Vallemaggia The Vallemaggia District is a district of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It has a population of (as of ). The capital of the district is Cevio. Geography The Vallemaggia District has an area, , of . Of this area, or 1.7% is used for ...

canton of Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts and its capital city is Bellinzo ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts ...

Fribourg or is the capital of the Cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Canton of Fribourg, Fribourg and district of Sarine (district), La Sarine. Located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss Plateau, it is a major economic, adminis ...

Valais Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzer ...

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

the Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

Middle Age Middle age (or middle adulthood) is the age range of the years halfway between childhood and old age. The exact range is subject to public debate, but the term is commonly used to denote the age range from 45 to 65 years. Overall This time span ...

Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts ...

Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...

Domenico Fontana Domenico Fontana (154328 June 1607) was an Italian"Domenico Fontana."
''

Carlo Maderno Carlo Maderno or Maderna (1556 – 31 January 1629) was an Italian architect, born in today's Ticino, Switzerland, who is remembered as one of the fathers of Baroque architecture. His façades of Santa Susanna, St. Peter's Basilica, and Sant ...

and

Francesco Borromini Francesco Borromini (, ), byname of Francesco Castelli (; 25 September 1599 – 2 August 1667), was an Italian architect born in the modern Switzerland, Swiss canton of Ticino

work in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

,

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

and other Italian Cities. Later,

Domenico Trezzini Domenico Trezzini (; – 1734) was an Italian Swiss architect who elaborated the Petrine Baroque style of Russian architecture. Biography Domenico was born in Astano, Landvogtei of Lugano (at that time a condominium of the Old Swiss C ...

, Antonio Adamini, Domenico Gilardi, Giorgio Ruggia and others architects from Ticino built churches and buildings in

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. The people from the

Blenio Blenio is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality of the Blenio (district), district of Blenio, in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Ticino, Switzerland. Blenio was created on 22 October 2006 when it incorporated the formerly autonomous ...

Valley were chocolate-makers in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, chestnut roasters in

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and others European cities, restaurant keepers in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. The Ticinese abroad were also porters, waiters, coppersmiths (from

Valcolla Valcolla is a quarter of the city of Lugano and former municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 14 April 2013 the former municipalities of Bogno, Cadro, Carona, Certara, Cimadera, Sonvico and Valcoll ...

), knife-grinders, glaziers (from Claro), brick-makers,

chimney sweep A chimney sweep is a person who inspects then clears soot and creosote from chimneys. The chimney uses the pressure difference caused by a hot column of gas to create a draught and draw air over the hot coals or wood enabling continued combust ...

s (from

Onsernone Onsernone is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Switzerland, Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Ticino, near the city of Locarno. The river Isorno (river), Isorno, known as the Onsernone River in Italy, runs through the Onse ...

: small boys were sent scrambling up inside the chimney to scrap and brush soot away). In the first half of the 19th century, the Ticinese in Italy were about ten thousand and every year more than ten thousand migrated to several European nations. In 1858 the Ticinese registered at the Swiss embassy in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

were nearly eight thousand. In 1853 general

Joseph Radetzky Johann Josef Wenzel Anton Franz Karl, Graf Radetzky von Radetz (2 November 1766 – 5 January 1858) was a Czech nobleman and Austrian field marshal. He served as chief of the general staff in the Habsburg monarchy during the later period of ...

,

Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

of Lombardy-Venetia, ordered the deportation of all Ticinese and the closure of the border with

Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts ...

. More than six thousand Ticinese were deported. Ticino faced a severe economic crisis because it had to feed all these people without the wheat from Italy. Two years later the order was abolished.

Emigration to California

The emigration of Ticinese to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

in the 19th century started with the

California Gold Rush The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...

. Two gold seekers from

Leventina The Leventina District is one of the eight districts of the largely Italian-speaking canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The capital of the district is Faido but the largest town is Airolo on the southern flank of the Gotthard Pass. Situated to ...

were the first migrants. They arrived in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

in 1849. During the following years the number of migrants increased from less than 100 to several hundred. The great majority came from the northern valleys, in particular

Valle Maggia Valle Maggia ( English, "Maggia Valley") is an alpine valley in the Vallemaggia district of canton of Ticino, the Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland. The valley is formed by the river Maggia and is situated between the Centovalli and Lago ...

and

Valle Leventina The Leventina District is one of the eight districts of the largely Italian language, Italian-speaking Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The capital of the district is Faido but the largest town is Airolo on the southern flan ...

. Often the Municipality or the Patriziato (Patriciate) lent the money for the trip. The emigrants would mortgage their properties or contract private loans. In the contract signed with an emigration agency, the journey and the room and board were specified. They would take a

stagecoach A stagecoach (also: stage coach, stage, road coach, ) is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by ...

and often had to cross the

Gotthard Pass The Gotthard Pass or St. Gotthard Pass (; ) at is a mountain pass in the Alps traversing the Saint-Gotthard Massif and connecting northern Switzerland with southern Switzerland. The pass lies between Airolo in the Italian-speaking canton of Ti ...

on foot. In

Lucerne Lucerne ( ) or Luzern ()Other languages: ; ; ; . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital of the canton of Lucerne and part of the Lucerne (district), di ...

it was possible to take a train. The departure ports were

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

,

Hambourg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

and

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

, but sometimes the migrants stayed in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

to work in order to pay for the trip to California. The journey lasted several months because one had to circumnavigate

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

or to disembark in Colón and cross the

Isthmus of Panama The Isthmus of Panama, historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North America, North and South America. The country of Panama is located on the i ...

