Reaching Lugano, with its splendid lake and its backdrop of mountains dotted with vegetation of intense and relaxing colors, is not so difficult. The town of the Canton Ticino, in Switzerland, which recognizes Italian as the official language, is a very popular tourist destination.
But the entire area is very interesting both from a naturalistic point of view and from that of traditions. In Lugano, Italians, and especially Lombards, gladly come for the Sunday outing, to feast their eyes on sparkling shop windows, savor the atmosphere of the old and new neighborhoods, take romantic boat rides or take the funicular up to Monte San Salvatore or Monte Bré, from where the view is fantastic.
1 What to see in Lugano
A stroll through the old town allows you to admire the 13th-century Cathedral of San Lorenzo, which underwent several renovations between the 13th and 15th centuries (the facade, for example, is in Lombard Renaissance style) and Piazza della Riforma, which are the focal points. The adjacent Piazza Rezzonico opens generously onto the lake, right in front of the pier, and is dominated by the massive 19th-century Town Hall. The walk can continue along the famous via Nassa, parallel to the lakeside, whose left side is lined with arcades; here, lovers of watches, jewelry, and all kinds of luxury shopping have plenty to admire and lighten their wallets. The street then leads to Piazza Luini, where the 16th-century Church of Santa Maria degli Angioli rises, adorned by a soaring Romanesque bell tower, which inside houses some of the most famous paintings by Bernardino Luini, a pupil of Leonardo.
2 Lugano and art
Art lovers can make a stop at the eighteenth-century Palazzo Riva to admire the masterpieces of the Museo Cantonale d’Arte, which brings together works by artists not only from Ticino but also Swiss and foreign artists (Renoir, Carrà, Pissarro, Klee, Kandinsky, Degas, Sironi). Or at Villa Favorita, in the district of Castagnola, where the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection is located. Lugano, finally, is also the city of Mario Botta, whose architectural genius leaves several traces, including the most famous: the building of the Banca del Gottardo, inside which there is also an art gallery.
3 San Salvatore and Brè Hills
In Lugano, a town of just over 50,000 inhabitants, there are several places of interest. We recommend a visit to the San Salvatore hill which, together with its opposite Brè Hill, are the two hills that enclose the Lugano bay. “From their summits, one can enjoy a splendid panorama. In both cases, they are interesting destinations for excursions and history. This is demonstrated by the story of the small church that stands at the top of San Salvatore, whose origins date back to the early 1200s, when the Bishop of Como sold his assets on the hill to the Chapter of Lugano.
Even at that time, there was a shrine, a small chapel later transformed into a small church, with a bell tower and a red porch. The tradition of pilgrimages began early, especially on Ascension and Pentecost days, with processions of hundreds of praying people. Those coming from afar would spend the night near the church. In 1703, the old building was demolished to make way, two years later, for the new church, thanks to the voluntary work of the women from Pazzallo and Carabbia, who carried the necessary materials up there.
The history of San Salvatore Hill is punctuated by curious episodes. For example, it is known that people from nearby villages, returning from pilgrimage, were accustomed to stop at the Sant’Antonio college in Lugano, where they were offered wine. This also gave rise to nighttime invasions.
Starting from the hill, there were also smuggling incidents, suppressed by the Austrian police in the nineteenth century. After a series of disastrous storms, in 1859 the first lightning rod was installed there, followed by extensive beautification work on the small church and the construction of a refuge-hospice to host pilgrims. For a certain period, management was entrusted to a Florentine, Major Siccoli, who also planned the construction of a hotel modeled after Monte Generoso.
