Ticino

Ticino(/tɪˈtʃiːnoʊ/tih-CHEE-noh), sometimesTessin(/tɛˈsiːn,tɛˈsæ̃/), officiallytheRepublic and Canton of Ticinoor less formally theCanton of Ticino,is one of the26 cantonsforming theSwiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts and its capital city isBellinzona. It is also traditionally divided into theSopraceneriand theSottoceneri, respectively north and south ofMonte Ceneri.
Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. It is one of the three large southernAlpinecantons, along withValaisand theGrisons. However, unlike all other cantons, it lies almost entirely south of the Alps and has no natural access to theSwiss Plateau. Through the main crest of theGotthardand adjacent mountain ranges, it borders the canton of Valais to the northwest, the canton ofUrito the north and the canton ofGrisonsto the northeast; the latter canton being also the only one to share some borders with Ticino at the level of the plains. The canton shares international borders withItalyas well, including asmall Italian enclave.
Named after theTicino, its longest river, it is the only canton whereItalianis the sole official language and represents the bulk of the Italian-speaking area of Switzerland along with thesouthern parts of the Grisons. In 2020, Ticino had a population of 350,986.The largest city isLugano, and the two other notable centres are Bellinzona andLocarno. While the geography of the Sopraceneri region is marked by the High Alps andLake Maggiore, that of the Sottoceneri is marked by the Alpine foothills andLake Lugano. The canton, which has become one of the major tourist destinations of Switzerland, distinguishes itself from the rest of the country by its warm climate, and its culture and gastronomy.
The land now occupied by the canton was annexed fromItalian citiesin the 15th century by various Swiss forces in the lasttransalpine campaigns of the Old Swiss Confederacy. In theHelvetic Republic, established in 1798, it was divided between the two new cantons ofBellinzonaandLugano. TheAct of Mediationin 1803 saw these two cantons combine to form the modern canton of Ticino. Because of its unusual position, the canton relies on important infrastructure for connection with the rest of the country. The first major north–south railway link across the Alps, theGotthard Railway, opened in 1882. In 2016, theGotthard Base Tunnelwas inaugurated, which finally provided a fully flat route through the Alps.
The GDP per capita of Ticino was 83,450 Swiss francs in 2020. Despite being below the Swiss average of 86,135 Swiss francs, it was still one of the wealthiest areas in Europe. Ticino also had the second highestlife expectancy(85.2 years) in Europe in 2018.TheHuman Development Indexof 0.961 in 2021 was one of thehighest found anywhere in the world.
The nameTicinowas chosen for the newly established canton in 1803, after the riverTicinowhich flows through it from theNovena PasstoLake Maggiore.
Known asTicinusin Roman times, the river appears on theTabula PeutingerianaasTicenum.Johann Kaspar Zeussattributed Celtic origins to the name, tracing it to the Celtictek, itself from an Indo-European roottak, meaning "melting, flowing".
The official name of the canton isRepublic and Canton of Ticino(Italian:Repubblica e Cantone Ticino), and the two-letter code is TI. It is one of the four cantons of Switzerland officially referred to as "republics", along withGeneva,NeuchâtelandJura.
During theBronzeandIron Ages, the area of what is today Ticino was settled by theLepontii, aCeltictribe. Later, probably around the rule ofAugustus, it became part of theRoman Empire. After the fall of the Western Empire, it was ruled by theOstrogoths, theLombardsand theFranks. Around 1100 it was the centre of a struggle between the free communes ofMilanandComo: in the 14th century, it was acquired by theVisconti, Dukes ofMilan. In the fifteenth century, theSwissConfederates conquered the valleys south of the Alps in three separate conquests.
