JOIN USDo you see that peak over there?” asks our guide Anna Bezzola, she of light-green eyes and sunglasses perched high above her golden blonde-hair. “That is Monte Brè, on the other side of which lie Lake Como and Italy,” she proceeds to answer her own question.
We are standing in front of the 15th century cathedral of San Lorenzo, overlooking Lugano, a city located in the southernmost state of Switzerland called Ticino. We look at its tile-roofed houses on that sunny day. The churches in Ticino are catholic as a result of the Italian influence. The cathedral of San Lorenzo is built with stones mined from Monte San Giorgio, a UNESCO world heritage site owing to the marine fossils found there.
Lugano is indeed the sunny side of the country, and its proximity to Italy has rendered it significant cultural and gastronomic influences. The Italian influence is also unmistakable in its landscape of picturesque mountains, gleaming lakes, charming stone-house villages and the Mediterranean-influenced cookery. Popular Europe travel expert Rick Steves calls it ‘Switzerland with an Italian accent’.
Though it is Ticino’s largest city, Lugano’s population is only about 70,000. “Population of half of my neighbourhood,” remarks one of us, a tiny gathering of city dwellers from various metropolitan cities in India. “Monte Brè is the Beverly Hills of Lugano,” Anna continues. “Beautiful orchards, hip hill houses; it’s possible to take the funicular to go up to the mountain and visit the village,” she intones. On another day, I would drop everything and go hunt for the funicular. But today, Anna, who runs a walking and hiking tour company, is taking us on a tour around many attractions of Lugano, and I decided to stick around for her show and tell.
After a brief visit to the church, we proceed to Via Pessina by walking on narrow, tiled streets that house charming florists and eateries. In front of the renowned Gabbani delicatessen, baked goods are on display. Cold cuts in salmon pink, slammed with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and lettuces, peep out of their sandwich breads named in regional Italian — coppa di zibello, pomozza and focaccia fantastic. Spring vegetables are already in display in corner vegetable shops, and bright yellow mimosa flowers rub shoulders with lavenders in baskets. Women’s day is around the corner and mimosas are a common gift, explains Anna.
Takeaway, please?
We step into the Gabbani, partly because I wanted to buy some fresh gnocchi to take home. This is as close as I can get to Italy right now and I intend to make complete use of the opportunity. The delicatessens pride upon selling fresh produce. It’s the same with gnocchi — it’s fresh and meant to be eaten the same day.
The man at the counter looks at me questionably when I asked if they could vacuum seal it? They would, but it won’t last for another week and cannot definitely stand the nine-hour flight. I give up reluctantly, but as if to make it up to my disappointment, Anna buys us Torta di pane, a sort of dense bread-like dessert made with stale bread, cocoa, dry fruits and nuts. We make our way to Via Nassa, a prominent shopping street housing fancy boutiques of top brands such as Emporio Armani and Louis Vuitton. Under elegant Lombardi arcades, the shops stand preening in their indoor lights while products in beige and other pastel colours sit in display cases, waiting to be fondled. Via Nassa is also popular with Indian tourists with deeper wallets and penchant for fashion.
After briefly stopping at the Church of San Carlo Borromeo, which houses a papier-mâché Pieta (Virgin Mary carrying the dead Jesus) from the 1600s, apart from the beautiful stucco decorations, we saunter into Piazza Bernardino Luini.
Interpreting symbolism
Here stands the Church of St Mary of the Angels, facing the lake and featuring the best frescoes in all of Lugano. The centrepiece fresco in the Santa Maria degli Angeli painted by Bernardino Luini features the Passion and Crucifixion of the Christ. Anna explains the symbolism depicted in the fresco — the skull and femur at the base of the cross denotes Adam, and the rib signifies Eve. It took Luini a decade to finish this work, in which he also included Leonardo da Vinci, his mentor, and a few self-portraits.
We step out of the church and into the bright light of the Lugano sun. LAC — Lugano Art and Culture Center — which is under construction, stands next to the church. When completed, it will be the biggest piazza in the city, with a capacity to hold 1,000 people. Its interiors are made with pear wood — good for acoustics.
We have arrived at the lakeside promenade. Winter is slowly giving way to spring, and blooms in yellow and violet border the pavements. Dogs in leashes briskly walk by their owners; intrepid swans bob around in the lake, squeaking loudly.
It’s time for lunch. Anna announces and the group walks by her towards our restaurant along the lake. I reluctantly drag my feet, half-heartedly prying myself off Lugano’s many charms — the magnolias in its square are beginning to bloom. The colourful petunias are being watered, and the breeze from the Alps smack me out of my reverie.