Castelgrande

The medieval castle Castelgrande, located on the hill of the same name, is the fortification of the Swiss city of Bellinzona. Among its historic elements, the Palace of the Bishop of Como, the White Tower, the Black Tower, defensive walls and the southern wing, which now houses a museum, have survived. The castle from the foot of the rock can be reached by elevator.

Castelgrande hill is characterized by an almost vertical north slope and a very steep southern slope, while its top is almost flat and has dimensions of about 150 mx 200 m. The natural shape of the hill turned out to be ideal for building fortifications there. The first defensive fortifications were built here in Roman times.

While the ancient Roman fort is not visible, its foundations were used to build a medieval castle in the 10th century. In its history, the castle has been extended many times. The oldest preserved building is the Palace of the Bishop of Como, which was probably built in the 12th century and contains elements from the 10th and 11th centuries.