Castello Visconteo in Locarno, Switzerland.

© SSKH-Pictures/Shutterstock

Castello Visconteo

Locarno


Named after the Visconti clan that long ruled Milan, this fortified 15th-century castle’s nucleus was raised around the 10th century. It now houses a museum with Roman and Bronze Age exhibits and also hosts a small display (in Italian) on the 1925 Locarno Treaty. Locarno is believed to have been a glass-manufacturing town in Roman times, which accounts for the many glass artefacts in the museum.

The castle changed hands various times and was occupied by the Milanese under Luchino Visconti in 1342. Taken by French forces in 1499, the castle and town of Locarno eventually fell to the Swiss confederation in 1516.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Locarno attractions

1. Chiesa di San Francesco

0.07 MILES

Standing on the site of a 13th-century Franciscan monastery, the 16th-century Chiesa di San Francesco is adorned with frescoes by Baldassare Orelli. Note…

2. Chiesa Nuova

0.11 MILES

Guarded by a giant bas-relief St Christopher with disproportionately tiny feet, the baroque-gone-mad, 17th-century Chiesa Nuova has cherubs and stucco…

3. Pinacoteca Casa Rusca

0.14 MILES

This gallery occupies a beautifully restored 18th-century townhouse, Casa Rusca. The permanent collection zooms in on 20th century paintings, sculpture…

4. Chiesa di Sant'Antonio

0.16 MILES

Standing proud on a fountain-dotted square, this church is best known for its altar to the Cristo Morto (Dead Christ).

5. Piazza Grande

0.17 MILES

Locarno’s Italianate Città Vecchia (Old Town) fans out from Piazza Grande, a photogenic ensemble of arcades and Lombard-style houses. A craft and fresh…

6. Old Town

0.19 MILES

You can feel just how close you are to Italy when exploring Locarno's hilly Città Vecchia (Old Town), an appealing jumble of piazzas, arcades, churches…

7. Falconeria Locarno

0.46 MILES

Time your visit to catch one of the impressive displays of falconry here – they take place at 11am in the morning and 3pm in the afternoon. Birds showing…

8. Parco Muralto

0.48 MILES

Locarno’s climate is perfect for lolling about the lake. Bristling with palms and ablaze with flowers in spring and summer, these gardens are a scenic…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "switzerland/ticino/locarno/attractions/castello-visconteo/a/poi-sig/493500/360827",
      "destination": "Locarno",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Switzerland",
      "city": "Locarno",
      "position": "superzone"
    }