Bellinzona

Bellinzona is a historic town in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Ticino. It is famous for its three castles: Castelgrande, Montebello, and Sasso Corbaro. These castles became UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the year 2000 because they are very important and beautiful.

The town is east of the river Ticino, at the foot of the Alps. It lies along the river valley and is surrounded by lovely mountains. To the east and west are the Lepontine Alps, and to the south are the Lugano Prealps, making Bellinzona a lovely place to visit.

Name and coat of arms

The name Bellinzona was first recorded in the year 590 as Belitio or Bilitio. It comes from an old language and might mean "juniper" or "juniper bushes." Over time, the name changed.

The town's coat of arms shows a silver snake-like shape on a red background. This design reminds us of an important family from Milan who ruled Bellinzona long ago.

History

Pre-History and Roman era

Bellinzona has always been in an important spot in the Alps. To the south, you can reach the Po Valley through the river Ticino and Lake Maggiore. To the north, the Ticino valley leads to high alpine passes.

The area has been lived in since early times, but a fort was built there during the time of the Roman Emperor Augustus, in the late 1st century BC. The fort was rebuilt and made bigger in the 4th century AD. During this time, a chain of castles and watchtowers was built to protect northern Italy. Bellinzona was chosen as a key spot for a large castle to guard the walls. The town that grew around these walls was called Bilitio.

After the Western Roman Empire ended, different groups took control of Bellinzona, using the castle to keep watch over the passes. Under the Longobards, Bellinzona became a permanent garrison to protect against raids. They also controlled important trade routes from Varese over Ponte Tresa, the Monte Ceneri Pass, Biasca, and finally over the Lukmanier Pass into Chur.

Early Middle Ages

Around 774, the Frankish Kingdom took control of the Ticino valley, including Bellinzona.

About two centuries later, the Holy Roman Emperor Otto III opened important mountain passes. Control of Bellinzona was very important for this. The town was taken from Milan and given to the Bishop of Como, who supported the Ottonian dynasty. In 1002, after Otto III died, Marquis Arduino of Ivrea declared himself King of Italy and confirmed the Bishop's ownership of the Castelgrande and the town. Two years later, after Arduino was defeated by Henry II, King of Germany, Henry II's man Enrico II again confirmed the gift of the Castelgrande to the Bishop of Como. The town was mentioned in medieval sources in 1218 as Bilizione.

Conflicts between the Pope and the Emperor

During the Investiture Controversy of the late 11th century the town of Bellinzona with its castle came under the control of the Hohenstaufens of Swabia. However, in 1180, Frederick I (Barbarossa) placed the town under the jurisdiction of the town of Como. In the following years Como tended to support the Pope in his conflicts with the Holy Roman Emperor. However, in 1239, Como sided with the Emperor Frederick II who quickly moved forces into Bellinzona and strengthened the Castelgrande. In 1242 Milan sent forces under the command of Simone di Orello to take Bellinzona. The town and castle were taken which weakened the Emperor south of the Alps. However the town was back under the jurisdiction of Como in 1249. Conflicts in northern Italy continued, the Castelgrande was besieged several times in 1284, 1292 and 1303. During this time the Rusca family in Como, fought the growing power of Milan under the House of Visconti with limited success. Around the end of the 13th century the Rusca family built another castle, Montebello, in Bellinzona, which they controlled. This was fortunate because by 1335 the Rusca family had been driven out of Como and had to retreat to Bellinzona. Five years later, in 1340, Milan besieged Bellinzona. Following a lengthy siege, the town fell to Milan but the Ruscas were allowed to keep Montebello. Pro-papacy Milan would dominate Bellinzona for the next one and a half centuries, though the pro-Imperial Rusca would also occupy part of the town.

Expansion of Bellinzona under Milan

Under the control of the Visconti, trade flourished and Bellinzona grew. When an alternative route over the Alps, the Schöllenen bridge opened, traffic in the St. Gotthard increased to the highest levels ever. During the second half of the 14th century a long wall, the Murata, was built across the Tessin valley, allowing Milan to protect and tax the trade route over the St. Gotthard Pass. While the town was controlled by Milan through the Visconti after 1340, the Visconti did not have a formal title and feudal rights until 1396 when they were granted by King Wenceslaus. However, the orderly growth of Bellinzona was threatened in 1402 when Duke Gian Galeazzo Visconti died. In 1403 Bellinzona came under the control of Alberto di Sacco of Val Mesolcina, who held it until 1419 before it was taken over by Uri and Obwalden, which expanded into the Leventina Valley. Milan attacked the town three years later in 1422 after an offer to buy the town was rejected by the Swiss Confederation. The troops from Uri and Obwalden were quickly driven from the town and later defeated at the Battle of Arbedo on 30 June 1422. This defeat discouraged the expansionist intentions of Uri and its allies towards Lake Maggiore for a time.

