Editing History of the Alps (section)

===Central Alps===
{{further|Old Swiss Confederacy|Highest Alemannic}}
[[File:Andermatt-Teufelsbruecke.jpg|thumb|''[[Teufelsbrücke]]'' (Devil's Bridge) on the route to the [[Gotthard Pass]]; the currently used bridge from 1958 over the first drivable bridge from 1830]]

In the Central Alps the chief event, on the northern side of the chain, is the [[Growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy|gradual formation]] from 1291 to 1516 of the [[Old Swiss Confederacy|Swiss Confederacy]], at least so far as regards the mountain [[Cantons of Switzerland|cantons]], and with especial reference to the independent confederations of the Grisons and the Valais, which only became full members of the Confederation in 1803 and 1815 respectively. The attraction of the south was too strong for both the Forest Cantons and the [[Grisons]], so that both tried to secure, and actually did secure, various bits of the [[Milan]]ese.

The [[Gotthard Pass]] was known in antiquity as ''Adula Mons'', but it was not one of the important Alpine passes due to the impassability of the [[Schöllenen Gorge]] north of the pass. This changed dramatically with the construction of the so-called [[Teufelsbrücke|Devil's Bridge]] by the year 1230. Almost immediately, in 1231, the formerly unimportant valley of [[Canton of Uri|Uri]] was granted imperial immediacy and became the main route connecting Germany and Italy. Also in 1230, a hospice dedicated to [[Gotthard of Hildesheim]] was built on the pass to accommodate the pilgrims to Rome which now took this route. The sudden strategical importance for the European powers gained by what is now [[Central Switzerland]] was an important factor in the [[formation of the Old Swiss Confederacy]] beginning in the late 13th century.

In the 15th century, the Forest Cantons won the [[Valle Leventina]] as well as [[Bellinzona]] and the [[Valle di Blenio]] (though the [[Ossola Valley|Valle d'Ossola]] was held for a time only). Blenio was added to the [[Val Bregaglia]] (which had been given to the bishop of [[Chur|Coire]] in 960 by the emperor [[Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto]] I), along with the valleys of [[Valle Mesolcina]] and of [[Val Poschiavo]].