The city lies onLake Lugano, at its largest width, and, together with the adjacent town ofParadiso, occupies the entire bay of Lugano. The territory of the municipality encompasses a much larger region on both sides of the lake, with numerous isolated villages. The region of Lugano is surrounded by theLugano Prealps, the latter extending on most of theSottoceneri region, the southernmost part ofTicino andSwitzerland. Both western and eastern parts of the municipality share an international border with Italy.
Described as a market town since 984, Lugano was the object of continuous disputes between the sovereigns ofComo andMilanuntil it became part of theOld Swiss Confederation in 1513. In 1803, the political municipality of Lugano was created, following the establishment of the canton. Since 1882, Lugano has been an important stop on the internationalGotthard Railway. The rail brought a decisive contribution to the development of tourism and more generally of the tertiary sector which are, to this day, predominant in the economy of the city.
The toponym is first recorded in 804 AD, in the formLuanasco, in 874 asLuano, and from 1189 asLugano. Traditional German-language variants of the name (now virtually unused) areLowens,Lauis,Lauwis,Louwerz.[10][11]
The localLombard form of the name is renderedLugan.[12] The etymology of the name is uncertain, suggestions include derivation fromLatinlucus ("grove"),[13] from aVulgar Latin*lakvannus ("lake-dweller")[14] and from the godLugus.[15] InRomansch, especially in traditionalSursilvan dialect, the city is known asLigiaun.
The shores of Lake Lugano have been inhabited since theStone Age. Within the modern city limits (Breganzona,Castagnola, Davesco and Gandria) severalground stones orquern-stones have been found. In the area surrounding Lugano, items from theCopper Age and theIron Age have been found.[16] There areEtruscan monuments at Davesco-Soragno (5th to 2nd century BC), Pregassona (3rd to 2nd century BC), and Viganello (3rd to 2nd century BC). Graves with jewellery and household items have been found in Aldesago, Davesco, Pazzallo and Pregassona along withCeltic money in Viganello.
The region around Lake Lugano was settled by theRomans by the 1st century BC. There was an important Roman town north of Lugano atBioggio.[16] There are fewer traces of the Romans in Lugano, but several inscriptions, graves and coins indicate that some Romans lived in what would become Lugano.
The first written mention of a settlement at Lugano can be found in documents, which are of disputed authenticity,[17] with which the Longobard kingLiutprand ceded various assets located in Lugano to the Church ofSaint Carpophorus inComo in 724. Other documents, dating from 804 and 844 refer to Lake Lugano as Laco Luanasco, and an act of 984 indicates Lugano as a market town.[17]
During the fighting betweenGuelphs and Ghibellines and the new disputes between Como andMilan, during the 14th and 15th centuries, Lugano was the scene of clashes between opposing forces. After a long rule by the Rusca family, Lugano was freed from the domination of Como, which had been taken over in 1335 from theVisconti. At the same time, the link between the town and the valley strengthened. By 1405–06 documents attest to avallis comunitas Lugani et, a governing body that was independent of Como. The new community included theparishes of Lugano,Agno,Riva San Vitale andCapriasca. In 1416 the Duke of Milan,Filippo Maria Visconti, conquered the region of Lugano and the Rusca valley and made it afief. A year later, Lugano's freedoms were first documented in a series of statutes modelled on those of Como. The town was able to secure complete independence.[17]
Interior of Lugano Cathedral, built in the 15th century
Drawing of the Lugano Cathedral, 1538
Interior of the Franciscan Monastery, built in the 15th century
Civic building from the 15th century
Between 1433 and 1438 the Duke of Milan sat as a feudal lord over Lugano. He compensated the Rusca family with the ownership of Locarno. Under the reign of his heirs in the following decades rebellions and riots broke out, which lasted until the French invasion of 1499.
Lugano as a dependency of the Old Swiss Confederacy
Villa Favorita, built in 1687 for Karl Konrad von Beroldingen
Lugano was the object of continuous disputes between the sovereigns of Como and Milan, in particular by the powerful dynasties of theVisconti (rulers of Milan) and the Rusca (rulers of Como), until it became a Swiss dominion in 1513.
