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 fortifications were built starting in the 13th century and expanded over time to control the mountain passes between Switzerland and Italy. They became essential to managing access through the Ticino valley during the medieval period and remained strategically important for centuries.
The fortification system shapes how the city is organized and how people move through it today. Walking through the old center, you constantly cross paths with the walls and towers that have structured daily life here for generations.
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.
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