Fortified city protected by three mediaeval castles - Three Castles, Defensive Wall and Ramparts of the Market-Town of Bellinzona 884
What and Why
Bellinzona, located near the foot of the Alps (Italian: Alpi) at the canton of Ticino, houses a group of important and well-preserved mediaeval fortifications to shelter herself from foreign invasion. These fortifications come in the form of castles and ramparts and they collectively reflect the region’s rich history as a key crossroads between northern and southern Europe centred around Switzerland (Svizzera). The strategic location of Bellinzona, positioned at the narrowest part of the valley leading to the scenic Gotthard Pass (Passo del San Gottardo), made it an essential point of defence for various ruling powers over the centuries.
While the construction of these castles can date back to Roman Empire (Latin: Imperium Romanum) times, the main part of these castles were built between the 13th to 14th century CE. These three castles contain Romanesque elements alongside minor Gothic (German: Gotik) details, and each holds unique structural features, such as walls with battlements, fortified towers, and inner courtyards.
The first evidence of a fortification dates back to 1st century BCE at the Castelgrande site. Since then it had been recognised the hill represents a key point in the defence and a large castle was built on the hill. Clearly the castle was dismantled and rebuilt almost non-stop. Coincidentally over the next 15 centuries, the area changed hands multiple times due to its military strategic location and internal and external attacks never ceased. It was only until Bellinzona was occupied by the Golden Ambrosian Republic (Lombard: Aurea Republega Ambrosiana) from Milan (Milano) that some peace was restored and it was during the period that the ramparts, called murata, and the castles were built. The town also prospered due to trades as a result. Ironically these fortification were built to ward off invasions from the Swiss Confederacy (German: Corpus Helveticum), the precursor of Switzerland! Bellinzona eventually joined the Swiss Confederacy in 1500 CE, and these castles were no longer needed to defend against itself, the walls fell into derelict until only recently they were preserved and restored.
Toponymy
While many points to the folk etymology of either 'beautiful zone' from 'zona bella' or 'war zone' from 'zona bellica', the actual toponymic root derives from its ancient Latin name Belitio, which is of Lepontic origin. The name comes from 'belitione' meaning 'juniper bushes'.
See
Castelgrande
As the name suggests, the Castelgrande, meaning 'grand castle' stands as the largest and oldest of the three castles. While the castle-proper was built during the 13th century CE, the fortification around the hill has been constructed since Roman times. The castle stands atop of a small hill overlooking the town.
Castelgrande features two massive towers, the White Tower (Torre Bianca) and the Black Tower (Torre Nera), which dominate the surrounding landscape. Other than the watchtower view, there is nothing to see inside the tower. Inside the castle is a museum exhibiting Bellinzona’s history and the role of the castle in mediaeval conflicts.
The current castle has a large open courtyard which was once populated with buildings. They were pulled down during the 15th century CE to free up space inside the castle. At the same time the murata of the castles were built to further fortify the castle and the city.
Montebello
Montebello Castle was constructed in the late 13th century CE to complement Castelgrande along the murata and further enhanced the defence of the city from the east. Montebello is set on a hill, offering sweeping views of Bellinzona and surrounding areas. While it is on a hill, it is not well sheltered like Castelgrande and hence artificial moats had to be constructed to offer extra defence.
Montebello, meaning 'beautiful mountain', is rhomboid in its plan and connects itself with murata at its north and south end. The complex features machicolations and a barbican at one of its gatehouse for defence.
The cellars of Montebello Castle are used to age and cure Ticino salami (salame ticinese). The sausages are cured for about a month inside the castle during its production.
Sasso Corbaro
The youngest of the three castles, Sasso Corbaro, was built in the late 15th century CE and is the highest of the three castles, situated on a rocky outcrop above Bellinzona. Its construction was a response to the city’s strategic vulnerabilities and further reinforced the defensive line. Similar to Montebello, the small cubical castle features machicolations and merlons for defence.
Eat and Drink
Fondue
Fondue, meaning 'melted' in French, is the iconic Swiss dish of melted cheese served communally and is deeply rooted in Swiss culinary traditions and culture. Made with a blend of cheese, usually Gruyère and Emmental, melted with white wine and a hint of garlic, the dish is served hot and enjoyed by dipping bread cubes into the creamy mixture. Due to various reason, we only managed to enjoy fondue in the last few days of our trip in Switzerland, but we probably had saved the best for the last.
Fondue dates back to the 18th century CE in the rural regions of Switzerland, particularly in the French-speaking cantons. During the winter, rural farmers and shepherds would make fondue to use up their older cheese and bread, which would become hard and dry. By melting the cheese with wine and softening the bread in the mixture, they created a simple, hearty dish that could be enjoyed during the cold winter months. The tradition of fondue became popular across the country and eventually became emblematic of Swiss national identity. The now defunct Swiss Cheese Union (German: Schweizerische Käseunion) played a significant role in fondue’s popularisation as a national dish during the early 20th century CE. They promoted fondue as a symbol of Swiss unity, encouraging its consumption throughout Switzerland and internationally, and that paved the way for its worldwide fame nowadays.
