Address: Switzerland, Bellinzona
Foundation date: 1478 year
Coordinates: 46 ° 11'17.4 "N 9 ° 01'48.6" E
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Short description
The Swiss city of Bellinzona, like no other settlement, was reliably protected from enemy attacks in the Middle Ages. Today, three castles, through which the enemy army had to pass in order to get into a strategically important city, represent a single most powerful and impregnable fortification.
General view of the castle
Naturally, at present, no one is going to attack Swiss cities, so the three castles of Castelgrande, Sasso Corbaro and gloomy Montebello do not fulfill the functions assigned to them and are open-air museums. All these castles-forts are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and constantly attract the attention of hundreds of thousands of tourists interested in ancient history and medieval architecture. In this article, I would like to dwell in more detail on the Sasso Corbaro castle, which rises 600 meters from Bellinzona on the left bank of the most beautiful river called Ticina.
Like the castle of Castelgrande, Sasso Corbaro was built on the highest rocky hill, it could only be reached from one side along a narrow path. By the way, Sasso Corbaro got its name relatively recently, earlier it was called the Upper Castle, Unterwalden Castle and even the castle dedicated to Saint Barbara.
Sasso Corbaro Castle from a bird's eye view
Sasso Corbaro castle - construction and history
As has been repeatedly mentioned in articles about the sights of Switzerland, a huge number of ancient chronicles and documents have miraculously survived in this country, shedding light on the history of the formation of the entire Old World. It is from one of these documents that modern historians draw a certain conclusion that Sasso Corbaro castle was built in 1479 by order of the ruler Ludovico Moro by an architect named Benedetto Ferrini... The site for the construction of the castle was not chosen by chance: in 1478, the Swiss army took the city of Bellinzona into a long siege. A high rocky hill, on which stood only a small tower, built in 1400, was a gap in the fortifications of the city. Immediately after the siege, by order of the Milanese dukes, other fortifications began to be erected on the hill, around which deep ditches were dug. These works, which, by the way, were completed in record time for those times, and were aimed only at one thing - to protect the Milan garrison from complete destruction by the Swiss army.
If you look at the fortifications that defended Bellinzona, you can conclude that, unlike the other two castles, Sasso Corbaro was built in a secluded place and was practically not connected with Castelgrande and Montebello. Simply put, this castle closed the last route to Bellinzona: all other roads to the city, which was part of the Duchy of Milan, were controlled by a large army stationed in Montebello and Castelgrande.
View of the castle from the east
After the construction of the Sasso Corbaro castle, which the architect planned in the form of a square of 25x25 meters, Bellinzona became almost completely impregnable city. Only the eastern wall of the castle, towering on a rocky cliff, reached a thickness of two meters. Such a massive wall was built on this side, because it was from the eastern part that it was easiest to get to the Sasso Corbaro castle.
The thickness of the other walls of the castle, belonging to the fortifications of Bellinzona, did not exceed one meter. However, all the fortress walls "bristle" with double battlements: such a structure helped to conduct the defense and prevented the capture of the castle by storm. By the way, such an architectural form of the fortress walls even has its own name - "Swallow's Tail". At the top of this "tail" is the passage for the sentries, who were on patrol around the clock in Sasso Corbaro.
After Bellinzona ceased to be a "bone of contention" between the Duchy of Milan and the Swiss, the castle-fortress of Sasso Corbaro, like many other fortifications of that time, was turned into a prison for especially dangerous criminals. As mentioned above, the castle stood on a high cliff, because of this, it was constantly exposed to lightning strikes, as a result of which numerous fires constantly broke out on its territory. In the 16-17th centuries, there were even rumors that God himself was angry with this fortress. Inexplicably, it was between the 16th and 17th centuries that the castle was most often struck by lightning.
View of the castle from the north
By 1800, Sasso Corbaro, or, as it was then called, the Castle of St. Barbara, was an abandoned and forgotten ruin... Only in 1870, a Swiss businessman decided to open a hotel for tourists in a medieval castle. It should be noted that Switzerland was already actively developing tourism infrastructure at that time. Most likely, its owner could not get at least any income from a unique hotel of its kind, and in 1919 Sasso Corbaro became the property of the country.
Sasso Corbaro castle - new history and revival
Immediately after Sasso Corbaro became state property, restoration work began in it, in which reputable architects from all over the Old World were employed. It is thanks to their painstaking work that the castle, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has acquired its original appearance and is of constant interest among numerous tourists.
Tour guides around the Bellinzona fortifications most often bring their groups to Sasso Corbaro after visiting Castelgrande. Now, in the lonely castle, you can see a small courtyard and two two-story buildings, in which the defenders of the fortress once lived. Of particular interest to tourists is the fully restored kitchen, and even the sewerage system, which were built according to the architect's plan at the end of the 15th century. Besides, in the territory of the Sasso Corbaro there is a restored chapel. It is dedicated to Saint Barbara... It was thanks to this chapel that the castle was renamed in the 19th century.
View of the castle from the southwest
Unlike Castelgrande, in Sasso Corbaro you can get an idea of what the interior of a medieval castle looked like. Thanks to the work of restorers and ancient descriptions, the so-called "Wooden Hall" was restored. In many tourist brochures, this space, entirely made of walnut, is referred to as the "Hall of Emma Polya". A traveler who finds himself in Sasso Corbaro can climb the observation tower, inspect the keep and visit the museum, the exhibits of which are exhibited in the aforementioned "Wooden Hall".
