THREE CASTLES OF BELLINZONA
Medieval Jewel of Italian Switzerland
Bellinzona
is the capital of the Ticino region of Italian speaking Switzerland
and its
second largest city. Lugano to the south is larger and more modern
with its long Riviera shoreline and Locarno to the west, more famous
with its outdoor film festival, but Bellinzona is the most Italianate
and atmospheric of the three with its Lombardy influence. The mountain
passes from northern Italy into the Swiss Alps have been contested by
would be conquerors for millennia. The Dukes of Milan were the occupiers
of the valleys of of Ticino, Switzerland through much of the
middle ages, building great castles in the 14th and 15th Centuries, until
becoming part of the Swiss federation in 1516. 
Bellinzona is where three
mountain passes meet in the valley of the Ticino River, so it is here
that fortresses protected the route. The capital of Ticino had been passed
between the three cities of the region, taking turns in Lugano and Locarno,
but moving the government in the modern age grew impractical, so now
Bellinzona is the permanent capital of the Canton and its three castles
have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000. Bellinzona is nicknamed “Turrita” the
city of towers with picturesque town squares, courtyards and the neo-Classical
Italian-style Theatro. The town hall with its Italian Renaissance tower
and three floors of arched walks is actually from the 1920s replacing
an earlier one. The other towers are of churches and of Bellinzona’s
famous castles.
Castelgrande
The Castelgrande
is the largest and earliest of the castles, set on a craggy rock promontory
in the center of the Ticino River valley, now
surrounded by the city of Bellinzona, its heavy thick walls represent
its purpose as a fortification. The most distinctive features of the
Castelgrande its tall “White Tower” are the crenellated walls
which stretch out across the valley from either direction forming a defensive
dam-like wall across the valley. The castle was built on the site of
earlier fortresses that occupied the ground since before the Romans.
The 
battlements, towers and gateway of Castelgrande mostly from the 13th
and through the 15th Century periods of the Milanese remain, but inside
the walls, most of the medieval structures are gone, leaving an open
courtyard. The rocky cliffs of the hill are wrapped by the walls above
the rooftops of Bellinzona, surrounded by wine grape vineyards. The walls
can be walked all the way to the recreation area at the Ticino River
floodplain to the west. Inside the castle is a history museum with artifacts
from 6,500 years of human occupation on the Castelgrande hill, 
from the
Neolithic age to the 20th Century, including a collection of Roman art,
ancient coins from the mint, and a beautiful series of medieval illustrated
panels from the ceiling of an inn, representing the kings of history,
starting with King David. The Castle Restaurant in the former 19th Century
arsenal is a popular spot for lunch or dinner with views of the valley
from within the castle. The castle is reached by elevator cut through
the stone mountain from the city plaza covering the main underground
parking lot.
Castle Montebello
Montebello
Castle is the second of the three castles, meaning beautiful mountain,
it
is to the east above the city, built by the Rusca family
in the 14th Century after the valley was occupied by the Visconti Dukes
of Milan (see Visconti
Castle Locarno). It is connected to the Castelgrande
city walls. The Montebello Castle was expanded in the 1490s to its current
form, renovated in the 1920s, but fell into disrepair and restored in
1972. The Montebello Castle is one of the best preserved medieval castles
in central Europe seeming complete and intact, with strong walls guarded
by a dry moat separating it from the surrounding wine vineyards. The
14th Century gate house at the northwest corner of the 
sharply angular
walls has a reconstructed drawbrige. An Archaeological and Civic Museum
is housed in the main keep of the castle, with art, stone carvings and
a weapons collection house in the former residential chambers now with
wooden stairs leading from one chamber of exhibts to the next, to the
top of the tower, making rather a vertical museum. The Montebello Castle
can be easily reached by the foot trail up long steps from the square
of Bellinzona passing behind the St. Martin’s Church or cross the
train tracks at the Bellinzona train station and stoll up a path through
Daro where the disticntive bright yellow Church of St Sebastion sits
on a hilltop amidst vineyards.
Castle Sasso
Corbaro
Sasso
Corbaro Castle, high on a promontory above a steep hillside residential
section Bellinzona, surrounding by a park of Chestnut trees is the
smallest of the three castles, a square block on a hig rock outcrop.
Constructed beginning in 1478, the castle's original purpose was to
hold a garrison
to protect
a gap
in
the great
wall, and sometimes used as a prison. The Sasso Carboro, also called
the Castello di Cima (Castle at the Top) offers a breathtaking view
of valley from the high Alps toward Italy. 
Climbing to the battlement
tower on the southwest corner you can take in the panoramic view from
Lake Verbano (Lago Maggiore in Italy) to the foot of the Gotthard Pass.
The Sasso Corbaro castle features a small medieval chapel and a museum.
In
the museum is the “wooden room”, walnut paneled walls
from a 17th Century house of the Emma family, identified by the family
crest on the stove. Also quite unique is an Italian marionette and
puppet collection including the famous figures of the story of 
Orlando
(Roland), these from Naples, along with changing temporary exhibits.
In the fall, locals will go the park around Sasso Corbaro to collect
chestnuts (maroni) which fall from the trees exposed in their fuzzy
green shells. Sasso Carbaro is a little more challenging to get to.
The walk from the city is about 30 minutes along the Via Sasso Carbaro
up through winding streets of Artore. A city bus stops near the Saint
Sebastian Church with walk uphill of another few hundred yards. By
car there is parking at both Montebello and Sasso Corbaro.
An entrance ticket including the three castles is 12 CHF for
adults, each castle individually is 6 CHF., and children 3 ch fr. The
Sasso Corbaro museum is only open from March to November. Maps with walking
routes can be had from the city tourism office or at the Castelgrande
entrance. Bellinzona is on the direct train route into central Switzerland
through the Gotthard Tunnel. The train station is an easy walk from the
center of town and the castles can be visited over a few hours on a stopover. © Bargain
Travel Europe
Find best travel deals and reviews for Ticino at TripAdvisor
Web
Info
Bellinzona Tourism
These articles are copyrighted
and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and
may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
SEE
ALSO:
ASCONA - RESORT TOWN ON LAGO MAGGIORE
WILLLIAM TELL EXPRESS - LUCERNE TO LOCARNO
MONTE SAN SALVATOR FUNICULAR - LUGANO
ST MARY OF THE ANGELS - RENAISSANCE LUGANO
