Double Tragedy Unfolds
A gruesome discovery was made in a Via Nos apartment in Gnosca, where two lifeless bodies were found, leaving the community in shock and sparking a thorough investigation.
Gnosca · 💀 Dark history
Discover 52 curated stories about Bellinzona in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland — covering hidden gems, dark history, legends, weird facts and funny anecdotes.
A gruesome discovery was made in a Via Nos apartment in Gnosca, where two lifeless bodies were found, leaving the community in shock and sparking a thorough investigation.
Gnosca · 💀 Dark history
A woman attempted to behead two other women with a knife in a store, allegedly to spread her extremist ideology.
Manor store · · 💀 Dark history
A 65-year-old man set himself on fire in a Postauto in Kerzers, taking five others with him, in a shocking and unexplained incident that has left the community reeling.
Kerzers · · 💀 Dark history
A notorious European cocaine kingpin, known as 'Vingerknipper' or 'Finger Cutter', secretly lived in a luxurious penthouse at the Renaissance Towers in Zurich, where he masterminded his empire and ev…
Renaissance Towers · · 💀 Dark history
Under the alias 'Artur Gitta', the infamous 'Finger Cutter' lived a life of luxury in Zurich's most exclusive hotels, including the Dolder and the Baur au Lac, while secretly plotting his next moves…
Dolder Hotel · · 💀 Dark history
The priceless 17th-century masterpiece 'Zwei lachende Jungen mit Bierkrug' by Frans Hals, purchased by the 'Finger Cutter' for a fraction of its value, remains missing to this day, with its whereabou…
Zurich · · 💀 Dark history
A fatal train collision occurred at Bellinzona station in 1924, resulting in 15 deaths, including the former German Vice-Chancellor Karl Helfferich.
Bellinzona station · · 💀 Dark history
A tragic train accident occurred at the San Paulo train yard, just north of Bellinzona's train station, in 1924, resulting in 15 deaths and 3 severe injuries. The accident was caused by a switch erro…
San Paulo train yard · · 💀 Dark history
The Lavanderia e Tintoria Caviezel in Vicolo Cusa offered a unique service: they could dye coats black for funerals within 24 hours.
Vicolo Cusa · · 🤯 Weird
Villa Meta, now the Helsana Business Center Bellinzona, was once seized in 1914 due to its owner Giuseppe Stoffel's conviction for fraudulent bankruptcy.
Villa Meta · · 💀 Dark history
Antonio Perugini, a renowned magistrate, was involved in high-profile cases, including the 2001 San Gottardo tunnel fire that claimed 11 lives.
San Gottardo tunnel · · 💀 Dark history
A mysterious sundial is hidden in the garden of Casa Anziani Paganini Rè, located at via Convento 7. The sundial is not visible from the outside and can only be seen by entering the garden.
Casa Anziani Paganini Rè · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Grotto Emerenzia restaurant in Ravecchia, Bellinzona, has a fascinating history dating back to 1885, when Emerenzia Biaggi-De Gasparo and her husband Stefano opened an osteria that became famous…
Grotto Emerenzia · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Saica industry, once a leading cartonage manufacturer in Bellinzona, surprisingly closed its doors after 88 years of intense activity due to foreign competition and high investment needs.
Saica industry · · 🤯 Weird
A group of Ticinesi, led by Felice Lazzarotto, traveled to Santomenna in the province of Salerno, Italy, to help rebuild the village after a devastating earthquake in 1980. They constructed a tempora…
Bellinzona · · 🏛️ Legendary
A massive anti-fascist protest took place in Bellinzona on May 24, 1931, where thousands of people, including Robert Grimm, Edoardo Zeli, and Guglielmo Canevascini, gathered to speak out against the…
Piazza Indipendenza · · 🏛️ Legendary
A woman wielding a knife and shouting 'Allahu Akbar' was subdued by police in a Salt mobile shop, leaving authorities to investigate potential terrorist ties.
Salt mobile shop · · 💀 Dark history
A 46-year-old woman was found dead at Via Mirasole, with a 24-year-old man arrested in connection with the incident.
Via Mirasole · 💀 Dark history
A 60-year-old Czech man was involved in a dramatic incident on Rorschacher Strasse in St. Gallen, where he threatened a driver with two blank guns and later shot at a police officer, all while under…
Rorschacher Strasse · · 💀 Dark history
A fire broke out in the Zurich Freemasons' lodge Modestia cum Libertate, a building that has been shrouded in mystery for centuries due to the Freemasons' tradition of secrecy.
Zurich · · 🔍 Hidden gems
In 1937, the Swiss people rejected a initiative to ban Freemasonry and similar organizations, ensuring the continuation of the tradition in the country.
Switzerland · · 🏛️ Legendary
In Meiringen, a family has been sewing Edelweiss shirts since 1979, with some customers, like Arabs, spending thousands of francs on these traditional Swiss garments.
Meiringen · · 🤯 Weird
A gigantic catfish, measuring 2.43 meters in length and weighing 100.5 kilograms, was caught in the Neuenburgersee, potentially setting a new record for the largest catfish caught in Switzerland.
