This museum has a modest collection of finds from Castelgrande's hill dating to prehistoric times. More engaging are the 15th-century ceiling decorations of a former noble house in central Bellinzona. The pictures range from weird animals to a humorous 'world upside down’ series that includes an ox driving a human-pulled plough and a sex-crazed woman chasing a chaste man!
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Rising dramatically above the Old Town, this medieval stronghold is Bellinzona’s most visible icon. Head up Salita San Michele from Piazza Collegiata, or…
0.22 MILES
On cloudless days, you can see Lake Maggiore from this 13th-century hilltop fortification. The fortress is one of Bellinzona’s most impressive with its…
17.97 MILES
A 1km walk along the (partially wooded) lake shore from Lenno's main square, Villa Balbianello has cinematic pedigree: this was where scenes from Star…
17.43 MILES
The star of the show on a lake shore not bereft of elegant touches, the Villa Carlotta is a fabulous fusion of neoclassical architecture and harmonious…
Santuario della Madonna del Sasso
11.05 MILES
Overlooking the town, this sanctuary was built after the Virgin Mary supposedly appeared in a vision to a monk, Bartolomeo d’Ivrea, in 1480. There’s a…
0.5 MILES
From central Bellinzona, it’s a 3.5km hike south to the Castello di Sasso Corbaro. Perched high on a wooded hillside, the castle has an austere beauty…
26.49 MILES
Como’s awesome marble-clad cathedral is one of the most important buildings on the lake, incorporating a variety of styles – Romanesque, Renaissance and…
23.27 MILES
This elegant 18th-century villa on the banks of Lake Como was once home to composer Vincenzo Bellini is now an award-winning luxury hotel.
Nearby Ticino attractions
Rising dramatically above the Old Town, this medieval stronghold is Bellinzona’s most visible icon. Head up Salita San Michele from Piazza Collegiata, or…
0.1 MILES
This cobblestone square is framed by graceful 18th-century patrician houses, many with decorative wrought-iron balconies.
3. Chiesa Collegiata dei SS Pietro e Stefano
0.1 MILES
Light streams through the rose window above the portal in this Renaissance church, lavishly adorned with frescoes and baroque stucco.
0.15 MILES
Bellinzona’s restored Renaissance town hall is worth a peek for its beautiful three-storey inner courtyard of loggias and frescoes showing historic scenes…
0.22 MILES
This ochre-hued church is noteworthy for its huge fresco of St Christopher and a smaller one of the Virgin Mary and Christ.
0.22 MILES
On cloudless days, you can see Lake Maggiore from this 13th-century hilltop fortification. The fortress is one of Bellinzona’s most impressive with its…
0.5 MILES
From central Bellinzona, it’s a 3.5km hike south to the Castello di Sasso Corbaro. Perched high on a wooded hillside, the castle has an austere beauty…
8. Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie
0.53 MILES
This 15th-century church has an extraordinary fresco cycle (recently restored after being damaged by fire in 1996) of the life and death of Christ. The…