Between 1403 and 1422 some of these lands were already annexed by forces from thecanton of Uri, but subsequently lost. Uri conquered theLeventina Valleyin 1440.In a second conquest Uri,SchwyzandNidwaldengained the town ofBellinzonaand the Riviera in 1500.Some of the land and Bellinzona itself were previously annexed byUriin 1419 but lost again in 1422. The third conquest was fought by troops from the entire Confederation (at that time constituted by 12 cantons). In 1512Locarno, theMaggia Valley,LuganoandMendrisiowere annexed. Subsequently, the upper valley of the riverTicino, from theSt. Gotthardto the town of Biasca (Leventina Valley) was part of Uri. The remaining territory (Baliaggi Ultramontani,Ennetbergische Vogteien, the Bailiwicks Beyond the Mountains) was administered by the Twelve Cantons. These districts were governed by bailiffs holding office for two years and purchasing it from the members of the League.
The lands of the canton of Ticino are the last lands to be conquered by theSwiss Confederation. The Confederation gave up any further conquests after their defeat at thebattle of Marignanoin 1515 byFrancis I of France. The Valle Leventina revolted unsuccessfully againstUriin 1755.In February 1798 an attempt of annexation by theCisalpine Republicwas repelled by a volunteer militia in Lugano. Between 1798 and 1803, during theHelvetic Republic, two cantons were created (BellinzonaandLugano) but in 1803 the two were unified to form the canton of Ticino that joined the Swiss Confederation as a full member in the same year under theAct of Mediation.During theNapoleonic Wars, many Ticinesi (as was the case for otherSwiss) served in Swiss military units allied with theFrench. The canton minted its owncurrency, theTicinese franco, between 1813 and 1850, when it began the use of theSwiss franc.
As a particularly poor region, Ticino was a land of emigration. Notable examples include the chocolatiers (cioccolatieri) of theVal Blenio, who migrated throughout Europe (seeSwiss chocolate#History).
Until 1878 the three largest cities, Bellinzona, Lugano and Locarno, alternated as capital of the canton. In 1878, however, Bellinzona became the only and permanent capital. The 1870–1891 period saw a surge of political turbulence in Ticino, and the authorities needed the assistance of the federal government to restore order in several instances, in 1870, 1876, 1889 and 1890–1891.
The current cantonal constitution dates from 1997. The previous constitution, heavily modified, was codified in 1830, nearly 20 years before the constitution of theSwiss Confederation.
Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. With a few exceptions in the extreme north and south of the canton, it lies entirely in theTicinobasin, a tributary of thePo. Along withValaisand theGrisons, it is one of the three cantons whose territory extends into the Po basin (lands to the south of theAlps). However, unlike the other Po basin cantons (and all other cantons), all settlements of Ticino are on the south side of the Alps, therefore separated from theSwiss Plateau(and most of the country) by the great Alpine barrier. The canton also comprehends some small areas in theRhinebasin in the north, at theGotthard Passand aroundlake of Santa Maria. The extreme south of the canton is drained by the Po as well, but through theBreggiaandAdda,and Gaggiolo,Olona,Lambro.
The canton is traditionally (but not administratively) split into two regions. The northern region, theSopraceneri, is formed by the valleys aroundLake Maggioreand includes the highest mountains of the canton and the mainAlpine watershed. The southern region, theSottoceneri, is the region aroundLake Lugano, and marks the beginning of the southern Alpine foothills. Between the two regions isMonte Ceneri, a moderately elevated mountain pass and important north–south axis.The Sopraceneri is constituted by the districts ofBellinzona,Blenio,Leventina,Locarno,RivieraandVallemaggia, and makes up about 85% of the territory and 43% of the population.The Sottoceneri is constituted by the districts ofLuganoandMendrisio, and makes up about 15% of the territory and 57% of the population.WhileLugano, the largest city, is in the densely populated Sottoceneri, the two other main cities,BellinzonaandLocarno, are in the Sopraceneri.
The Ticino, which gives its name to the canton, is the largest river of Ticino. It flows from the northwest through theBedretto Valleyand theLeventina Valleyto enter Lake Maggiore nearLocarno. Its main tributaries are theBrennoin theBlenio Valleyand theMoesain theMesolcina Valleyin theGrisons. The lands of most of the canton are shaped by the river, which in its mid portion forms a wide valley, commonly known as theRiviera. The western lands of the canton, however, are drained by theMaggia. TheVerzasca Valleyis between the Leventina Valley and the Maggia Valley. There is also a smaller area that drains directly into theLake Lugano. Most of the land is considered within the Alps, but a small area is part of the plain of the Po which drains the north ofItaly.
