Locarno

Locarno is a Commune Switzerland Canton of Tessin.

With nearly 15.000 inhabitants, it is the third city of the canton in terms of population after Lugano and Bellinzone.

It is a very tourist locality, sometimes called the " Rimini suisse".

Geography

Located at the south of the the Alps, at the edge of the Lake Maggiore, Locarno profits from a very favorable climate and a luxuriant vegetation of subtropical type (palm trees). The old city is located at the east of the delta of the Maggia, with the foot of the mountain. The church of the Madonna del Sasso, overhanging the city, is accessible by funicular. It is an important place of pilgrimage.

Starting point towards:

Centovalli in Italy, connection in the train towards Domodossola and Lausanne via the Tunnel of the Simplon, in the west.
the Vallemaggia, long valley of 45 kilometers which is spread in the north of the city.
Bellinzone : connections in the train and road (highway) towards Zurich (via the Gothard) in north and towards Milan in the south.
Intra- Verbania in Italy, at the edge of the Lake Maggiore, in the south.

With a 2300 hours average of sun per year, Locarno is the most moderate city of Switzerland.

Brood behind Piazza Large, the città vecchia includes/understands buildings and monuments of medieval style.

History

Archaeological testimonys make it possible to make go up in XIIIe century the first colonies of dwelling in the area of Locarno. The settlement intensified during the age of iron, as the discovery of many necropoles attests it.

Locarno played the part of commercial platform between the alpine valleys and the plain of Padanie.

Of 1821 with 1881 Locarno was, with Lugano and Bellinzone, the revolving capital of the canton of the Tessin.

Transport

Railway line CF Bellinzone - Locarno
Railway line Wax Locarno - Domodossola
Lines of bus for Brissago, Ascona, Tenero, and Funicular Losone
for Madonna del Sasso
Boat for Magadino

Culture

Each year in August is held on Piazza Grande the International festival of film of Locarno.

Projections in the open air take place on big screen within the splendid framework of the place with its arcades.

Demonstrations

Festival of the camellias
Festival Moon and Stars Site of the festival

Media

Radio operator Fiume Ticino Site of the radio

Personalities

Massimo Cavalli, painter
Oliver Neuville, footballer
Giovanni Battista Pioda, federal adviser
Hannes Schmidhauser, movie actor and footballer
Carla Speziali, syndicates
Felice Varini, painter
Livio Vacchini, architect

Curiosities

Foundation Marguerite Arp
Madonna del Sasso
archaeological Museum of the Castle Visconti
Piazza Large

External bonds

Locarno (Article of the historical dictionary of Switzerland)
Agreements of Locarno
Madonna del Sasso
Institute Swiss of meteorology

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