During the period of unrest following Gian Galeazzo Visconti's death, a tower which would become the nucleus of the third castle, Sasso Corbaro, was built outside the town.

While the border between Uri and Milan was fixed in the peace treaty of 1426, in 1439 Uri invaded again. While they were unable to take Bellinzona, the victories of the Swiss troops led to Milan granting all of the Leventina Valley to Pollegio to Uri in 1441. Following the death of Duke Filippo Maria Visconti in 1447, Bellinzona was in the middle of the succession crisis between Franchino Rusca of Locarno and Heinrich of Val Mesolcina, who were allied with Uri and the Ambrosian Republic in Milan. The war following the succession crisis lasted nearly three years until Francesco I Sforza seized power in Milan. Bellinzona quickly accepted the new Sforza dynasty and the peace and stability that followed.

The peace was broken again in 1478 when the Swiss once again attacked Bellinzona unsuccessfully. Swiss pride was restored by the Battle of Giornico which followed, where a force of 600 Swiss soldiers defeated 10,000 Milanese troops. Following the attack, Milan built the Sasso Corbaro either on the site of a tower which had been built nearly a century before. The other two castles were strengthened and the Murata wall across the valley was rebuilt. Much of the modern castles and fortifications date from this period of construction in the late 15th century.

An associate of the Swiss Confederation

In 1499 nearly one and a half centuries of Milanese rule ended with the invasion of Milan by the French troops of Louis XII. He captured Bellinzona and fearing an attack by the Swiss, fortified the Castelgrande with 1000 troops. Throughout the winter of 1499/1500 unrest in Bellinzona grew, until January when an armed revolt of the citizens of Bellinzona drove the French troops from the town. Following the capture of Ludovico Sforza in April 1500 and seeking protection from France, Bellinzona joined the Swiss Confederation on 14 April 1500, as a condominium under the joint administration of Uri, Schwyz and Nidwalden. Following the French invasion of Switzerland in 1798, Bellinzona was the capital of the canton of Bellinzona within the Helvetic Republic (1798–1803).

Bellinzona since 1803

Following the Act of Mediation in 1803 Bellinzona became part of the independent canton of Ticino, and the capital of the new canton from 1803 to 1814. From that date until 1878, Bellinzona, Lugano, and Locarno, took turns being capital every six years. In 1878 Bellinzona became the capital of the canton.

The town includes the village of Artore and, since the incorporation in 1907, the former municipalities of Carasso, Daro, and Ravecchia.

In 1874, the first sections of the Gotthard railway opened, linking Bellinzona to Biasca and Locarno. By 1882, the whole line was open, extending northwards to northern Switzerland via the Gotthard Tunnel, southwards to Lugano and Milan via the Monte Ceneri Pass, and down the east shore of Lake Maggiore to Luino. Between 1907 and 1972, Bellinzona was also linked to Mesocco and other Val Mesolcina communities by the Bellinzona–Mesocco railway.

Geography

Bellinzona is a town in Switzerland. It is in the valley of the river Ticino. The town is about 1 kilometre east of the river and is 240 metres above sea level. The town stretches up both sides of the valley and reaches heights of over 2,000 metres.

The Ticino River turns westward at Bellinzona. It flows into Lake Maggiore and then towards Lombardy in Italy. Several valleys and passes connect Bellinzona to other parts of Switzerland and Italy.

As of 1997, Bellinzona covered an area of 19.15 square kilometres. About 22% of the land is used for farming. 62.5% is forested, and 23.8% is built up with buildings and roads. The rest includes rivers, lakes, and some unproductive land.

Climate

Bellinzona has rain or snow about 102 days a year. It gets about 1,563 mm (61.5 inches) of precipitation each year. May is the rainiest month, with about 181 mm (7.1 inches) of rain or snow. December is the driest month, with about 60 mm (2.4 inches) of rain or snow.

Demographics

Bellinzona had a population of 43,360 people as of December 2020. In 2008, about 29.4% of the people living there came from other countries. Most people speak Italian; some speak German and Serbo-Croatian, with a few speaking French or Romansh.

In 2008, there were slightly more females than males in the town. Many families lived in the area, and there were homes of different sizes. The town had many apartments for people to rent, with prices depending on the size.

