It is known that as early as in the Imperial Roman period Locarno was a holiday resort. Of old, the name referred to the entire area and not only the present-day town.

The Castello Visconteo, inside which the Renaissance-style courtyard with its portico and loggia, a number of ceilings in wood and a fresco depicting the Virgin Mary, may still be admired; nowadays it is home to the archaeological museum which also includes one of the most beautiful and complete collections of Roman glassware.

http://www.ascona-locarno.com/en/destinations/locarno.html