Although it includes the lowest point of Switzerland (Lake Maggiore) as well as its lowest town (Ascona), the topography of Ticino is extremely rugged, as it is the canton with thefourth largest elevation difference. It lies essentially within the Alps, in particular theLepontine Alps, theSaint-Gotthard Massifand theLugano Prealps. The longest and deepest valleys are those of the Ticino, Verzasca and Maggia. The two highest mountains are theRheinwaldhornand theBasòdino. Other notable mountains arePizzo Rotondo(highest of the Gotthard Massif),Pizzo Campo Tencia(highest fully within the canton),Monte Generoso(highest south of Lake Lugano) andMonte Tamaro(most prominent of the canton). For an exhaustive list, seelist of mountains of Ticino.
The area of the canton is 2,812 square kilometres (1,086 sq mi), of which about three-quarters are considered productive to trees or crops.Forests cover about a third of the area, but also the lakesMaggiore(orVerbano) andLugano(orCeresio) make up a considerable minority. The canton shares borders with three other cantons across the main ridge of the Alps:Valaisto the northwest, to which it is connected by theNufenen Pass,Urito the north, to which it is connected by theGotthard Passand theGrisonsto the northeast, to which it is connected by theLukmanier Passand theMesolcinaValley; the latter valley, a few kilometres north of Bellinzona, being the only (natural) low elevation access to another canton. Ticino shares international borders withItalyas well. To the southwest is the region ofPiedmontand to the southeast is the region ofLombardy. The main border crossing between Italy and Switzerland is that ofChiasso, in the extreme south of the canton.
The climate of Ticino is mostly influenced by the Mediterranean Sea, the Alps protecting it from north European weather.As a consequence, the plains experience warm and moist summers, and mild winters. This climate is noticeably warmer and wetter thanthe rest of Switzerland's. In German-speaking Switzerland, Ticino is nicknamedSonnenstube(sun porch), owing to the more than 2,300sunshine hoursthe canton receives every year, compared to 1,700 for Zurich.The canton can experience particularly heavy storms and rainfalls in summer. It is the region of Switzerland with the highest level of lightning discharge.Conversely, the canton can experience severe droughts in both summer and winter, making it the region most affected by forest fires in the country.
The climate of Ticino is highly diverse as elevations range from Lake Maggiore, affected bysubtropical climate, to the high Alps, affected bysubarctic and tundra climate.Therefore, similarly to the rest of Switzerland, many different types of ecosystems are found in the region. In the lower areas, deciduous forests are omnipresent, while at high elevations they tend to be replaced by coniferous forests, except in the Sottoceneri (Lugano Prealps), where they are almost absent. The treeline is located at around 2,000 metres in the Sopraceneri and 1,600 metres in the Sottoceneri.TheBasòdino, Ticino's second-highest mountain, is covered by thelargest glacier of the canton. In winter, skiing is popular in the highest locations, notably inAiroloandBosco/Gurin. In the lower regions, especially around Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano, vineyards, olive treesand other fruits common to southern Europe are grown.Several types of cold hardypalm treesand other subtropical species may be grown here, and although none are native, their presence in the ecosystem is increasing.Numerous gardens, especially near the lakes, such as theBrissago Islandsand theScherrer Park, are renowned for their exotic plants.
TheDiocese of Luganois co-extensive to the canton.
Ticino is one of the wine regions forSwiss wine. The defined region encompasses all of the canton plus the neighbouring Italian-speakingdistrict of Moesa(MisoxandCalancavalleys) in thecanton of the Grisons.
