The most beautiful religious buildings Italian Switzerland

This church and the chapel that accompanies it are installed on a panoramic terrace overlooking Morcote. It can be reached by a long staircase (sporty climb!). The interior presents frescos dating from the Renaissance, but partly hidden by an organ, moreover remarkable (17th century), and others, from the 18th century, also painted on the case of this organ.A few more steps and you reach the cemetery from where the view is particularly splendid.

This^17th-century building features^18th-century frescoes and stuccowork. Its bell tower is particularly beautiful, and the view of the lake from its esplanade is sublime. The church is on the way to Monte Brè, Lugano's famous peak. There's something southern about its architecture, with its campanile and ashlar facades. The beautiful staircase leading up to it gives it the air of a fine aristocratic residence. The village is also very charming, with many lovely walks to choose from.

This small chapel is located between the church of Santa Maria del Sasso and the village of Morcote. This small building dating back to the late Middle Ages is worth visiting for the surprising paintings on its south wall: about twenty souls, represented as completely naked men, are trapped in a net (the Purgatory) and try to get out; those who manage to free themselves are saved by angels. Those who manage to free themselves are saved by the angels, while the others are dragged along by the demons.

This well-preserved Baroque church, set slightly off-center in a small wood above Carona, is one of the finest examples of Baroque decorative art. Built in the ^17th century on top of a small chapel dating from 1515, the church boasts several attractive exterior arcades. It houses frescoes by Giuseppe Antonio Petrini (1667-1759) and sculptures by Alessandro Casella dating from 1646. A shaded Way of the Cross leads to the church.

The church is located at the entrance of Campione coming from Bissone. It is believed to have been founded in the 9th and 10th centuries. Its monumental staircase with double intertwined banisters descends majestically from the entrance porch to the lake. The church has a wonderful fresco on the south wall of its nave, painted by Lanfranco and Filippolo De Veris in 1400, depicting the Last Judgment. There are also other paintings, including those by Campione Isidoro Bianchi (1602-1662).

This church dates back to the end of the th century. This was mentioned for the first time in 1480. The interior shared by a large lateral wall, according to the Franciscan usage, is an exquisite inspiration. It is painted entirely by a fresco where it can be noted that Renaissance refinement leaves free reign to an ornamental sincerity invaded by grace. In its centre is the Crucifixion, and around fifteen paintings expressing the life of Christ.

From their rocky promontory, the churches present an interesting heritage site. On the site of a former medieval castle, the two stone religious buildings have the particularity of possessing an imposing cycle of frescoes dating from the end of the 16th century. The interior of the church is completely covered with an interesting wooden coffered ceiling from 1575. The buildings are an eye-catcher and we recommend that you go and discover their architectural secrets.

This beautiful Romanesque church of Valle Leventina, built in the th century, offers great architectural interest, due to the great perfection of the stone blocks that make it up and artistic, for the few sculptures that adorn it. You will notice, among other things, the two lions that frame its western portal, or the finely crafted capitals representing a fantastic bestiary (lions, heads of ram). The apse contains frescoes carried out by Nicolao da Seregno in 1478.

The church of San Carlo is a representative monument of the Lombard Romanesque art of the 11th and 13th centuries. It has the peculiarity of having two apses, built during two distinct construction phases. All alone on its mountain pasture, it gains in majesty, especially since it dominates the surroundings. Its interior is just as remarkable with its numerous frescos. On some of them, we can see characters who seem to be Byzantines.

The complex includes a medieval chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, more precisely to Santa Maria delle Grazie, the convent itself and finally the church of San Giovanni. Of the original convent built in 1477, only the altarpiece remains. In the altar area, you will notice a fresco dating from the 14th century attributed to the group of Giovanni da Milano. Finally, the single nave church is a significant example of the late Baroque. It contains a multitude of sculptures and stucco reliefs as well as numerous frescoes by local artists.

Built from 1723 to 1738, to plans by architect Giovan Pietro Magni, the church boasts numerous works of art: fine^18th-century stucco by Francesco Catenazzi and Giovanni Battista Bagutti; the four paintings by Giovanni Battista Bagutti (1744) in the vault are richly colored. In 1994, the church was restored to its original beauty. It also boasts a beautiful ^16th-century cloister.

This historically and religiously significant baptistery is the oldest surviving Christian monument in Switzerland. It dates from the^5th century, when the first attempts were made to introduce Christianity into the region. It is small and octagonal in shape and contains a rare stone basin from the Middle Ages in which baptisms by immersion were performed. There are also remarkable Romanesque frescoes from the 12th century.

This building has been altered on several occasions. The chapel on the right seems to have been the choir of a previous construction. Here you can admire the splendid 15th century frescoes by the painter Antonio de Tradate. These rustic scenes, which depict the cycles of peasant life (corresponding to the different months of the year), are preserved in excellent condition. They are the masterpiece of the master. The present building dates from the 17th century and the Roman bell tower has been remodelled to fit in with the Baroque architecture.

In a small square in the historical centre of Ascona stands the church of San Pietro e Paolo, dating back to the 16th century. You can admire its beautiful bell tower and its beautiful sundial. This church is famous above all for the paintings it houses, especially the following three paintings : The Coronation of the Virgin, The Sons of Zebedee, The Invitation to Emmaus by the master Giovanni Serodine, a native of the town. Born in the early 17th century, he was a pupil of Caravaggio.

It contains important Renaissance frescoes and numerous ex-votos by the painter Giovan Antonio Vanoni (1810-1886), a master in the art of depicting scenes of rural life. Dating from 1500, it is one of the oldest in the valley. The Franciscans were responsible for the work and this is reflected in the sober architecture of the building. The beauty of this church is also reflected in the paintings of the 17th and 18th centuries, which remain the most beautiful in the region.

The sanctuary is a true masterpiece as much for its architecture and exterior decoration as for the valuable works of art it houses. In the chapels of its side aisles are paintings by illustrious masters, including Raphael's Madonna of the Goldfinch , copied by Romanino. In the chapel on the right in particular, Bramantino's Flight into Egypt, painted in 1522, while in the first chapel on the left, one can admire a Tomb of Antonio Ciseri.

During the celebration of the centenary of Napoleon's Act of Mediation, which established the autonomy of the canton, this square took its current name. The square coincides with the southern access to the medieval city and echoes the Piazza del Sole, which gave access to the city to those arriving from the north. Nowadays, Piazza del Sole has been completely restored by the architect Livio Vacchini. A little further on is another important square: the Piazza della Collegiata called Piazza Grande.