Locarno–Madonna del Sasso Funicular

After a Franciscan friar reported an appearance by the Virgin Mary in 1480, a church and complex was built in Orselina, above the town of Locarno. Ornately decorated and surrounded by near-sacred scenery, the sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso became a popular place of pilgrimage. The only problem? The arduous journey to the hallowed shrine was nearly impossible to make.

In this Swiss-Italian region, town centers look like the nearby villages on Lake Como, except for the unmistakably Swiss funicular rising along the mountainside. Dressed in bright blue and shuttling passengers up a 30 percent grade, this car exists thanks to the dream of one man: Giovanni Pedrazzini.
Born nearby in 1852, he amassed a fortune mining silver in Mexico, then returned to Locarno thirty years later. Wishing to invest in his hometown, Pedrazzini and others built a funicular up to Madonna del Sasso.

The half-mile route became an asset to the people of Locarno and to visiting pilgrims. In its first year, 1906, the funicular transported more than 116,000 people (and 611 dogs) on pilgrimages. It’s still in use today, averaging 350,000 passengers a year. With the hike no longer necessary, passengers are grateful to be able to kneel before the Madonna del Sasso out of humility and grace, rather than simply being unable to stand after a strenuous trek up the mountain.

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