Neuenburgersee · 🤯 Weird
Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the construction of a road through the Sempione pass, which was completed in 1806. The road was a significant achievement, requiring 5000 workers and 250,000 kilograms of e…
Sempione Pass · · 🏛️ Legendary
At the Passo di S. Lucio, a gruesome murder took place in the 15th century. Lucio, a poor 'casaro', was falsely accused of theft by his master and brutally killed. The spot where he was murdered is n…
Passo di S. Lucio · · 💀 Dark history
The women of Valcolla have a bizarre tradition of putting on fresh, clean socks in public, just above the knee, before attending the festival of S. Lucio.
Valcolla · 🤯 Weird
The Castelgrande in Bellinzona was besieged several times in the 13th century, including in 1284, 1292, and 1303, due to its strategic location and the conflicts between the Rusca family and the Hous…
Castelgrande · · 💀 Dark history
The Visconti family, who controlled Milan, used the Castelgrande as a symbol of their power and influence in the region, and their emblem, the 'Biscione', is still visible on the municipal coat of ar…
Castelgrande · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Castello di Montebello has a peculiar history, having been built probably in the 13th century and restored in the 1970s. The castle houses a civic and archeological museum, showcasing the city's…
Castello di Montebello · · 🏛️ Legendary
The original plan for the Bellinzona-Mesocco railway station was to build it near the old caserma, facing the church of San Giovanni and the current Centro Coop in via Guisan.
Via Guisan · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Ferrovia Bellinzona-Mesocco, a railway line that operated from 1907, had its last day of service on May 27, 1972, attracting many nostalgic passengers who wanted to experience the route one last…
Stazione di Bellinzona · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Ticino river overflowed on July 23, 1914, causing a significant event in Bellinzona.
Ticino River · · 💀 Dark history
The Rabadan, a unique carnival, takes place every year in the historic center of Bellinzona, attracting many people from outside the canton.
Historic Center · · 🤯 Weird
Stefano Franscini, a key figure in Ticino's history, was born in 1796 in Bodio, a small village in the Leventina valley, and went on to become a pioneer in public education.
Bodio · · 🏛️ Legendary
The last train on the Bellinzona-Mesocco railway line ran on May 27, 1972, marking the end of a 60-year era. A photo taken on that day shows a small crowd gathering at the Bellinzona station to board…
Bellinzona station · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Grotto Emerenzia was not only a restaurant, but also a hub for local associations and political gatherings, with the liberal radical youth section of Ravecchia holding events there in the 1920s.
Grotto Emerenzia · · 🏛️ Legendary
After 133 years, the Grotto Emerenzia restaurant finally closed its doors in 2019, marking the end of an era for the historic eatery and the community that gathered there.
Grotto Emerenzia · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Bellinzona train station, opened in 1874, played a crucial role in connecting the city to the rest of Switzerland, particularly after the opening of the Gotthard Tunnel in 1882.
Bellinzona train station · · 🏛️ Legendary
During the Carnevale Rabadan, the city of Bellinzona is said to be 'militarized', with some considering the security measures to be excessive.
Bellinzona · · 🤯 Weird
The anti-fascist protest in Bellinzona was mistakenly linked to the year 1932 by historian Mauro Cerutti, due to a delayed publication of photos from the event.
Piazza Indipendenza · · 🔍 Hidden gems
Robert Grimm's speech at the anti-fascist protest in Bellinzona was mislabeled as taking place in Lugano, due to an incorrect caption in his family album.
Piazza Indipendenza · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The abandoned Sanatorio del Gottardo, a former tuberculosis clinic, has been left to ruin since 1962 and is now being auctioned off for 2.4 million Swiss francs.
Sanatorio del Gottardo · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The first Freemasons' lodge in Switzerland was founded in 1736 in Geneva by English Lord George Hamilton, marking the beginning of a long history of Freemasonry in the country.
Geneva · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Sempione pass was used by the Romans, and an inscription found in Vogogna dates back to 196 AD, indicating that the pass was used for trade and communication between the Roman provinces.
Vogogna · · 🏛️ Legendary
The renovated Bellinzona station was featured on a Swiss postage stamp in 2016, highlighting its importance as a transportation hub.
Bellinzona station · · 🏛️ Legendary
A strike by SBB-Cargo workers in 2008 drew attention to the economic importance of the Bellinzona station and its role in the regional economy.
Bellinzona station · · 💀 Dark history
Peverelli, a bakery and wine shop, has been in business for 130 years, with its founder Alessandro Peverelli starting the business in 1888.
Piazza Collegiata · · 🏛️ Legendary
A monument to Rinaldo Simen, a notable figure in early 20th-century Ticino society, stands in a small square near Piazza del Sole, featuring a bronze sculpture of his head created by Giuseppe Foglia…
Piazza Simen · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Castello di Svitto in Bellinzona has a well-preserved entrance with a drawbridge, showcasing the region's rich history.
Castello di Svitto · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Castel Grande in Bellinzona has a historical map dating back to the 19th century, showcasing its medieval architecture.
Castel Grande · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Ticinese military aviation was established 50 years prior to 1973, with the purchase of a large area near the Ticino river for a military airfield.
Ticino river · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Castello di Sasso Corbaro is one of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bellinzona, and it's the only one not connected to the other fortifications.
Castello di Sasso Corbaro · · 🏛️ Legendary
💀 Dark history · 😂 Funny · 🔍 Hidden gems · 🏛️ Legendary · 🤯 Weird
Hidden stories of Zurich beneath your feet
Facts are sourced from various open websites and may have been edited. Copyright of original content belongs to their respective owners.
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