The current Constitution of the Republic and Canton of Ticino, originating from a draft approved on 18 August 1801 during the Helvetic Republic,was approved on 14 December 1997.In itspreamble, it states that it was created by the Ticinese people (popolo)"in order to guaranty peaceful life together with respect for the dignity of man, fundamental liberties and social justice (...) faithful to its historic task to interpret Italian culture within the Helvetic Confederation".
TheGrand Council(Gran Consiglio) is the legislative authority of the canton, exercising sovereignty over any matter not explicitly delegated by the constitution to another authority.The Gran Consiglio has 90 members calleddeputati(deputies), elected in a singleconstituencyusing theproportional representationsystem.Deputies serve four-year terms, and annually nominate a President and two vice-presidents.
The five-memberCouncil of State(Italian:Consiglio di Stato), not to be confused with the federalCouncil of States, is the executive authority of the canton, and it directs cantonal affairs according to law and the constitution. It is elected in a singleconstituencyusing theproportional representationsystem. Currently, the five members of the Government are Claudio Zali, Raffaele De Rosa, Manuele Bertoli, Norman Gobbi and Christian Vitta.
Each year, the Council of State nominates its president.The current president of the Council of State is Norman Gobbi.
The most recent elections were held in April 2019; the next elections will be on 2 April 2023.
The cantonal capital isBellinzona. The Palazzo delle Orsoline on Piazza Governo is the meeting place for both the Grand Council and the Council of State.Nearby Piazza Governo is Piazza Indipendenza, which commemorates the independence of the canton.
Since a referendum in September 2013, Ticino is the only Swiss canton where wearing full-face veils is illegal.Supporters of the ban cited the case of a 20-year-old Pakistani woman fromBellinzona, who was killed by her husband for refusing to wear a headscarf.The Burqa ban was later approved by theGrand Councilin November 2015.
In September 2016, Ticino voters approved aSwiss People's Party-sponsored referendum that gives precedence to Swiss workers, as opposed to foreign workers, defyingfreedom of movementagreementsbetween Switzerland and the EU.
The canton is divided into eightdistricts:
Leventina was asubjectof thecanton of Uriuntil 1798, the year theHelvetic Republicwas founded, when it became part of the newcanton of Bellinzonaalong with theSwiss condominiumsof Bellinzona, Riviera and Blenio. The condominiums of Locarno, Lugano, Mendrisio and Vallemaggia became part of the newcanton of Luganoin 1798. These two cantons formed into one canton, Ticino, in 1803 when it joined the (restored) Swiss Confederation as a member canton. The former condominiums and Leventina became the eight districts of the canton of Ticino, which exist to the present day and are provided for by the cantonal constitution.
There are 108municipalitiesin the canton (as of June 2021). These municipalities (comuni) are grouped in 38circoli(circles or sub-districts) which are in turn grouped into the eight districts (distretti).
The mayor (sindaco) is the president of the municipal government (municipio) which comprises at least three members; a council also exists. The members of the council and themunicipioare elected every four years by thecitizensresident in thecomune– the next elections are scheduled for April 2024.
Since the late 1990s, there has been an ongoingproject to aggregate some municipalities, with the constitution of the canton allowing for the Grand Council of Ticino to promote and lead in deciding on mergers.This has resulted in changes to some of the circles, with many circles now consisting of just one or two municipalities. The most populous municipality – Lugano (having merged with numerous other municipalities) – is subdivided intoquartieri(quarters)which are grouped into three (cantonal) circles. In the modern day, the circle serves only as a territorial unit with limited public functions, most notably the local judiciary.
Ticino has a population (as of 31 December 2020) of 350,986.As of 2013, the population included 94,366 foreigners, or about 27.2% of the total population. The largest groups of foreign population were Italians (46.2%), followed by Croats (6.5%) and Portuguese (5.9%).The population density (in 2005) is 114.6 persons per km.As of 2000, 83.1% of the population spoke Italian, 8.3% spoke German and 1.7% spokeSerbo-Croatian.