An important name in this period was that of thevon Beroldingen, a noble family fromUri, whose members between 1576 and 1798 served as chancellors of theVogt residing in Lugano.[18] A key member of this family wasKarl Konrad von Beroldingen [it] (1624–1706), who served as Lugano's chancellor and general captain, serving also Spain, and receiving the title of Baron fromLeopold I in 1691. He commissioned the construction of Palazzo Beroldingen, on the site of the currentParco Ciani [it], andVilla Favorita [it], inCastagnola.[19]
In 1746, the Agnelli brothers opened the first printing press and bookshop in Lugano. They began publishing the newspaperNuove di diverse corti e paesi in 1748 and changed its name toGazzetta di Lugano in 1797. The newspaper was widely read in north and central Italy. It supported the cause of the laterJansenists against theJesuits and therefore was banned in 1768 in the territory of thePapal States. It was open to the themes of enlightened reform and the American Revolutionary War. It was the first newspaper in the Italian language to publish an excerpt from theDeclaration of Independence of 1776. After the death of Abbot Gian Battista Agnelli in 1788, who had been the editor for more than 40 years, Abbot Giuseppe Lodovico Maria Vanelli took over the paper. Under Abbot Vanelli, it supported the revolutionary ideas from France, which drew protests from the Austrian government inLombardy. The publication of the magazine ceased abruptly after edition number 17 of 29 April 1799, following the anti-French riots in Lugano during which the Agnelli printing house was sacked and Abbot Vanelli was shot.[20]
The canton of Lugano unified the formerLandvogteien of Lugano,Mendrisio,Locarno andValmaggia. However, as with the other cantons of the Helvetic Republic, theautonomy of Lugano was very limited, the republic having been founded by Napoleon in order further to centralise power in Switzerland. The canton was led by aDirectory of five members, who appointed a "nationalpréfet".[21]
The canton was deeply divided between "patriots" supporting theCisalpine Republic, and traditionalist "aristocrats". By 1799 riots broke out in Lugano, and the second préfet, Francesco Capra, fled the town. Power passed to aprovisional government sympathetic to theHabsburgs. However, French occupation was restored in 1800.[21] Discontent continued and in early 1802 a revolt in Capriasca led to the autumnpronunciamento of Pian Povrò, whichdeclared the independence of Lugano from the Helveticclient republic.
With theAct of Mediation, the following year, political agitation was finally quelled, as were the struggles between unionists and federalists. The canton of Lugano merged withBellinzona creating the canton ofTicino, which endures to the present day.
After 1803, the political municipality of Lugano was created. One of the primary tasks of the new city government was to determine the division of property and authority between thepatriziato and the new political municipality. Two agreements between the two organizations, in 1804 and 1810, began this process. In the second half of the 19th century, the political municipality received various properties and rights from the patriziato. Francesco Capra, the préfet during the Helvetic Republic, became the firstmayor of Lugano from 1803 until 1813. The cantonal constitution of 1814, set Lugano, Bellinzona and Locarno as capitals of the Canton. They each served as the capital in a six-year rotation. Lugano was the capital in 1827–33, 1845–51 and 1863–69.[22]
In the 19th century, the city government was dominated by theLiberal Party. In 1900, slightly more than half of the seats on the city council (at the time 50 total members, but 60 members since 2004) were held by Liberals. Most of the rest of the seats were held by either Conservatives or Socialists.
The city government initially had eleven members, but in 1908 their number was reduced to five and in 2004 increased to seven. Throughout most of the 20th century, the Liberals held the absolute majority here as well. The rest of the municipal executive posts were held by the Conservatives, the Socialists (1944–48, 1976–80 and since 2000) and theTicino League (since 1992).
Around 1830 new civic and government buildings began to emerge in Lugano. The town also began to expand into the surrounding hills, along the Cassarate, and toward Molino Nuovo, Paradiso and Castagnola. In 1843–44 the city hall was built on the site of the Bishop's Palace (built in 1346). It housed the cantonal government in 1845–51 and again in 1863–69. Since 1890, it has housed the city government. The promenade was built in stages: the first part was in the 1870s, the second in the first decade of the 20th century. In the first decades of the 19th century, the roads that connect Lugano with Bellinzona (1808–12), Ponte Tresa (1808–20) and Chiasso (1810–16) were built. In 1848 the first steamboat on Lake Lugano began to operate, with regular, scheduled service since 1856.
