Bellinzona is in northern Ticino. Historically, it was on the main route between central Switzerland and northern Italy via the St Gotthard pass, and in the 15th century (when the Swiss Confederation was an aggressive neighbour) three castles - Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro - were built by the Dukes of Milan to defend the area against the invaders. These three castles are well preserved, and are the main tourist attraction of Bellinzona today.
There is an overview of the history here.
On to the pictures. Click on the little images to enlarge them.
| Two views of Castelgrande, from the other side of the valley. |
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| Montebello castle is reached by a short uphill walk. |
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| From Montebello, one has to continue walking up the side of the valley to get to the next castle. This gives a good view of the whole of Montebello castle from above (with part of Castelgrande in the background). |
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| The final castle, Sasso Corbaro, is about a twenty-minute walk uphill from Montebello. It is smaller than the others, and in form simply a square block. The view as one approaches is interesting, though. |
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