As of 2019, 70.0% of the total population wasCatholic.According to a 2012 survey, the population aged 15 years and older was mostly Catholic (70%); further Christian denominations accounted for 10% of the population (includingSwiss Reformed4%), 2% wereMuslimand 1% of the population adhered to another religion (includingJews0.1%).
The official language, and the one used for most written communication, isSwiss Italian. Despite being very similar tostandard Italian, Swiss Italian presents some differences to the Italian spoken inItalydue to the influence ofFrenchand German from which it assimilates words. Dialects of theLombard languagesuch asTicineseare still spoken, especially in the valleys, but they are not used for official purposes.
Despite the dominance of Italian speakers, fluency inStandardorSwiss Germanis sometimes taken to be an important prerequisite for employment, regardless of sector or sphere of work.
In 2016, Ticino was the European region with the second highest life expectancy at 85.0 years, and the highest male life expectancy at 82.7 years.
The historical population is given in the following table:
Tertiary sectorworkers make up 76.5% of the Ticinese workforce, compared to the Swiss average of 67.1%. Commerce (23.1%), tourism (10.1%) and financial activities (3.9%) are all important for the local economy, while the contribution from agriculture and fishing is marginal, employing 6.5% of the workforce on a Swiss average of 15.4%.The median gross private sector monthly salary in 2012 was 5,091 francs (US$5,580), below the national average of 6,118 francs (US$6,703).However, due to lesser cost of living and lower taxation compared to most other cantons, the overall disposable mean income is high.The GDP per capita at 82,438 francs in 2014, was seventh highest in Switzerland.Ticino is counted among the most prosperous regions of Switzerland and of Europe.
Lugano is Switzerland's third largest financial centre after Zurich and Geneva.The banking industry alone has 8,400 employees and generates 17% of the gross cantonal product.Because of Ticino's shared language and culture, its financial industry has very close ties to Italy.In 2017, Ticino had an unemployment rate of 4%, higher than the Switzerland average which was estimated at 3.7%.
Frontalieri,commuter workersliving in Italy (mostly in the provinces ofVareseandComo) but working regularly in Ticino, form a large part (over 20%) of the workforce, far larger than in the rest of Switzerland, where the rate is below 5%. Foreigners in general hold 44.3% of all the jobs, again a much higher rate than elsewhere in the Confederation (27%).Frontalieri are usually paid less than Swiss workers for their jobs, and tend to serve as low-cost labour.
Italy is by far Ticino's most important foreign trading partner, but there's a hugetrade deficitbetween imports (5 billionCHF) and exports (1.9 billion).By 2013, Germany had become the canton's main export market, receiving 23.1% of the total, compared to 15.8% for Italy and 9.9% for the United States.Many Italian companies relocate to Ticino, either temporarily or permanently, seeking lower taxes and an efficientbureaucracy:just as many Ticinese entrepreneurs doing business in Italy complain ofred tapeand widespreadprotectionism.The region has been attracting multinational companies particularly from thefashion industrydue to its closeness toMilan.Hugo Boss,Gucci,VF Corporationand other popular brands are located there. Because the international fashion business has become a significant employer for Swiss and Italians alike, the region has also been termed the "Fashion Valley".
Three of the world's largest gold refineries are based in Ticino,including the Pamp refinery inCastel San Pietro, the leading manufacturer of minted gold bars.Large companies based in the canton include:Bally,Hupac.
The opening of theGotthard Railwayin 1882 led to the establishment of a sizeable tourist industry mostly catering to German speakers,although since the early 2000s the industry has suffered from the competition of more distant destinations. In 2011, 1,728,888 overnight stays were recorded.The mild climate throughout the year makes the canton a popular destination for hikers.The high Alps of Ticino include numerous tourist facilities such as theMonte Generoso Railway, theRitom Funicularand theCardadaCableway. Among other tourist attractions are theVerzasca Dam, popular with bungee jumpers,and Swissminiatur inMelide, aminiature parkfeaturing scale models of over 120 Swiss monuments.TheBrissago IslandsonLake Maggioreare the only Swiss islands south of the Alps, and house botanical gardens with 1,600 different plant species from five continents.
