The Palace of the Province is located in one of the most picturesque squares in Cosenza's old centre and it is one of the most remarkable and spectacular examples of Southern architecture of the nineteenth century. Its monumental and austere facade in Neoclassical style conceals a history that goes back to many centuries ago: throughout time, the building has undergone several constructive changes and modified its morphology and functions.

The palace's original nucleus, which dates back to the end of the sixteenth century, was a simple 'casa palaziata' (two-storey house typical of Southern Italian architecture) that looked onto the steer street connecting the 'piano del paradiso' (paradise plain, now XV marzo square) to the Crati river. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the Archbishop of Cosenza Monsignor Andrea Brancaccio decided to turn the humble building into a big female monastery. He also funded the building of a sumptuous church dedicated to St. Mary of Constantinople; the church would guard an image of the Virgin that had performed miracles and become a religious destination for the people of Cosenza. In a short time and thanks to the strong commitment of the archbishop, the monastery became one of the major religious centers in town; this was also due to the incomes derived from a rich land heritage. When religious orders were suppressed during the Napoleonic era, the convent was temporarily used to quarter troops and later on to host the Intendancy of Calabria Citra (Latin Calabria), the offices of the provincial archive and the house of the intendant himself. In order to satisfy the new needs, the entire monastery was turned into an efficient factory 'al servizio dello stato' (at the service of the State). The person who made it possible was the royal engineer Alessandro Villacci who belonged to the corps of bridge and road engineers of Naples. Between 1818 and 1820 he planned several building interventions aimed at renovating the old structure and adding new buildings to the old ones. The new architectural language was inspired by the classical tradition; two big yards at different heights, a monumental 'scalone d’onore' (grand staircase of honour) which lead to the main floor and a wide 'Galleria per le feste pubbliche' (Gallery for public parties) were created and represented the key elements of the ambitious building renovation program during the nineteenth century. According to a strict functional logic, in order to combine the town's celebration events with a more appropriate use of the building, the whole area in which the palace was located underwent a urban re-planning which lead to the creation of a 'gran piazza con strada pel passaggio…ampliata con colonne, inferrata e piante d’acacia' (a large square with a way for transit... enriched with columns, portcullis and acacia plants). Framed by this magnificent setting, the palace became the headquarters of the Province of Cosenza, introduced by a decree dated 2 January 1861. The first initiativedeveloped by the Provincial Council for the community was to transform the land next to the building, through land reclamation and planting works, into a picturesque and romantic urban park (known as the 'Villa Comunale'); the park is still the town's only green lung nowadays. The new audience room, destined to Council meetings, started to be built in 1865 and was completed in 1879 after an outstanding summer of arts. This time the artificer was Enrico Andreotti from Florence, an engineer but also a painter and interior decorator; he transposed the needs and aspirations of the Calabrian government and political world into a national dimension by seeking a new architectural and ornamental decorum that would tap into sixteenth-century themes and eventually combine them with the neoclassical quest and the nineteenth-century romantic and naturalistic topics. Because of its homogeneous composition, artistic features, perfect synthesis of arts and quality achievements (also thanks to young Calabrian artists), the Hall is a unique piece in Southern architecture and art. After a period of decline and thanks to the recent renovation works, the palace has regained its old splendour and leading role in the town's urban context.