Latitude: 46° 00' N |
Longitude: 9° 00' E |
Altitude: 292 m s.l.m. |
Inhabitants: 275 |
Gandria, administratively municipality of Lugano, it is located between this last one and the Italian-Swiss border, at the foot of Mount Bré. It is made up of a small cluster of houses and it is the seat of the State Customs. The nucleus of the hamlet is very picturesque and well preserved, with the facades of the houses that are reflected in the waters of the lake, the buildings are close together and can be reached through stairways and alleys. Some houses date back to the 16th and 17th centuries and are embellished with frescoes and stucco decorations. You can visit the San Vigilio Parish Church, in Baroque style, the San Rocco Oratory, the Sasso della Predescia, a cuppellar boulder dating back to the Neolotic period located along a mountain path and the Swiss Customs Museum in Cantine of Gandria.
Lugano is situated between Melide and locality Gandria, it's the largest city and main urban center of Canton Ticino, and it's the third financial center and an important congress, banking and business center in Switzerland; it is among the top ten Swiss cities by population and is also the city of parks, flower gardens, villas and religious buildings. It extends from the slopes of San Salvatore to Monte Brè up to the top of Gazzirola; the tourist resort is very popular and has also established itself worldwide as a leading international banking center, ranking third in Switzerland after Zurich and Geneva. Its historic center is full of Lombard-style buildings, colorful palaces and arcades that were once a place of commerce where fishermen spread their fishing nets and artisans exhibited their products for sale. Of ancient origins, starting from the Middle Ages it was continuously disputed between Como and Milan, in 1513 the city passed under the dominion of the Swiss while in 1798 it asked for and obtained independence by becoming part of the Swiss Confederation. In 1972 the Municipalities of Brè-Aldesago and Castagnola were aggregated and in 2004 the Municipalities of Breganzona, Cureggia, Davesco-Soragno, Gandria, Pambio-Noranco, Pazzallo, Pregassona and Viganello joined, while in 2008 Barbengo, Carabbia and Villa Luganese. You can visit the Ciani Civic Park, considered the green lung of the city with its 63.000 square meters of greenery, with centuries-old trees, well-kept gardens and flower beds with statues and fountains, famous for its wrought iron door, known as "door of the lake", a gate that is located right on the shore of the lake. Inside the park there is a playground for children and other important city buildings, including Villa Ciani, the Cantonal Museum of Natural History, the Palazzo dei Congressi and the Cantonal Library; the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, with its Renaissance-style facade which was completely renovated during the twentieth century: the bell tower, detached from the body of the building, is in Romanesque style and is surmounted by an octagonal dome. Inside you have to visit Madonna delle Grazie's Chapel, which houses an ancient source, a majestic high altar in marble and the altarpiece of the Madonna in glory with SS. Lorenzo and Rocco.