The construction of theMelide causeway between Melide and Bissone in 1844–47 favoured the development of the Chiasso-Bellinzona-Lugano-Gotthard line at the expense of the north–south route alongLake Maggiore. This tendency for development was strengthened further in 1882 with the completion of theGotthard railway line. The railway station was built in 1874–77 in Lugano, and transformed it into one of the main links between northern Italy and central and northern Europe, which led to the development of tourism and in general, helped the services sector.[22]
From the mid-19th century to 1970 the city recorded consistent population growth, especially between 1880 and 1910, when the population more than doubled. This increase was partly due to foreign nationals settling in Lugano (in 1870 18.7% of the population, 1910 43.6%) and people from other language areas of Switzerland (1870 1.4% of the population, 1910 6.9%). In the last three decades of the 20th century, the population fell slightly, despite the merger in 1972, of the municipalities ofCastagnola and Brè-Aldesago. This reflected a trend to move away from the centre to the suburban communities.[22]
Following theSecond World War, and particularly during the 1960s and 70s, thanks to an abundant flow of capital from nearby Italy,[22] Lugano experienced a period of exponential growth in banking activities which led to it placing itself as the third financial centre of Switzerland,[10][24] with over 100 banking institutions present in the city.[22] Trade, tourism and finance are the mainstays of the local economy. In 2000, nine-tenths of the workers were employed in the services sector, of which three-quarters were commuters, including many cross-border commuters (13% of the working population).
Lugano was the host city of the1956 Eurovision Song Contest, the first-ever edition of the contest. In 1975, the Congress Center was built followed in 1978 by the new City Hospital. In 1963 the city acquired the land for the airfield Lugano-Agno, and the first scheduled flights was in 1980. At the beginning of the 21st century they began the Grande Lugano projects, including: the car tunnel Vedeggio-Cassarate, which started in 2005 and connects theA2 motorway with the neighbourhood of Cornaredo, the creation of a new Kulturpol on the site of the former Grand Hôtel Palace and a convention and exhibition centre in the area of Campo Marzio.[22]
In June 2011, officials of the Israeli town ofYehud announced they would undertake a massive construction project to replicate Lugano's old square in the centre of their town, to reinvigorate commerce and tourism. The replica will be replete with neoclassical columns and colonnades.[25]
The city centre is located on the lake shore just to the west of where the riverCassarate enters the lake. The city's waterfront forms a crescent around the bay between theBrè (925 m [3,035 ft]) and theSan Salvatore (912 m [2,992 ft]) mountains.[4]
Because of the historical development of the city, incorporating some relatively distant suburbs but leaving other, nearer, suburbs as independent municipalities, the borders of the city are disparate. A large and sparsely populated section of the city is on the east bank of Lake Lugano and separated from the city by that lake. Similarly, the inner-urban but independent municipality ofParadiso is a near-enclave, totally surrounded as it is by the municipality and Lake Lugano.[4]
Based on the 1997 land survey, as of 2013[update] the municipality Lugano has a total area of 32.09 square kilometres (12.39 square miles). Of this area, 3.25 km2 (1.25 sq mi) or 10.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 6.73 km2 (2.60 sq mi) or 21.0% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 4.48 km2 (1.73 sq mi) or 14.0% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.04 km2 (9.9 acres) or 0.1% is either rivers or lakes and 0.12 km2 (30 acres) or 0.4% is unproductive land.[citation needed]
Of the built-up area, housing and buildings made up 9.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.0%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 1.2%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 0.5% is used for growing crops and 9.4% is used for alpine pastures. Almost all the water in the municipality is in lakes.[26][better source needed]
Cypresses and olive trees at the Santa Maria di Loreto Church
Lugano is amongstthe warmest places in Switzerland, along withLocarno andGrono. Lugano has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) due to the warmer average being above 22 °C (71.6 °F).[27] The vegetation is from thesubtropics withdeciduous forest.[28][29] It is characterized by relatively mild winters and warm humid summers.[30] It has an average of 98.1 days of rain or snow per year and on average receives 1,559 mm (61.4 in) ofprecipitation. The wettest month is May during which Lugano receives an average of 196 mm (7.7 in) of rain, while the driest month of the year is February with an average of 52 mm (2.0 in) of precipitation over 4.6 days.[31]
Located on a plain in southernSwitzerland and protected by theAlps andlakes, the climate is one of the mildest in the country, typical of theItalian Lakes in the Insubrian region. Precipitation is abundant throughout the year, while temperature fluctuations remain moderate. Lugano is also one of the sunniestSwiss cities.[32] The heaviest rainfall tends to occur just before and just after the summer months. January typically has around 27 to 28 nights below freezing, though severe cold is rare and does not occur every year. Much of the summer is pleasant, but warm days above 30 °C (86 °F) are not uncommon (average of about 8 days).[31] It usually snows every winter, but often a single snowfall doesn't leave more than 50 cm on the ground. Heavier snowfalls or blizzards are possible but not very common.[31]
The highest temperature recorded in Lugano is 38.0 °C (100.4 °F), recorded in July 1945, with the lowest temperature recorded being −20.4 °C (−4.7 °F), recorded in February 1929.[33]
Climate data for Lugano (coast ofLake Lugano), elevation: 273 m (896 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1901–present
Theblazon of the municipalcoat of arms is Gules, a cross throughout argent, between the upper case serif letters L, V, G and A (respectively in the I, II, III and IV quarters). The coat of arms dates from around 1200. The four letters on the coat of arms are an abbreviation of the name Lugano.[38]
The municipality is subdivided into 25[citation needed]quartieri (neighborhoods)[3] which are grouped into three (cantonal) circles.[39]
Quarters 1–9 are the older quarters of the city, which have been added to by successive enlargements of the municipality in 2004, 2008 and 2013; these enlargements involved previously independent municipalities becoming parts of the municipality.
