Castello dei Magoria

The construction of the Castello dei Magoria, consisting of a residential tower and an enclosing wall, is attributed to the late 13th century. The complex was owned by the Magoria, a branch of the Capitanei of Locarno, closely related to the Orelli. This family, which split into several lines, settled in Claro after initially residing at S. Carpoforo Castle in Gnosca. It is believed that the Magoria castle in Claro formed the center of a manorial estate complex in the lower Riviera from the 13th century onwards. A member of the Magoria-Gnosca house is documented in Claro for the year 1372. After the Riviera passed to the rule of the Visconti of Milan, the Magoria entered their service, providing numerous officials and confidants for Milan in the 14th and 15th centuries.

The castle ruin Castello dei Magoria is located in Claro, a municipality in the Riviera district in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland, at an altitude of approx. 304 m above sea level.

Visitors can explore the ruins of the Castello dei Magoria today. Preserved elements include the base of a rectangular residential tower with a high entrance, arrow slits, and chimney openings, built from carefully layered ashlar stones. A defensive enclosing wall is situated on the mountain side of the residential tower, with its foundation traces still visible on the valley-side slope. A small medieval building leaning against the curtain wall is also part of the remains. A round-arched gate opening in the enclosing wall, in its current form, dates from a late medieval reconstruction.

• Ruine San Vittore (Castle), approx. 6.6 km away
• Castelgrande (Bellinzona) (Castle), approx. 7.4 km away
• Castello di Montebello (Bellinzona) (Castle), approx. 7.6 km away
• Castello di Sasso Corbaro (Bellinzona) (Castle), approx. 8.0 km away