Lugano

Background

Surrounded by the mountains of Brè, San Salvatore, and Sighinola, this pretty Ticino town is the perfect destination for lovers of both nature and culture. It’s idyllic location, with its lake and verdant surroundings, sometimes distract from the fact that this is the third largest financial centre in Switzerland and the biggest Italian-speaking city outside of Italy. In 2003 Lugano, which had about 52,000 inhabitants, was merged with the surrounding municipalities to create a population of 135,000.

The area was already inhabited at the time of the Etruscan and Celtic tribes, and throughout history Lugano has often found itself the scene of brutal conflicts which resulted from the struggle for power between Milan, Como, France and the Swiss.  In 1803 the canton of Lugano, named Ticino, was created.