B&B Via dell’Astrologo

This B&B is a real gem! It is a townhome in the old section of the city — NOT handicapped accessible, but absolutely charming yet with all modern amenities, including fast and free wifi. It is a little hard to find at first with free street parking a short walk away, but located close to the duomo. Upon entry one must climb up a short flight of steep stone stairs to gain access to the main living place, which consists of a large dining area flanked by two adjoining bedrooms with separate ¾ bathrooms, one with a double bed and the other with two twins. The rooms are large and quiet and tastefully decorated.
Americans expecting a resident innkeeper type place are in for an adjustment — you are on your own here with the owner (Marco) stopping by in the morning to prepare coffee and breakfast. Marco is pleasant and knowledgable about the area and his English is very good. I feel the prices charged are very reasonable for the amenities provided.
The best thing about this place for me, however, is the additional service of genealogical research. I returned to the area to retrace my family roots. Marco went three times to the nearby comune of Trenta to investigate my family records and located relatives living in the area in advance of my trip. He then accompanied me to introduce me to family and tour properties relating to my family at a very reasonable additional charge, of course. He also accommodated a last minute family meeting in a town about an hour away, driving me to and from the meeting and helping with translations. He was polite and respectful to my family throughout the get together which would not have happened without his professional assistance.
I plan to return to this B&B again with my brothers very soon and heartily recommend this accommodation to others.

Marco runs a great little B&B right in the heart of the old town of Cosenza, very close to the Duomo and Teatro Rendano, Roman ruins and restaurants. There are two rooms in the B&B, Federicano with one double bed and Telesiana with two single beds. The rooms and common area are decorated carefully and thoughtfully. We enjoyed all of the space we had in our room. It was a treat to have a really good shower with good pressure and heat that were easy to adjust. Free wifi in the room worked very well. The only downside to the room is that there was not air conditioning, although there was an oscillating fan on the desk.
Even though we’ve been to Cosenza before, our GPS gave us some trouble once we actually got into the old town and were trying to get to the B&B. We called Marco and he came to meet us and let us in. He advised us of the free parking at Piazza Luigi Cribari, which is very close. There are a few steps up to the B&B and he helped us with our suitcases, both when we got there and left. Breakfast each morning consists of a variety of pastries, yogurt, fresh fruit, juice, coffee or tea and a couple of sweets. Marco’s office is just off of the breakfast room, and he would go between doing work in there and chatting with us each morning. It was nice to chat with him every day about Cosenza and Calabria, especially as my family is originally from the area. He is also knowledgeable about things you may want to do beyond Cosenza, as we had a couple of day trips planned and he offered his insights. He also had a mini-​fridge in the common area where breakfast is held with some drinks available to purchase. Another touch that I really appreciated was that he had some postcards for sale as well, which is really helpful for someone like me who sends them a lot, especially in a place like Cosenza where they can be hard to find.
Staying at Via dell’Astrologo was more like staying at someones house than at a B&B, which we enjoyed. For the first couple of nights we were the only ones there and it was nice to have some quiet and privacy in the middle of a month long Europe trip. Be advised that they only accept cash.