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Coordinates: 46°00′N 8°57′E / 46, 8.95 (Lugano)

Lugano
Country Switzerland Coat of Arms of Lugano
Canton Ticino
District Lugano
46°00′N 8°57′E / 46, 8.95
Population 56.719 (2008)
  - Density 2 /km² (4 /sq.mi.)
Area 37.13 km² (14.3 sq mi)
Elevation 273 m (896 ft)
Postal code 6900
SFOS number 5192
Mayor (list) Giorgio Giudici (as of 2008) FDP/PRD/PLR
Localities Brè-Aldesago, Centro, Besso, Loreto, Castagnola Cassarate, Molino Nuovo, Davesco-Soragno, Pambio Noranco, Cureggia, Breganzona, Gandria, Pazzallo, Pregassona, Viganello, Barbengo, Carabbia, Villa Luganese
Surrounded by
(view map)		 Arogno, Bioggio, Cadro, Campione d'Italia (Italy), Canobbio, Carona, Collina d'Oro, Grancia, Lanzo d'Intelvi (Italy), Massagno, Melide, Muzzano, Paradiso, Porza, Savosa, Sorengo, Valsolda (Italy), Vezia
Website www.lugano.ch
Profile (Italian)
Picture by Prokudin-Gorskii of Lugano ca. 1905-10, view from foot of Monte San Salvatore
Another Prokudin-Gorskii photograph of Lugano ca. 1905-10
Lugano by the lake

Lugano (Lombard language: Lügann) is a town (56,719 inhabitants, a total of 130,000 people in the agglomeration) in the south of Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which borders Italy. The city lies on Lake Lugano and its warm summers, and the fact that in recent years it has attracted an ever growing number of celebrities, entertainers and successful sports people has given it the nickname of the "Monte Carlo of Switzerland"1 2 It is the 9th biggest city of Switzerland by population.

The origin of the name is possibly the Latin word Lucus, meaning wood or sacred wood, or Gaulish locovanno "lake dweller" 3. The first written mention of a settlement at Lugano can be found in the documents, of disputed authenticity, with which the Longobard king, Liutprand, ceded various assets located in Lugano to the Church of Saint Carpophorus in Como 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.4 In 874 the town was referred to as Luano, and in 1189 it became known by its present name. This city was also known in the German-speaking cantons as Lowens, Lauis and Lauwis.5

Following the Second World War, and particularly during the 1960s and 70s, thanks to an abundant flow of capital from nearby Italy, Lugano experienced a period of exponential growth in banking activities which led to it placing itself as the third financial centre of Switzerland, with over 100 banking institutions present in the town.6

Contents

Geography

Lugano lies at the edge of Lake Lugano (Italian: Lago di Lugano or Ceresio), which is situated between the lakes Lago Maggiore and Lago di Como, south of the Alps.

The city is located where the river Cassarate enters the lake between the Brè (925m) and the San Salvatore (912m) mountains.

Demographics

Since its union with some surrounding municipalities (Breganzona, Cureggia, Davesco-Sorengo, Gandria, Pambio-Noranco, Pazzallo, Pregassona, and Viganello) in 2004, Lugano has a population of just over 52,000 is therefore Canton Ticino's largest city.7. This was the second major expansion after the union in 1972 with the municipalities of Brè-Aldesago and Castagnola.

The town's thriving economy provides an estimated 50,000 jobs, 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 city is Switzerland's third largest banking centre after Zurich and Geneva8. With regards to intercommunal financial equalisation, thanks to its financial strength Lugano contributes significantly to the equalisation fund.9 The population is Italian-speaking and mainly Roman Catholic.

The Population of Lugano 10
Year 1850 1870 1888 1900 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2000 2008
Inhabitants 5939 6836 8185 10847 14988 17672 21448 27121 25334 26560 56719


Mother Tongue of Population
Year 1888 1900 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2000
Italian 7773 10011 13215 13673 17132 21583 19973 20998
German 297 665 1388 3264 3358 3863 2421 1855
Other 115 171 385 735 958 1675 2940 3707


Religious Confession
Year 1850 1870 1888 1900 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2000
Catholic 5923 6781 7846 10140 12657 14208 18196 22897 20122 18035
Reformed 16 124 195 509 1056 2341 2345 2833 1999 1517
Other 11 144 198 1275 1123 907 1391 3213 7008
Jewish 4 4 44 171 401 489 250 165
Muslim 19 441 981
None 465 1614 2209


Nationalities
Year 1850 1870 1888 1900 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2000
Swiss 4773 5543 5676 6183 7574 11824 15979 18171 15792 15809
Foreign 1166 1373 2509 4664 7414 5848 5469 8950 9542 10751

Politics

See list of mayors of Lugano.

Tourism

Main sights

  • Lake Lugano
  • Pedal boats
  • St. Lawrence Cathedral (9th and 15th century)
  • St. Mary of the Angels Church (16th century) with the fresco of the Christ's Passion from Bernardino Luini
  • Parco civico - Villa Ciani
  • Monte San Salvatore
  • Monte Brè
  • Monte Generoso
  • Piazza della Riforma
  • Villa Favorita
Monte Brè and Monte Boglia on Lake Lugano
The view from the top of Monte Brè
Piazza della Riforma

Museums

Education and research

Transportation

 Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (June 2008)

There are many ways to get around in Lugano.

