Church of Santa Maria del Sasso, Morcote.
The Renaissance-Baroque church of Santa Maria del Sasso stands in the picturesque village of Morcote. Founded in the 13th century on a holy site, it features outstanding 16th century frescoes and, above all, makes an impression with its harmonious, late-Romanesque tower and for its collection of paintings. From the lakeside various flights of steps lead up to the church’s panoramic terrace in a wonderful setting overlooking the local houses – the view sweeps over the lake and the surrounding hillside.

The Madonna del Sasso Sanctuary.
Most striking of all Locarno's sights is the Franciscan sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso, one of Ticino’s most important sacred monuments. It was consecrated in 1487 on the spot where the Virgin Mary had appeared to Brother Bartolomeo d'Ivrea and offers decorations of tremendous splendor and the most substantial collection of ex-voto in southern Switzerland. Pilgrims used to climb up the hillside to elicit help or give thanks for salvation from peril after the intercession of the Virgin Mary. The impressive sanctuary, which includes the Church of the Annunciation, the Basilica, the Convent, the Via Crucis and the Path of the Chapels, floats above the town on a wooded crag – a vast panorama sweeps to the horizon, framed by the lake and mountains.

Santa Maria degli Angeli Chapel, Mt. Tamaro.
This wonder of contemporary architecture (at 5,141 feet) presides majestically over the peak of a slope, on which one end opens to an astonishing view – just a few steps from Mt Tamaro’s cable car. The chapel, built between 1992 and 1994, represents an innovation in church architecture as it was designed by the world-famous architect Mario Botta. Nearby another important religious testimony: the bronze statue of the Madonna with Child, which was blessed by Pope Giovanni Paolo II in 1984 – a wonderful spot not only to enjoy the panorama, but also for a picnic on a lush green mountain meadow.