This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(January 2022)
In the 2007[update]Grand Council of Ticino election, there were a total of 27,557 registered voters in Lugano, of which 15,214 or 55.2% voted. 237 blank ballots and 38 null ballots were cast, leaving 14,939 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was thePLR which received 3,680 or 24.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; theLega (with 2,854 or 19.1%), the SSI (with 2,532 or 16.9%) and thePS (with 2,170 or 14.5%).[40]
In the 2007[update]Council of State of Ticino election, 158 blank ballots and 79 null ballots were cast, leaving 14,980 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the Lega which received 3,839 or 25.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLR (with 3,596 or 24.0%), the PS (with 2,496 or 16.7%) and the SSI (with 2,169 or 14.5%).[40]
In the2019 federal election for theSwiss National Council the most popular party was theLega which received 20.6% (-5.8) of the vote. The next five most popular parties were thePLR (20.3%, -2), thePPD (14.0%, -1.1),PS (13.9%, -1.3), theUDC (13.2%, -0.2), and theGreen Party (11.1%, +7.0).[41] In the federal election a total of 15,639 votes were cast, and thevoter turnout was 46.6%.[42]
This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(January 2022)
In the2007 federal election the most popular party was thePLR which received 26.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were theLega (19%), thePPD (18.71%) and thePS (17.46%). In the federal election, a total of 11,980 votes were cast, and thevoter turnout was 42.8%.[43]
Since its union with some surrounding municipalities in 2004 (Breganzona,Cureggia,Davesco-Soragno, Gandria,Pambio-Noranco,Pazzallo,Pregassona andViganello), 2008 (Barbengo, Carabbia andVilla Luganese) and 2013 (Bogno, Cadro,Carona,Certara,Cimadera, Sonvico andVal Colla), Lugano has a population (as of December 2020[update]) of 62,315[9] and is, therefore, the canton's largest city.[46] The expansion in 2004 was the second major expansion after the union in 1972 with the municipalities of Brè-Aldesago andCastagnola. As of 2015[update], 38.1% of the population do not holdSwiss citizenship and 14,778 or 23.2% of the population was born in Italy.[47] In 2013, among the Swiss population (61.6%, 41,392), 24.3% (16,349) are Luganesi, 21.7% (14,585) from anywhere else in the canton of Ticino, and 15.6% (10,458) from other cantons in Switzerland.[48]
The city's economy provides an estimated 38,000 jobs,[46] over a third of which are occupied by cross-border commuters. Business, tourism and finance constitute the backbone of the local economy. In 2000, the tertiary sector offered 90% of all jobs in Lugano, of which 75% were occupied by commuters, many of which commute from neighbouring Italy (approximately 13% of the active working population); in the same year tax revenues reached CHF 104 million, of which CHF 59 million were attributable to the banking sector. The town is Switzerland's third largestbanking centre afterZürich andGeneva.[24][49] With regards to intercommunal financial equalisation, thanks to its financial strength Lugano contributes significantly to the equalisation fund.[22] The population is Italian-speaking and mainlyCatholic by faith. Lugano is the largest city outside Italy with Italian as official language.[50]
Between 1997 and 2007, the population changed at a rate of 6.9%. Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaksItalian (80.3%), withGerman being second most common (7.1%) andSerbo-Croatian being third (2.7%).[51] Of the Swiss national languages (as of 2000[update]), 20,998 people speak Italian, 1,855 speak German, 597 people speakFrench, and 39 people speakRomansh. The remainder (3,071 people) speak another language.[52]
As of 2008[update], the gender distribution of the population was 47.1% male and 52.9% female. The population was made up of 15,457 Swiss men (28.1% of the population), and 10,461 (19.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 19,417 Swiss women (35.3%), and 9,725 (17.7%) non-Swiss women.[53]
In 2008[update] there were 318 live births to Swiss citizens and 190 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in the same period there were 351 deaths of Swiss citizens and 92 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 33 while the foreign population increased by 98. There were 7 Swiss men and 3 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 672 non-Swiss men and 556 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 197 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 706 people. This represents apopulation growth rate of 1.7%.[54]
