Villa Vecchia, Urban park in historic center of Cosenza, Italy.

Villa Vecchia is a terraced municipal garden of about 30,000 square metres at piazza XV Marzo, sloping from 275 to 240 metres above sea level toward colle Guarassano and the Spirito Santo district. Its axis is viale Guicciardi, laid out in 1870, with a double row of holm oaks at the start and plane trees at the end; acacias, poplars, oaks, palms and horse chestnuts also grow here.

The site began as a garden connected to a former monastery in the 1600s and was substantially remade in the 1800s. This transformation gave it the structure and monuments that shape it today.

At the entrance stands the Monument to the Martyrs, also called Statue Italia: a white marble figure by Giuseppe Pacchioni, one of the surviving Bandiera brothers, erected in 1878. Its left arm holds a furled flag, the right hand is mutilated, and the head wears a laurel crown. The pedestal plaque bears a Giosuè Carducci inscription naming the Cosenza patriots who fought on 15 March 1844 and the Bandiera brothers, shot with seven companions on 25 July 1844.

The park can be entered from several points, including a main entrance near the historic Teatro Alfonso Rendano and another on Via Petrarca. The terraced layout means paths go up and down, so comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

The circular area laid out in 1878 was first intended as an amphitheater; the gazebo and the Venus basin followed in the early 1900s. The park still hosts cultural events organized by the city of Cosenza.