Castelgrande

Castelgrande is the oldest and most prominent of Bellinzona's three UNESCO-listed castles. It sits on a rocky promontory rising 30 metres above the valley floor in the centre of the city, its two towers — the Torre Bianca and the Torre Nera — visible from across the plain. A modern underground lift within the rock connects the old town to the castle courtyard.

The castle museum covers the history of Bellinzona from prehistoric times through the medieval period, with good collections of finds from archaeological excavations on the rock. The courtyard and ramparts can be explored freely; the panoramic view from the top of the towers takes in the whole valley and the mountains on both sides. A restaurant in the castle courtyard is open in summer.

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A story
The rock on which Castelgrande stands was occupied as a defensive position as far back as the Neolithic period. Roman remains have been found on the summit, and early medieval documents mention a castle here from the 6th century. The current buildings are largely the work of the Visconti dukes of Milan, who spent much of the 14th and 15th centuries strengthening it as the key to the Gotthard route. The Swiss took it in 1503 after a siege, and it has been a museum since the 20th century.