The age distribution, as of 2009[update], in Lugano is; 4,666 children or 8.5% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 5,013 teenagers or 9.1% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 6,270 people or 11.4% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 8,267 people or 15.0% are between 30 and 39, 9,113 people or 16.6% are between 40 and 49, and 6,844 people or 12.4% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 6,459 people or 11.7% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 4,947 people or 9.0% are between 70 and 79, and there are 3,481 people or 6.3% who are over 80.[53]
As of 2000[update] the average number of residents per living room was 0.61 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.6 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m2 (43 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 19.1% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words, did not pay rent (though they may have amortgage or arent-to-own agreement).[55]
As of 2000[update], there were 23,168 private households in the municipality and an average of 2 persons per household.[51] In 2000[update] there were 489 single-family homes (or 20.6% of the total) out of a total of 2,372 inhabited buildings. There were 214 two-family buildings (9.0%) and 1,046 multi-family buildings (44.1%). There were also 623 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).[56]
The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2008[update], was 0.64%. In 2000[update] there were 16,333 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 5,398. There were 1,811 single-room apartments and 2,019 apartments with five or more rooms.[57] Of these apartments, a total of 13,342 apartments (81.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 2,485 apartments (15.2%) were seasonally occupied and 506 apartments (3.1%) were empty.[57] As of 2007[update], the construction rate of new housing units was 3.3 new units per 1000 residents.[51]
As of 2003[update] the average price to rent an average apartment in Lugano was 1073.49Swiss francs (CHF) per month (US$860, £480, €690 approx. exchange rate from 2003). The average rate for a one-room apartment was 623.12 CHF (US$500, £280, €400), a two-room apartment was about 809.81 CHF (US$650, £360, €520), a three-room apartment was about 1030.53 CHF (US$820, £460, €660) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1890.13 CHF (US$1510, £850, €1210). The average apartment price in Lugano was 96.2% of the national average of 1116 CHF.[58]
From the 2000 census[update], 18,035 or 67.9% were Catholic, while 1,517 or 5.7% belonged to theSwiss Reformed Church. There are 4,714 individuals (or about 17.75% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 2,294 individuals (or about 8.64% of the population) did not answer the question.[52]
As of 2007[update], Lugano had an unemployment rate of 5.59%. As of 2005[update], there were 77 people employed in theprimary economic sector and about 28 businesses involved in this sector. 3,520 people were employed in thesecondary sector and there were 420 businesses in this sector. 33,601 people were employed in thetertiary sector, with 3,877 businesses in this sector.[51] There were 12,191 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 45.9% of the workforce.
In 2000[update], there were 28,174 workers who commuted into the municipality and 3,994 workers who commuted away. Lugano is the economic centre of the region and draws about 7.1 workers into the municipality for every one leaving. About 12.4% of the workforce coming into Lugano are coming from outside Switzerland, while 1.6% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work.[59] Of the working population, 15.2% used public transportation to get to work, and 44.6% used a private car.[51]
As of 2009[update], there were 43 hotels in Lugano with a total of 1,584 rooms and 2,889 beds.[60]
The airlineDarwin Airline, operating under the brand name Etihad Regional since January 2014, has its head office on the grounds ofLugano Airport in Agno, near Lugano.[61]
Lugano is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Switzerland. The city is home to a number of historic buildings and museums, whilst the surrounding area has many natural sights.[62]
Both Lake Lugano and the surrounding mountains provide a wide variety of outdoor activities. The area surrounding Lugano is home to over 300 kilometres (190 mi) ofmountain biking trails, the largest net of trails in Switzerland.[63]
The heritage sites of national significance include two libraries, the Biblioteca Cantonale and the Biblioteca Salita dei Frati as well as the Swiss National Recording Archives (Fonoteca nazionale svizzera). There were three churches;Cathedral of San Lorenzo, Church of Santa Maria degli Angioli and the Church of San Rocco.