By Bus - The yellow 'Post' buses, part of the Autopostale service, offer 64 regional public service lines, as well as five urban lines, travels an estimated 7.9 million kilometres and transports 7 million passangers annually. Its network is also integrated with other modes of transport, such as the funiculars and the federal railways, and therefore regularly announces competitive offers on tourist excursions. Under AutoPostale Viaggi e Vacanze, the company organises trips inside Switzerland and to foreign locations. Its Palm Express service connects Lugano to St. Moritz. The AutoPostale station and ticket office is located at Via Balestra 4 in the centre of Lugano.

The inner city TPL buses, Trasporti pubblici luganesi, can be taken from the main terminal on Corso Pestalozzi in the centre of Lugano, and connect the centre with the suburbs.

The ARL buses, Autolinee regionali luganesi, connect Lugano with the towns of Canobbio, Davesco, Lamone, Sonvico and Tesserete.

By Railway - The FFS, Swiss Federal Railways, connect Lugano with other Swiss and Italian cities and towns. The FLP, Lugano-Ponte Tresa Railway, connects Lugano with Ponte Tresa.

By Plane - Airlines that use Lugano Airport, in Agno, are Darwin Airline, Flybaboo and Swiss Airlines.

By Boat - The Municipal Ports, SNLL, Rental Boats.

By Funicular - Lugano center Funicular, Mount Generoso Railway, SA Cassarate - Mount Brè Funicular, San Salvatore Funicular.

Taxis can be found outside the FFS railway station at Piazzale della Stazione.

Culture

Model by Mario Botta of Borromini's San Carlo church

The Palazzo dei Congressi is the performing arts center for Lugano. It is a main hall for the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana.

The Lugano Festival runs during April and May, followed by the related "Progetto Martha Argerich" in June. Estival Jazz arrives in July. The Blues-to-Bop Festival in late August and early September turns the city into a hive of activity as thousands crowd the streets and piazzas for free open-air concerts.

In 1956 Lugano hosted the first Eurovision Song Contest 11.

Sports

  • Football: AC Lugano plays in the Swiss Challenge League. They play at the Cornaredo stadium and are successors to FC Lugano who won the Swiss title in 1938, 1941 and 1949 and the Swiss Cup in 1931, 1968 and 1993 before going bankrupt in 2002.
  • Basketball: BC Lugano Tigers (former Basket Club Lugano) plays in the Swiss National League A (LNA). They play at the Elvetico gym, won the Swiss Cup in 2001 and have been Swiss LNA Champions in 2000, 2001 and 2006.

References

  1. ^ "Svizzera - Lugano - Guida alle città svizzere". Retrieved on 2008-11-24. in Italian
  2. ^ "Hôtels à Lugano". Retrieved on 2008-11-24. in French
  3. ^ origin of name
  4. ^ Historic Dictionary of Switzerland - Lugano (commune) - Medieval in Italian
  5. ^ Historic Dictionary of Switzerland - Lugano (commune) in Italian
  6. ^ Historic Dictionary of Switzerland - Lugano (commune) - XIX and XX Century in Italian
  7. ^ population
  8. ^ third swiss financial market see The figures of the new Lugano section
  9. ^ "Historic Dictionary of Switzerland - Lugano (commune) - XIX and XX century". Retrieved on 2008-11-24. in Italian
  10. ^ Historic Dictionary of Switzerland - Lugano (commune) in Italian
  11. ^ eurovision contest
  12. ^ Hockey Club Lugano Continental cup partecipation

External links

Sister project Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lugano
v • d • e
Lake Lugano (Lago di Lugano, Ceresio)
Italy   Lombardy (Province of Como · Province of Varese)
Switzerland   Canton Ticino (District of Lugano · District of Mendrisio))
Settlements
Rivers
Mountains
People
v • d • e
Municipalities in the district of Lugano, Switzerland

Agno | Alto Malcantone | Aranno | Arogno | Astano | Barbengo | Bedano | Bedigliora | Bidogno | Bioggio | Bironico | Bissone | Bogno | Brusino Arsizio | Cademario | Cadempino | Cadro | Camignolo | Canobbio | Capriasca | Carabbia | Carabietta | Carona | Caslano | Certara | Cimadera | Collina d'Oro | Comano | Corticiasca | Croglio | Cureglia | Curio | Grancia | Gravesano | Iseo | Lamone | Lugaggia | Lugano | Magliaso | Manno | Maroggia | Massagno | Melano | Melide | Mezzovico-Vira | Miglieglia | Monteggio | Morcote | Muzzano | Neggio | Novaggio | Origlio | Paradiso | Ponte Capriasca | Ponte Tresa | Porza | Pura | Rivera | Rovio | Savosa | Sessa | Sigirino | Sonvico | Sorengo | Torricella-Taverne | Valcolla | Vernate | Vezia | Vico Morcote | Villa Luganese

Ticino | Districts of Canton Ticino | Municipalities of the canton of Ticino

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