Most striking of all Locarno's sights is the Franciscan Santuario della Madonna del Sasso church, an impressive ochre vision floating above the town on a wooded crag (sasso means rock) and consecrated in 1487 on the spot where, seven years earlier, the Virgin had appeared to Brother Bartholomeo da Ivrea from the San Francesco monastery in the town.
The twenty-minute walk up through the lush ravine of the Torrente Ramogno and past a handful of decaying shrines, is atmospheric enough in itself; or you could take the half-hourly funicular from just west of the station to Ticino's greatest photo-op, looking down through the palms to the sunlit arcaded main front of the church and glittering blue lake behind.

The Sanctuary was reopened to the public after the renovation the 24th of March 2012.
Opening time: 06.30 - 18.30

Informations and contacts:

Lago Maggiore Tourist Office
Largo Zorzi 1
Locarno

tel. +41 91 791 00 91
fax +41 91 782 19 41

info@ascona-locarno.com

Sanctuary Madonna del Sasso
Via Santuario 2
Orselina

tel. +41 91 743 62 65

www.madonnadelsasso.org