There were four museums; theMuseo Cantonale d'Arte [de],Museum of Modern Art, Lugano [it], theMuseo cantonale di storia naturale di Lugano [it] and the Villa Ciani complex with theMuseo civico. In 2015, the two art museums in the city merged to formMASI Lugano.[65] The cemetery complex at via Trevano is also one of the sites, as is theRadiotelevisione svizzera di lingua italiana (RTSI) Italian-language broadcast facility. The rest of the sites are houses throughout the town. They include the Palazzo civico at piazza della Riforma, the Palazzo e cinema Corso at via Pioda, the Palazzo Riva at via Francesco Soave, the Palazzo Riva at via Massimiliano Magatti, the Palazzo Riva at via Pretorio 7 and Villa Favorita in Castagnola.
A very popular destination in Lugano is Lake Lugano. The lake is 48.7 square kilometres (18.8 sq mi) in size, 63% of which is in Switzerland and 37% in Italy. It has an average width of roughly 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) and is nearly 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) at its widest. The maximum depth of the lake is 279 meters (915 ft). The water is generally warm with average water temperatures in the summer ranging from 19.5 °C (67.1 °F) to 24.0 °C (75.2 °F).[66]
Several companies provide tourist boat services on the lake. A popular excursion is by boat to the picturesque lakeside village of Gandria. Additionally, there are numerous shipyards, water taxis and boat rental sites along the lake, as well as hotels and restaurants that offer moorings. Bathing in the lake is allowed at any of the 50 or so bathing establishments located along the Swiss shores.[66][67]
In addition to the lake, Lugano is surrounded by mountains, which provide a number of opportunities for sports or sightseeing. Two mountains, both providing excellent views over the city and lake, bracket each end of the town's waterfront.Monte Brè (933 metres (3,061 ft)), to the north, is reputedly Switzerland's sunniest spot and is also home to the old village of Brè.Monte San Salvatore (912 metres (2,992 ft)), to the south, has an old church and museum atop its summit. Both mountains are accessible byfunicular railways, which are themselves easily accessible by frequent city bus or by car.[68][69]
In Lugano there were a total of 7,931 students (as of 2009[update]). The Ticinoeducation system provides up to three years of non-mandatorykindergarten and in Lugano there were 1,356 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 2,280 students attended the standard primary schools and 129 students attended the special school. In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two-year middle school followed by a two-year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four-year program to prepare for higher education. There were 1,932 students in the two-year middle school and 47 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 884 students were in the four-year advanced program.
The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college. In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student).[71] There were 492 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 722 who attend part-time.
The professional program lasts three years and prepares a student for a job in engineering, nursing, computer science, business, tourism and similar fields. There were 89 students in the professional program.[72] As of 2000[update], there were 3,537 students in Lugano who came from another municipality, while 887 residents attended schools outside the municipality.[59]
Lugano is home to 2 libraries. These libraries include; the Biblioteca universitaria di Lugano and the Biblioteca cantonale Lugano. There was a combined total (as of 2008[update]) of 448,811 books or other media in the libraries, and in the same year a total of 51,740 items were loaned out.[73]
The headquarter of the universityUniversità della Svizzera italiana in Lugano includes 5 of its 6 faculties, the Academy of Architecture being based in Mendrisio. The main building, built in 1909, was originally the hospital of Lugano and since 1996 it is home of the university.[74] In the next years, several added buildings enriched the headquarter until the other side of the river, in the quarter called Viganello. In fact, the area of the older buildings on the west side of the river is called "West Campus" (or "Campus Ovest" in Italian), whereas the newest building (active since 2021) on the other side of the river is called "East Campus" (or "Campus Est" in Italian) and it houses both the university USI and the University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland SUPSI.
Some of the universities and colleges in Lugano include:
Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI): This Swiss university, translated as "University of Italian Switzerland", which is organised in 6 faculties: the Faculty of Informatics, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Theology and the Academy of Architecture (which is based in Mendrisio).