TheGotthardis a strategic mountain pass of Central Switzerland and Ticino since the 13th century. Several tunnels underneath the Gotthard connect the canton to northern Switzerland: the first to open was the 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) longGotthard Rail Tunnelin 1882, replacing the pass road, connectingAirolowithGöschenenin thecanton of Uri.A 17 km (11 mi) motorway tunnel, theGotthard Road Tunnel, opened in 1980.A second rail tunnel through the pass, theGotthard Base Tunnel, was opened on 1 June 2016. The new tunnel isthe longest tunnel in the world,reducing travel time betweenZürichandLuganoto 1 hour 40 minutes.It is the first flat route through the Alps and provides for the first time a low-level route to the cities of theSwiss Plateau.
TheCeneri Base Tunnel, inaugurated in 2020, constitutes another revolution in the canton, by providing fast links to both Locarno and Bellinzona from Lugano, and making the latter city an important railway node. The base tunnel bypasses the oldMonte Ceneriaxis.
Treni Regionali Ticino Lombardia(TiLo), ajoint venturebetween the ItalianFerrovie dello Statoand theSwiss Federal Railwayslaunched in 2004, manages the traffic between the regional railways ofLombardyand the Ticino railway network via aS-Bahnsystem.The canton is also served by the Treno Gottardo from northern Switzerland, operated by theSüdostbahn(SOB).
TheRegional Bus and Rail Company of Ticinoprovides the urban and suburban bus network of Locarno, operates the cable cars between Verdasio and Rasa, and between Intragna – Pila – Costa on behalf of the owning companies, and, together with an Italian company, theCentovalli and Vigezzina Railwaywhich connects the Gotthard trans-Alpine rail route at Locarno with theSimplontrans-Alpine route atDomodossola, with further connections withBriginValais.
The canton has a higher than average incidence of traffic accidents, recording 16 deaths or serious injuries per 100 million km in the 2004–2006 period, compared to a Swiss average of 6.
Lugano Airportis the busiest airport in southeast Switzerland, serving some 200,000 passengers a year.
There are two major centres of education and research located in the canton of Ticino.University of Italian Switzerland(USI, Università della Svizzera Italiana) in Lugano is the only Swiss university teaching primarily in Italian. TheUniversity of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland(SUPSI, Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana), inManno, is a professional training college focused on a practical method of teaching in the areas of applied art, economy, social work, technology and production science.
There is also a small American and Swiss accredited private college,Franklin University Switzerland, located aboveLugano,as well asThe American School in SwitzerlandinCollina d'Oro, a K-13 international school accepting day and boarding students.
FollowingGoogle Scholar, several scientists working in Ticino have received more than 100,000 scientificcitationsand have anh-indexgreater than 100, for example,Michele Parrinelloinchemistry(Profile),Jürgen Schmidhuberinartificial intelligence(Profile), andAntonio Lanzavecchiainimmunology(Profile).
As the only predominantly Italian-speaking canton, Ticino notably distinguishes itself from the rest of the country by its meridional, or Mediterranean, culture.Cultural identity of Ticino is complex and is marked by its long history as a bailiwick of the Swiss Confederacy, until its independence of 1803.Ticinese identity was gradually forged in the 19th century, partly thanks to the efforts of major intellectual figures such asStefano FransciniandCarlo Cattaneo.Cantonal patriotism is particularly strong in Ticino; this is reflected by the use of the termrepubblicain official documents.
Ticino is particularly known for its rich architectural heritage, ranging from the anonymous rock architecture ofgrottosand splüi, overRomanesqueandbaroqueto contemporary styles. The birthplace ofFrancesco Borromini, the canton is home to internationally recognized architects, such asMario Botta,Aurelio Galfetti,Luigi Snozzi, andLivio Vacchini.As early as the 18th century, aristocrats from Russia and Italy employed numerous architects from Ticino.More recently, the region became a centre of theNeo-RationalistTendenzamovement.
