. Giovanni Migliarese was knighted during the reign of King Robert of Anjou and Godefrido Migliarese was invested of the feud of Malvito. In 1437 Rende, like Calabria, came under the Aragon dominion and was given to the Adorno Family of Genoa in 1442.

With the advent of Charles V the feud came under the control of Fernando de Alarcón, Governor of Cosenza. In 1531 Rende was elevated from a feud to a Marquisate. In 1535 Fernando de Alarcón drove the warriors of Rende, boarding in Naples with the King Charles V, in the battle of Tunis against Mors. Alarcón de Mendoza Family dominated Rende until 1817. During this period the people of Rende were alongside Philip II (son of Charles V) and Ferdinand of Alarcón in 1565 under the command of Gian Domenico Migliarese in Malta battle against the Turks and in 1571 at the Battle of Lepanto led by Diego de Guiera.

In 1794 the ideas of the French Revolution reached Rende. The harassment, taxes and the inequities increased the hate towards the Bourbon domain. Spokesman of this grumpiness was Domenico Vanni who received Joachim Murat, Marshal of Napoleon, when they passed by Cosenza. In 1817 the castle was sold to the Magdalone family, owner of many lands in the Marquisate. During the Resurgence, also Rendesis got tired of the French and Borbonics and many of them became Carbonari participating in the insurrections of 1820-21 and 1831.

In 1860 the enthusiasm for the landing of the Expedition of the Thousand in Marsala helped the people of Rende to organize the "Central Committee of Calabria" to give logistical and military support, as well as supplies, to Giuseppe Garibaldi. With his troops, Garibaldi was camped in the Marchesino area. On 24 August 1860 Rende rebelled against the Bourbons and hailed Victor Emmanuel II, King of Italy.