3 Best Sights in Ticino, Switzerland

Although this castle was first mentioned in a 6th-century document, the current structure dates from the 1200s. The massive exterior is dominated by two heavy, unmatched towers and the remaining portion of a crenellated wall that once stretched all the way to the river. Modern renovations have added an elaborate complex of restaurants and museums that include historical and archaeological exhibitions. The 14th-century ceiling murals, created to embellish the wooden ceiling of a local villa (now demolished), offer a peek at privately commissioned decorative art. A dramatic audiovisual history of Bellinzona and the Ticino Valley is shown in one room.

The most striking of Bellinzona's three castles has a core section that dates from the 13th century. The palace and courtyard, both from the 15th century, are encircled by walls with spectacular walkways on top. The center structure houses the attractive, modern Museo Civico (Municipal Museum) and the Museo Archeologico (Archaeology Museum), with exhibits on local history and architecture, including an impressive collection of Gothic and Renaissance stone capitals.

This massive and forbidding fieldstone construction's almost complete absence of curves is typical of the Sforza style. It was designed by a Florentine military engineer and built in 1479 for the Duke of Milan, who insisted that the work be completed in six months, as indeed it was. Temporary art exhibitions are held in the belvedere and in the Emma Paglia Room. Ambitious walkers can reach the castle in about 45 minutes by treading uphill from Castello di Montebello along a switchback road through woods; if you're driving, follow the signs to Artore.