Defensive Wall and Ramparts of Bellinzona, Medieval city walls in Bellinzona, Switzerland.

The Defensive Wall and Ramparts of Bellinzona is a fortification system made of stone walls and towers that connect three castles across the city. The structures include gates, ramparts, and observation points positioned to control access to the settlement and the valleys beyond.

The Murata was built by the Visconti of Milan after their victory over the Swiss Confederates at Arbedo in 1422, to close the valley floor between Castelgrande and the Ticino. A 1457 description gives it about 600 metres, with battlements only on the north side. The Confederates breached it in 1478 before the Battle of Giornico; the dilapidated wall was then rebuilt in 1486/87 under master builder Gabriele Ghiringhelli. A Ticino flood carried away some 150 metres in 1515, and that stretch was never rebuilt.

The wall's Italian name, Murata, simply means "wall". A 1457 description records it as about 600 metres long with battlements only on the north side. The Portone gate tower was demolished in 1869, and today a footbridge at battlement height crosses the road on that spot.

You can walk along sections of the walls year-round, especially the passages connecting the three castles. It helps to explore on foot at a leisurely pace to understand how the fortifications connect and how the terrain shapes the layout.

What makes the system notable is that it does not consist of isolated fortifications but connects three castles across extended distances. This type of integrated multi-castle fortification is uncommon in the Alps and demonstrates a building approach that evolved over many generations.