Among the best known Archbishops of Cosenza have been: Ruffo, who perished in the earthquake of 1184; the Cistercian Martino (1285), a prolific but uncritical writer; Taddeo, later Cardinal, Gaddi (1535), who obtained from Paul IV the privilege by which the cathedral canons of Cosenza wear the choir habit of the Vatican basilica; and Giuseppe Maria Sanfelice (1650), frequently charged by the Holy See with diplomatic missions.

[8] Pope Innocent III (1198–1216) had planned to visit Sicily in order to drum up interest, funds, and volunteers, for his crusade in the Holy Land, but never did.

His successor, Honorius III, assumed the obligation, but was persuaded not to go to Sicily by his advisors, due to the lack of organization, which might lead the faithful to think that the project was hopeless.

[9] On 8 July 1217, therefore, the pope appointed the Archbishop of Cosenza, the Cistercian monk Lucas, to go personally to Messina, to organize and preach the crusade.

Cosenza's cathedral was administered by a corporation, called the Chapter, composed of four dignities (the Dean-Penitentiary, the Archdeacon, the Cantor, and the Treasurer) and seventeen canons, one of whom is the Theologus and another the Sub-Cantor.

[18] In 1908, The diocese had a population of 159,500, with 109 parishes, 264 churches and chapels, 200 secular and 16 regular priests, 2 religious houses of men and 5 of women.

[8] The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), in order to ensure that all Catholics received proper spiritual attention, decreed the reorganization of the diocesan structure of Italy and the consolidation of small and struggling dioceses.

On 30 January 2001, he ordered that the metropolitan status of Cosenza-Bisignano be restored, and that it be assigned as suffragans the dioceses of Rossano-Cariata and Cassano, which were removed from the jurisdiction of the archdiocese of Reggio Calabria.