Mesocco

After the expansion of the San Bernardino Pass road in 1821, the village developed along its route. Dominating and situated on a rocky hill south of the village is the Castle of Mesocco, one of the most important ruins in the canton of Graubünden and the largest in Switzerland. The origins of the fortress date back to the early Middle Ages. The fortress can be visited free of charge every day of the year. There are numerous architectural works, both religious and civil. Among the most beautiful Mesocco is the church of Sta Maria del Castello, with unique frescoes depicting the cycle of the twelve months with moments of rural and chivalrous life; the Oratory of San Lucio, built at the beginning of the eighteenth century and consisting of a single hall characterized by a cross vault. Above the façade rises a brick bell gable; the house of the Maggiorasca or the house in the Marca Superiore, built around 1500 for Colonel Giovanni a Marca, and the small group of typical country houses in the hamlet of Andergia, on the left bank of the river Moesa.