Lugano railway station (above the cathedral) with both SBB and FLP railways. The tracks of the funicular are also visible (to the right of the cathedral)The central bus stationLugano landing stage
Lugano is served byLugano Airport, in the nearby municipality ofAgno. Currently, onlySilver Air operates to Lugano Airport. While there is limited service to Lugano's airport,Milan's airports are not that far away and provide access to a greater number of worldwide locations.Milan Malpensa Airport is connected to Lugano by a direct hourly train with a travel time of 1:45h from/to Lugano,[24][75] or about one hour, 80 km by road.
Lugano's railway station is situated on the historically and concurrently importantGotthard railway line, which links northern Switzerland with Ticino and Italy. Since the inauguration of theGotthard Base Tunnel, in 2016, and theCeneri Base Tunnel, in 2020, train connections with cities in Northern Switzerland, such asZürich,Luzern andBasel, have been improved, with significantly faster services through the base tunnels.[76]
Long-distance trains of theSwiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS), together with international trains ofTrenitalia, connect Lugano with the cities of northern Switzerland and withItaly. The trains operate under theInterCity andEuroCity brands. Service is provided hourly toZürich and once every two hours toBasel andMilan. One train per day operates to each ofBologna,Genoa andVenice. All the above trains operate via the Gotthard and Ceneri base tunnels. Between April and mid October, the tourist orientedGotthard Panorama Express connects Lugano withLucerne once a day by train and boat, travelling by train over the historic high-level Gotthard route, and then by boat along the length ofLake Lucerne.[77][78][79]
Lugano is also served by several lines of regional trains of theTreni Regionali Ticino Lombardia (TILO) network which operates in the canton of Ticino and the north of the Italian region ofLombardy. Line RE80 provides a half-hourly semi-fast service northbound toLocarno and southbound toMendrisio andChiasso, with alternate southbound trains continuing toMilan. Line S10 provides a half-hourly all-stations service northbound toBellinzona andBiasca and southbound to Mendrisio and Chiasso, with alternate southbound trains continuing toComo and occasional northbound trains continuing toAirolo. Line S50 provides an hourly service toMilan Malpensa Airport, running coupled to an S10 service between Biasca and Mendrisio. All the above trains use the Ceneri Base Tunnel, but line S90 provides a half-hourly service north toGiubiasco and an hourly service south to Mendrisio serving all the stations over the old high-level Ceneri route.[77][78]
Lugano is located along theA2 motorway, a part of theEuropean route E35 that stretches over 1,600 km (990 mi) betweenAmsterdam andRome. Like the original railway, the A2 to the north crosses the Ceneri and Gotthard passes and links Lugano to northern Switzerland and, viaBasel, to the German motorway network. To the south it crosses the Swiss-Italian border atChiasso, linking to the Italian motorway network. The motorway runs to the west and south of the city, using extensive tunnelling to deal with the mountainous landscape.
Longer distance buses, as well as some local buses, are operated byPostBus Switzerland, known locally as theAutoPostale. ItsPalm Express service connectsLugano railway station toSt. Moritz. OtherAutoPostale buses operate from an underground bus station and ticket office, located at Via Balestra 4 in the centre of Lugano.ASF Autolinee, an Italian bus company, operates an international bus route from Lugano toMenaggio, on the shores ofLake Como.[80][84]
Boats of theSocietà Navigazione del Lago di Lugano (SNL) provide services onLake Lugano. Whilst these are principally provided for tourist purposes, they also connect Lugano with other lakeside communities. Several of the landing points are within the sparsely populated section of the municipality that lies on the east side of the lake and have no road access.[85]
TheLugano Festival runs during April and May, followed by the related "Progetto Martha Argerich" in June. Estival Jazz arrives in July. Between July and August, there is the LongLake Festival, one of the greatest urban open-air happenings in Switzerland. During one month, the LongLake offers over 300 events in downtown Lugano.
The Blues-to-Bop Festival arrives in late August and early September turns the town into a hive of activity as thousands crowd the streets and piazzas for free open-air concerts.
The MASI (Museo d'Arte della Svizzera italiana) has two parallel objectives: the conservation and study of the Museum's permanent collection, which is above all made up of works belonging to the 19th and 20th centuries; and the planning and presentation of temporary exhibitions. It focuses on the art of the cantons of Ticino andGraubünden (Grigioni in Italian) and presents artists from the region on a regular basis.[88]Lugano Arte e Cultura (LAC) is a cultural centre dedicated to music, visual and performance arts. It opened in 2015.
