Locarno 2

Castello Visconteo
Shown in photographs at the top of this series is the enchanting 13th-century Castello Visconteo built by the Dukes of Milan. The various halls have impressive and high hand-carved wooden ceilings. The main features are the arcade court, Renaissance loggia and the fresco in the stairway hall. The castle also houses the town’s Archaeological Museum, which displays local finds dating from the Bronze Age up to the Middle Ages as well as a collection of unbelievably beautiful Roman glassware and ceramics, strikingly colourful objects, almost intact with distinctive high-arched handles. The castle can also be hired for private events.

Madonna del Sasso
Towering over Locarno is the striking, ochre-coloured Madonna del Sasso, shown in the photographs at the bottom of this series. Now a famous pilgrimage church, it was originally established by Franciscan monk, Brother Bartholomeo da Ivrea, as a hermitage in 1480, after a vision of the Virgin Mary appeared before him during the night of the Feast of the Assumption on 15 August. Sadly, the frescoes, part of 16th-century renovations, are now severely faded. Walking through the complex, you meet several interesting groups of terracotta sculptures depicting biblical scenes as well as striking paintings. The site also houses a small museum of icons. The church is reached from the centre of Locarno by an around 20-minute uphill walk or more easily by funicular. The views of the shimmering lake with its mountain backdrop are simply spectacular.