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Bisignano, a town in the province of Cosenza, included in the National Organisation of Virtuous Municipalities, is known throughout the world for being the birthplace of Santo Umile.
The origins of Bisignano, shrouded in legend, are very ancient as evidenced by the numerous archaeological finds in the area. Certainly in 205 B.C. Bisignano was an ally of Carthage during the Punic Wars. After becoming an important bishopric, it entered the Lombard domain and then passed under the Norman Kingdom.
The town in the Middle Ages was the Principality of the Sanseverino family, who built their imposing castle here, now destroyed.
In addition to the Sanctuary dedicated to Saint Umile, the city\'s patron saint who was born here, Bisignano boasts a remarkable artistic and cultural heritage: the Cathedral dedicated to Santa Maria dell\'Assunta dating back to the Norman period, the 15th century Church of San Domenico, the Church of San Francesco di Paola and the small Church of Santa Maria di Costantinopoli are just some of the artistic beauties of this land.
To walk along the village\'s narrow streets in the last week of June is to immerse oneself in an ancient time where the lute-makers\' workshops provide the backdrop to the famous Palio del Principe, a cultural event that commemorates the arrival of Charles of Habsburg in Bisignano as a guest of Prince Sanseverino, and to marvel at the smells that pervade the entire town from the valleys cloaked in vines, mulberry and olive trees.