The district ofBrè-Aldesago offers its visitors charming corners created by its characteristic stone buildings. The cobblestone streets of the town offer art enthusiasts an artistic path that is very interesting both because of the presence of national and international "names" and the combination of art and the environment.[citation needed]
Hockey Club Lugano (HCL) plays in theNational League (NL), the top tier of Swiss hockey and is by far the town's number one team. They play at theCornèr Arena and have won seven national titles, having participated twice in theEuropean Cup final round and once in the top four final in the Euroleague. In 1991, Lugano reached the final of theSpengler Cup and twice reached third place in theIIHF Continental Cup Superfinal.
The Stadio Cornaredo currently sits 4,800 people. It hosted the Italy-Belgium match at the1954 FIFA World Cup. According to some sources, Lugano is the smallest city ever to hold a World Cup match.[89] Around the soccer field there is a gravel lane used during athletic contests and that, outside of official match and training hours, can be used by joggers free of charge. Next to the stadium are three small training fields. There are also two artificial grass fields: one for field hockey and one for soccer. There is also a skate park next to the stadium.
^Andres Kristol, ed. (2005).Lexikon der schweizerischen Gemeindenamen. Frauenfeld/Lausanne: Centre de Dialectologie an der Universität Neuenburg. p. 548.
^"Lugano commune (Ticino canton, Switzerland)". Flags of the World Website. Retrieved20 July 2012."Gastone Cambin in the armorial of the communes of Tessin says that there has been a lot of strange conjectures about the meaning of the letters LUGA. It is obvious that they are simply the abbreviation of Lugano as it is proved by the primitive coat of arms of the parish, and which is confirmed by documents from 18 October 1208 and 14 November 1209, preserved once in the monastery of Sant'Amborgio of Milan but now undiscoverable. Cambin never alludes to 'La Vera Giustizia Antica' in his approach of the coat of arms of Lugano and I'm inclined to think that the meaning quoted by Mr. Huber [who submitted this interpretation on 30 April 2002] has expanded recently but without solid background." Pascal Gross, 2 May 2002
^Swiss Federal Statistical Office, FSO, ed. (28 November 2019)."NR - Ergebnisse Parteien (Gemeinden) (INT1)"(CSV) (official statistics) (in German, French, and Italian). Neuchâtel, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Statistical Office, FSO. Retrieved18 May 2020 – via opendata.swiss.
^Swiss Federal Statistical Office, FSO, ed. (28 November 2019)."NR - Wahlbeteiligung (Gemeinden) (INT1)"(CSV) (official statistics) (in German, French, and Italian). Neuchâtel, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Statistical Office, FSO. Retrieved18 May 2020 – via opendata.swiss.
^"Gemeinde Statistics 1981–2008" [Municipality Statistics 1981–2008].Superweb database (in German). Swiss Federal Statistical Office. Archived fromthe original on 28 June 2010. Retrieved19 June 2010.
^Eurostat. "Housing (SA1)".Urban Audit Glossary(PDF). 2007. pp. 17–18. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 14 November 2009. Retrieved12 February 2010.
^"09.02.01 Edifici" [09.02.01 Buildings] (in Italian). Repubblica e Cantone Ticino. Archived fromthe original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved23 November 2010.
^ab"09.02.02 Abitazioni" [09.02.02 Housing] (in Italian). Repubblica e Cantone Ticino. Archived fromthe original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved23 November 2010.
^"Stato di Salute del Ceresio" [Health Status of Lake Lugano] (in Italian). Società Navigazione Lago di Lugano. Archived fromthe original on 28 December 2008. Retrieved22 November 2008.
^abc"LPL_Tessin"(PDF) (in Italian). Swiss Federal Railways.Archived(PDF) from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved29 April 2022.
^abc"Partenza - Stazione di Lugano" [Departure - Lugano Station](PDF) (in Italian). Swiss Federal Railways.Archived(PDF) from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved29 April 2022.
"Lugano and its Environs".Switzerland: with the Neighboring Lakes of Northern Italy, Savoy, and the Adjacent Districts of Piedmont, Lombardy and the Tyrol, Handbook for Travellers. Coblenz: Karl Baedeker. 1863.
"Lugano and its Lake",Switzerland, Together with Chamonix and the Italian Lakes (26th ed.), Leipzig: Karl Baedeker, 1922,OCLC4248970
.jpg)
.jpg)
_b_525_1.jpg)
%2c_RP-F-00-243.jpg)
_-_12.jpg)
.JPG)
.jpg)
_(21783439458).jpg)
.jpg)
