Castles of Bellinzona

The three castles of Bellinzona, with their high towers, crenellations and what remains of their ancient walls, are a complex of medieval military architecture unique in the Alps.

 They are strategically located on the important north-south axis: the fortifications initially allowed them to defend themselves from both directions, thereafter to monitor (and tax) the traffic. Included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, the castles were built in several stages, but the bulk of what we see was built between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

•  Castelgrande: the first to be built, on a hill already inhabited by 5500 B.C.

•  Castle of Montebello: the second to be built, leads us straight into the Middle Ages

•  Castle of Sasso Corbaro:last to be built, it is the highest of all the castles.

 Indoor and outdoor location.