Historic demographics

source: Historical Dictionary of Switzerland

^A Number of households

^B in 1990, 879 were either atheist or did not identify with any religion

Elections

In the 2007 federal election, the FDP was the most popular party. The next three popular parties were the SP, the CVP, and the Ticino League. Many people voted.

In the 2007 Ticino Gran Consiglio election, many voters joined in. The most popular party was the PLRT. The next three parties were SSI, the PS, and the PPD+GenGiova.

In the 2007 Ticino Consiglio di Stato election, the PS was the most popular party. The next three parties were PLRT, SSI, and LEGA.

Economy

Bellinzona's main industry is mechanical engineering. A big bank called the Società Bancaria Ticinese and the Swiss Federal Railways are important employers there.

In recent years, people have found work in many areas. Some work on farms, many work in factories, and the most work in services like shops and offices. Many workers come to Bellinzona from other places, and many drive cars to get to work. The town also has several hotels for visitors.

Religion

In the year 2000, most people in Bellinzona were Roman Catholic. About 74% of the people were part of this church. Another 4% were in the Swiss Reformed Church. Some people belonged to other churches, and a few did not share their religious views.

Education

In Bellinzona, many people aged 25 to 64 have finished school after high school or gone to college.

There are 2,662 students in Bellinzona. Young children can go to kindergarten for up to three years, and about 413 children go there. Primary school lasts five years, with 781 students in regular classes and 51 in special classes. Middle school has two paths: a two-year school followed by training, or a four-year program for higher learning. There are 632 students in the two-year school, 3 in training, and 271 in the four-year program. Older students can choose vocational training or prepare for university. There are 162 students in full-time vocational classes and 299 in part-time. The professional program lasts three years and helps students get jobs in fields like engineering, nursing, or business. About 50 students are in this program.

Many students in Bellinzona come from other places, and some residents go to school elsewhere. The town has two libraries with many books and other materials, and many items are borrowed each year.

Transportation

Bellinzona has a large train station where many important trains stop. These trains travel north to places like Zürich, south to Lugano and Italy, or southwest to Locarno. Local buses also leave the station for nearby towns.

The town is linked by major highways, including the A2 and A13, which go to places like Lucerne, Basel, Chur, and Italy. This makes Bellinzona an important place for travel in the area.

Culture

Bellinzona is well-known for its carnival called Rabadan, a celebration that has been held for over 150 years.

Bellinzona in art

The artist J. M. W. Turner made paintings of Bellinzona in 1830 and 1841.

Sport

Bellinzona has many sports teams. The football club AC Bellinzona plays in the Swiss Challenge League, and their home games are at the Stadio Comunale.

There is also a hockey team called GDT Bellinzona that plays in the Swiss 1. Liga. The town's female basketball team, Pallacanestro Bellinzona, competes in the National League A. Ticino Unihockey, the floorball team, has been part of National League B for several years.

Each year, GAB Bellinzona, the local light athletics group, hosts an event named "Galà dei Castelli" (Castles's gala) that attracts many famous athletes from around the world and top Swiss athletes.

Heritage sites of national significance

Bellinzona has twelve important buildings and areas that matter to Switzerland. It is also home to three famous castles. These castles are part of a special list of important places called a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Besides the three castles and the old town walls, the town also includes special religious buildings, schools, and archives on this list.

The Three Castles

Main article: Three Castles of Bellinzona

The Three Castles of Bellinzona are a World Heritage Site. They became a UNESCO site in 2000. The castles are Castelgrande, Montebello, and Sasso Corbaro. They also have strong walls.

Castelgrande is on a rocky hill. It was the main fort for a long time. Montebello is near the town center. It now has a museum with old items and art. Sasso Corbaro is on its own hill. It has a special wooden room from an old family home. The castles show how people built strong defenses long ago.

You can reach the castles by elevator or by walking up narrow streets from the town. The museums in Montebello and Sasso Corbaro are open from March to November.

Notable people

Bellinzona has been home to many interesting people throughout history. Some were politicians and leaders, like Louis Wyrsch and Ernst Brugger. Others were artists and writers, such as Italian film actress Laura Solari and Swiss poet Giorgio Orelli. The town has also produced many sports stars.

Sport

Many athletes come from Bellinzona, including Olympic shooter Domenico Giambonini and football players like Antonio Permunian, who played in the 1962 FIFA World Cup. Other famous sports people include rugby player Luca Tramontin and ice hockey defender Nicole Bullo, who has competed in several Winter Olympics.