Ticino hosts twoWorld Heritage Sites: theThree Castles of BellinzonaandMonte San Giorgio.
The city of Locarno is host to theLocarno International Film Festival, Switzerland's most prestigious film festival, held during the second week of August.
Estival Jazz, a free open-air jazz festival, is held in Lugano andMendrisioin late June and July.Another jazz festival isheld in Ascona.Rabadanis the major carnival festival of the canton. It has been ongoing now for more than 150 years.
Traditional folk music of Ticino also distinguishes itself from that of northern Switzerland.Among traditional instruments are the accordion, the guitar and, since the 19th century, the mandolin. Duos and trios with mandolin and guitar typically accompany regional folk songs.However, like most of Switzerland, Ticino has a long brass-band tradition. A regional, reduced version, is thebandella, an ensemble consisting of brass instruments and clarinets.
Newspapers and magazines published in Ticino includeCorriere del Ticino,LaRegione Ticino,Giornale del Popolo,Il Mattino della Domenica,Il Caffè (newspaper)[it],L'Informatore, and the German-languageTessiner Zeitung.In Lugano is basedRadiotelevisione svizzera (RSI), a radio and television broadcasting branch of the nationalSwiss Broadcasting Corporation.
Bocceis a folk game that was once a popular pastime locally, but by the early 21st century it was seldom played by younger people.
Professional sports teams includeHC Lugano,HC Ambrì-Piotta(ice hockey),AC Bellinzona,FC Lugano(men's association football) andLugano Tigers(basketball). Other teams includeFF Lugano 1976(women's association football),GDT Bellinzona Snakes, (ice hockey)FC Chiasso,FC Mendrisio,FC ParadisoandFC Locarno(men's association football). The canton also has aCanton Ticino football teamwhich is a member ofCONIFA.
Lugano has hosted theItaly-Belgiummatch at the1954 FIFA World Cupat theCornaredo Stadium, the1953and1996UCI Road World Championships, the18th Chess Olympiadand the2018and2019editions of theLadies Open Luganowomen's tennis tournament.
Lugano's routine events include the annualBSI Challenger Luganotennis tournament, theGran Premio Città di Lugano Memorial Albisetti20 kmracewalk, and theScenic Trailskyrunningcompetition. Bellinzona hosts theBellinzona Ladies Openwomen's tennis tournament.
Polenta, along withchestnutsand potatoes, was for centuries one of the staple foods in Ticino, and it remains a mainstay of local cuisine.Nowadays, the most typical dishes are polenta, often served with meat (such as rabbit) and gravy sauce, and risotto, often with saffron.Local products of Ticino, calledNostrani, include a large variety of cheeses, meat specialities such assalamiandprosciutto,and wines, especially red merlot.Olive oil is producedin small quantities but olive cultivation is growing in the canton.
Sweet products of Ticino notably include thetorta di pane, a cake made with stale bread softened in milk and containing dried and candied fruits,and Panettone, a yeast-leavened bread containing candied fruits.Gazzosa ticinese, asoft drinkavailable in lemon and a number of other flavours, is one of the most popular beverages from Ticino, and is also common in other regions of Switzerland. It usually comes inflip-topbottles.The estimate for the production ofgazzosain Ticino is 7–8 million bottles a year.Food and wine were historically conserved in grottos, which were ubiquitous stone structures built in shadowy and fresh areas. They have become rustic, family-run open-air restaurants in the latter part of the 20th century. They serve traditional food and local wine (usuallyMerlotor similar), often in a little ceramic jug known asboccalino, which is also a popular souvenir for tourists.
Common in the wholeInsubriaarea arebruscitti, originating fromAlto Milanese, which consist in a braised meat dish cut very thin and cooked in wine andfennel seeds, historically obtained by stripping leftover meat. In particular the dish is widespread in theprovince of Varese(Lombardy),in the Alto Milanese area (Lombardy; particularly in the area of the city ofBusto Arsizio, where it originates), in theprovince of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola(Piedmont)and in lower Ticino.