Bellinzona’s castles between past and future
Published: Friday, Mar 22nd 2024, 15:31
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They are the landmarks of the Ticino capital: the three castles Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro. From Saturday, an exhibition in the uppermost Castello tells the eventful history of the fortress, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.
The history of the hill below today's Castel Grande goes back more than 7,000 years. The earliest evidence of a settlement dates back to the Neolithic Age, as the small and fine exhibition at Castello Sasso Corbaro shows.
However, it was only under the rule of the Dukes of Milan in the second half of the 15th century that the fortress complex took on its current monumental appearance. Ironically, it was under the aegis of Uri, Schwzy and Unterwalden that the fortress lost its importance.
The Bellenz fortress complex consisting of the three castles Castel Grande, Castello di Montebello and Castello di Sassocorbaro as well as the defensive and town walls is considered a unique example of medieval military architecture in the Alpine region.
Under the title "Non siamo più nel medioevo. Dai castelli alla fortezza", the co-curator team Eva Carlevaro and Domenico Ermanno Roberti take a look back and into the future. In five carefully designed rooms, they guide visitors from the Neolithic Age through the Middle Ages to the present day.
The fortress as a unit
The fact that the title of the exhibition refers from the castles to the fortress is not a marketing gimmick, explained City Councillor Fabio Käppeli to the media on Friday. On the contrary: since the fortress has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city has been thinking about the value and significance of the complex.
The name "fortezza" is intended to emphasize the unity of the fortress and revise the visitor concept. Rooms that were previously inaccessible to visitors are to be opened up and new halls made available for exhibitions.
The three castles are not only the most important symbol of the city, but also a powerful economic engine, explained City President Mario Branda when asked by the Keystone-SDA news agency. Several tens of thousands of people visit the fortifications in the capital every year.
As part of the upgrading work, an underground gallery will also be created in the middle of the defensive wall, including a "sound carpet" from the Middle Ages. Tourists will also be able to better experience the entire dam, which the Visconti family once built from the Sasso Corbaro down to the River Ticino.
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