Fondue is not only a meal but also a social experience. The communal aspect of dipping bread into a shared pot fosters connection and conversation, making it a dish enjoyed with family and friends. The ritual around eating fondue involves some unique customs, such as reserving 'la religieuse', the crispy layer of charred cheese that forms at the bottom of the pot, to be savoured at the end. Another etiquette rules include 'always stirring in a figure of 8' and not the usual circular motion. Swiss etiquette also dictates that if someone loses their bread in the pot, they may have to complete a 'penalty' such as buying everyone a round of drinks, singing a song or performing an entertaining task for the group. Fondue symbolises Switzerland's cultural heritage, with its rustic origins and communal essence capturing the Swiss spirit of sharing and hospitality.
Really saving the best for the last, we had our final dinner of our road trip in Switzerland at Sternen at Leukerbad, which serves nothing but fondue only. There is really nothing but one fondue on the menu, but they really do it exceptionally well, backed by a rustic Swiss interior design. Easily Michelin-level, hands-down the best fondue I ever had.
Stay
We stayed at Alpentherme at Leukerbad, which is actually two hours drive away from Bellinzona. The reasons are: 1) the famous hotsprings and 2) the experience of driving both Gotthard Pass and the San Bernadino Pass (Passo del San Bernardino). Beautiful hotel with excellent spas and hotsprings backed by an incredible landscape.
Getting There and Around
Bellinzona and its castles are easily accessible either by public transport or by car. I believe it is easier to drive as Montebello and Sasso Corbaro are up in the hill and the hike up would be quite strenuous, although on the map they are really not far apart. I would suggest to stay in Bellinzona for two days to explore these three castles in full. The entrance fee to all three castles are CHF 28 Fr.
The exciting part of this trip was that we drove past the both Gotthard Pass and the San Bernardino Pass. We came from the San Bernardino Pass and left with the Gotthard Pass and it was simply a wonderful driving experience, exemplifying what sceneries to be offered by the Grand Tour of Switzerland, which we were following.
The two mountain passes connect northern (or German-speaking) and southern (Italian-speaking) Switzerland and is a major transport axis of Europe. Not only do these two passes an engineering marvel, they also represent important cultural stamps in the history of Switzerland, connecting either side of the Alps. The Gotthard Pass now is more of tourist, hiking, and cycling route as a tunnel underneath the mountain has been built in 1980s CE and has replaced the road's function as a conduit.
The elevation of the Gotthard Pass is around 2.1 km and in the accelerated video, you would experience the twists and turns of roughly the entire pass.
After uncountable number of turns one will reach the summit and will find the visitor centre, a hotel and a few artificial lakes and dams nearby.
The San Bernardino Pass, located further east in the Swiss Alps, connects the eastern and southern part of Switzerland. The pass sits at a similar altitude of 2.1 km and has been used since Roman times as a route for travel between the Rhine and Po river valleys. Unlike the Gotthard, which was the primary pass for trade, the San Bernardino Pass was mostly used for local traffic between communities. However, it gained strategic significance during various conflicts in the Alps. The road over San Bernardino was formally constructed in the 19th century CE, making the pass more accessible. From the picture above, while the two routes are dual-carriageway, one can see that the driving both passes required my full concentration for two hours to manoeuvre safely my family past these two driving routes. One of the most exciting driving experiences I ever had, see my other ones in Yellowstone | Northern loop.
Travel Suggestions and Logistics
For self-organised travel, it is suggested to plan this with extensions to Monte San Giorgio, Morcote, Lugano or even Zermatt to form a three to four-day itinerary, using Lugano as a base camp. This will include the two mountain passes in the trip, either by car or public transport. All these are part of the Grand Tour of Switzerland.
Everything in Switzerland is expensive. Instead of renting a car from Switzerland, we almost saved half the price by renting a car from France and drove to Switzerland via Geneva (French: Genève)!
UNESCO Inscription
The Bellinzona site consists of a group of fortifications grouped around the castle of Castelgrande, which stands on a rocky peak looking out over the entire Ticino valley. Running from the castle, a series of fortified walls protect the ancient town and block the passage through the valley. A second castle (Montebello) forms an integral part of the fortifications, while a third but separate castle (Sasso Corbaro) was built on an isolated rocky promontory south-east of the other fortifications.
References
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Please share your thoughts and comments about the blog. If you need suggestions to build a travel itinerary, please let me know. More than willing to help. I would also like to build a bespoke-travel community around UNESCO WHS and ICH.
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