The fortress town that closes the Ticino valley below the meeting of the roads from the Lucomagno, the Gotthard and the San Bernardino.
Above it the Riviera and the Ticino valleys belong to the Milan cathedral chapter; to the east the Misox to the free lords of Sax (Rhineland sheet).
Who holds it
- Name
- Bishop Ardizzone II of Como (Church map record)
- Title
- The bishop of Como's castle and borgo
- Confidence
- medium
Lord in 1200
The bishop of Como, who received the district and fortress of Bellinzona from Henry II in 1002/1004 and stayed in the great castle (Castel Grande) in 1195.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: HLS, Ticino.
Primary sources for Como
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- The Lombard city annals of Piacenza, Milan, Cremona, Parma, Mantua and Verona (kept in the 12th and 13th centuries). The communes' own year lists. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.