Locarno

Infobox Swiss town
subject_name = Locarno
municipality_name = Locarno
municipality_type = city
imagepath_coa = Locarno-coat of arms.svg|pixel_coa=


languages = Italian
canton = Ticino
iso-code-region = CH-TI
district = Locarno
lat_d=46|lat_m=10|lat_NS=N|long_d=8|long_m=48|long_EW=E
postal_code = 6600
municipality_code = 5113
area = 19.4
elevation = 200|elevation_description=
population = 14320|populationof = December 2002 | popofyear = 2002
website = www.locarno.ch
mayor = Carla Speziali|mayor_asof=|mayor_party=
mayor_title = |list_of_mayors =
places =
demonym =
neighboring_municipalities= Ascona, Avegno, Cadenazzo, Contone, Cugnasco, Gerra (Verzasca), Gordola, Lavertezzo, Losone, Magadino, Minusio, Muralto, Orselina, Piazzogna, San Nazzaro, Tegna, Tenero-Contra
twintowns = |

Locarno is the capital of the Locarno district, located on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore ("Lago Maggiore") in the Swiss canton of Ticino, close to Ascona at the foot of the Alps. It has a population of about 15,000 (60'000 for the urban area including Ascona). The official language of Locarno is Italian.It is the 74th biggest city in Switzerland by population.Fact|date=June 2008

An important film festival, the Festival Internazionale del Cinema di Locarno, takes place every year in August in the "Piazza Grande".

The Locarno Treaties were negotiated here in 1925.

In January 2004, the Italian historian Marino Vigano speculated that Locarno's castle may have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci.

Main sights

Locarno has a number of interesting sights that draw tourists year-round.

Astrovia Locarno

The Astrovia Locarno is a 1 : 1,000,000,000 scale model of the Solar System. The Sun can be found at the end of Via Gioacchino Respini where the cycle path, which runs alongside the river, starts. Pluto, the final planet in the model, can be found 6 km away from this starting point in the village of Tegna.

Madonna del Sasso, Cardada and Cimetta

The sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso in Orselina above the city is the principal sight and goal of pilgrimage in the city.

The founding of the sanctuary goes back to a vision of the Virgin Mary that the Franciscan brother Bartolomeo d'Ivrea experienced in the night of 14/15 August 1480. The interior is highly decorated, and a platform gives a magnificent view of the city.

A gondola runs from Orselina to the top of Cardada (el. 1340 m), and a tram goes further to the top of Cimetta (el. 1671 m).

Castello Visconteo

[http://www.cittavecchialocarno.ch/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=30 Castello Visconteo] on the edge of the old town was built in the 12th century, probably as the residence of a Captain Orelli, who remained true to the Emperor. In 1260, it fell into the hands of the Ghibellines. In 1342 the Visconti of Milan, for whom it is now named, attacked the castle from both the land and the lake side and took it. It first came into the hands of the "Eidgenossen" in 1503. Today, only a fifth of the original structure remains. Most of that dates from the 15th and 16th centuries. Only the foundation remains from the original structure.

References

ee also

*Locarno Treaties

External links

* [http://www.locarno.ch The city of Locarno official website]
* [http://www.cittavecchialocarno.ch The old town of Locarno]
* [http://photos.davemcnally.co.uk/pictures/v/holidays/switzerland-2005/astrovia-locarno/ Photo tour of the Astrovia Locarno]