Canton: Ticino (TI)
Three important North-South routes - the roads over the Alpine passes of St Gotthard, San Bernardino and Lucomagno - meet in the valley of the Ticino, and could in the past be closed by a barrier across the road at Bellinzona. The town thus occupied a key strategic situation for
many centuries, and this led to its selection as the cantonal capital in 1878. It is now an educational focal point as well as the seat of cantonal administration. The town is still dominated by its three castles, an impressive example of a medieval defensive system which, together with a double circuit of walls, were built by the town's Milanese rulers in the second half of the 15th C. The three castles are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The region was occupied by Rome for five centuries, from about 30 B.C. to A.D. 450. Bellinzona itself first appears in the records in A.D. 590. In 1242 it fell into the hands of Milan, ruled by the Visconti family and later by the Sforzas. In 1503 the Confederates established the governor's headquarters in the castles. In 1803 Bellinzona became part of the new canton of Ticino.
Each year the town of Bellinzona is the Rabadan Festival that attracts people from all over Switzerland and neighbouring Italy. The festival has been ongoing for over 150 years. The highlight is the evenings when thousands fill the streest of Bellinzona in colorful costumes.
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