Pro Patria – Fortresses & Castles of Switzerland
Switzerland – The only thing that these two castles really have in common is their immediate proximity to a lake. Visconti Castle in Locarno and Oberhofen Castle on the Lake of Thun are both motifs on this year’s Pro Patria stamps.
While the 12th century Visconti Castle in Locarno has been besieged, captured and destroyed on numerous occasions, the castle of a similar age in Oberhofen can look back on a far more peaceful his-tory.
Only around one fth of the original siteremains in Locarno. One can only imagine the size of the original fortress. The castle is now a museum.
The site in Oberhofen has changed hands on numerous occasions and has been converted and expanded over the centu- ries, rst as a castle and later as a summer residence. It has been open to the public since 1954.
Issue Date: 11.05.2017
Designer: Angelo Boog, Wallisellen
Printer: Cartor Security Printing, La Loupe, France
Process: Offset, 5-colour, scale + Pantone Gold
Colours: 5 Colours
Size: Stamp: 33×28 mm, Sheetlet: 194×140 mm (4 rows of 5 stamps)
