Snapshot – Madonna del Sasso

I LOVE Ticino and when I’ve had enough of the grey winter everyday life, I go to the sunshine of Switzerland for a short break. Although I have strolled along Locarno’s pretty waterfront several times in recent years, I have probably never let my gaze wander into the immediate surroundings. There is no other way to explain why I have only now discovered that Locarno has much more to offer.

Immediately above Locarno is the important pilgrimage church of Madonna del Sasso. I find the location of the church on this rocky outcrop with the mountain and lake backdrop in the background absolutely stunning.

Madonna del Sasso can be reached either by funicular from Locarno (round trip 6.60 CHF) or on foot via the impressive Stations of the Cross. I decided to take the funicular for the way there and then tackled the footpath (Stations of the Cross) down to Locarno for the way back (duration: about 15 minutes).

The history of Madonna del Sasso is based on tradition. According to this, a Franciscan friar, Frà Bartolomeo d’Ivrea, wanted to build a place of worship after an apparition. First, two small chapels were built and then a monastery was added. The current church was completely restored at the beginning of the 20th century. The façade of the church is in the style of the Neo-Renaissance and comes from the designs of the architect Alessandro Ghezzi, and inside there are an incredible number of stucco work and pictures to marvel at. For my taste, the whole thing is a bit too overloaded, but still impressive to look at.

My tip: If you visit Locarno – be sure to plan a detour to the church.