. The length of the journey from

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

to

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

was greatly shortened when the

First transcontinental railroad America's first transcontinental railroad (known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the "Overland Route (Union Pacific Railroad), Overland Route") was a continuous railroad line built between 1863 and 1869 that connected the exis ...

started to operate in 1869. Business conditions and political and climatic events have affected the number of migrants. For instance, the closure of the border ordered by general Radetzky led to a strong increase in the number of emigrants. The main push factors were population growth, crop failures, floods, landslides and political turmoil. The main pull factors were the gold rush, availability of farm land, high paying jobs and cheaper transport costs. The

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

and economic recessions lowered the number of migrants. Perret searched state and county records in California, in particular the original files of the American census of 1870, and found 882 Ticinese, though the real number was much higher. In 1930 the

Swiss American Swiss Americans are Americans of Swiss descent. Swiss emigration to America predates the formation of the United States, notably in connection with the persecution of Anabaptism during the Swiss Reformation and the formation of the Amish commu ...

s of

Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts ...

descent numbered about twenty thousand. The number of people that originally went to California is much greater than that, because all the Ticinese that went back home between 1870 and 1930 are not counted in the American Census of 1930. The great majority of Ticinese were dairy farmers. In their letters to their families back home they explained the everyday hard work. They were milking about twenty cows by hand. The ranch was much bigger than an Alpine pasture. In winter they worked in sawmills or in factories. Often a migrant started to work as a milker but then, with his savings and a bank loan, he would be able to buy a small farm. The Swiss American bank was founded in

Locarno Locarno (; ; Ticinese dialect, Ticinese: ; formerly in ) is a southern Switzerland, Swiss List of towns in Switzerland, town and Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district Locarno (district), Locarno (of which it is the capita ...

with branches in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

and

San Luis Obispo ; ; ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway betwee ...

. The emigrants could deposit their savings and transfer some money to Ticino. There were some miners among the emigrants, but farm work was what they knew best. Some Ticinese were winemakers (the Italian Swiss Colony was founded by some Swiss and Italian wine merchants), horticulturists, carpenters, storekeepers, hotelkeepers and bakers. In San Francisco the Ticinese founded a mutual aid society, a patriotic society and a journal in Italian with news from Ticino and the colony. Emigration to the United States ceased after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The second generation assimilated easily and quickly, as described by the

melting pot A melting pot is a Monoculturalism, monocultural metaphor for a wiktionary:heterogeneous, heterogeneous society becoming more wiktionary:homogeneous, homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" with a common culture; an alternative bei ...

phenomenon. “ Ticinese” and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

were no longer spoken, and family connections became more difficult. The descendants are now scattered all over the United States. Family names, street names and tombstones in Catholic cemeteries are the current traces of emigration from Ticino. A demographic disequilibrium (almost all emigrants were men) was the main negative consequence for the villages in

Valle Maggia Valle Maggia ( English, "Maggia Valley") is an alpine valley in the Vallemaggia district of canton of Ticino, the Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland. The valley is formed by the river Maggia and is situated between the Centovalli and Lago ...

. Many women took men's jobs, and the more difficult pastures were abandoned. Emigrant remittances helped restore buildings and churches. The story of a rich uncle in America is popular in Ticino.

Emigration to Australia

The

Australian gold rush During the Australian gold rushes, starting in 1851, significant numbers of workers moved from elsewhere in Australia and overseas to where gold had been discovered. Gold had been found several times before, but the colonial government of Ne ...

in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

started in 1851. Several thousand European and Chinese gold diggers went to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

scratching in the gravel with their pick and shovel. A miner’s licence had to be paid in advance (30 shillings per month). Tensions between the diggers and the authorities rose quickly. A

rebellion Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...

was organised resulting in the death of over 30 people. The first Ticinese gold diggers made a fortune. They encouraged their acquaintances to go to Australia. The journey was dangerous and lasted up to five months. The emigrants had to mortgage theirs properties or to contract a private loan. In the contract signed with an emigration agency the journey and the room and board were specified. Some emigrants were abused by dishonest emigration agencies (wrong arrival port, insufficient food). In 1874

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

enacted a law to regulate these agencies. Work in the gold fields was very hard and dangerous. The digger had to scratch from dawn to dusk and the result was highly unsure. Discouragement was widespread. The majority of emigrants came back poorer than before. The representative of Ticino for the

Lugano District The Lugano District ( also called Luganese) is a district of Canton of Ticino, southern Switzerland. The capital is the city of Lugano. It has a population of (as of ). Geography The Lugano District has an area, , of . Of this area, or 15.7% ...

advised in 1863 against emigration to Australia. Between 1850 and 1860 about 2300 Ticinese migrated to Australia. The majority came from the northern part of Ticino, in particular the

Valle Maggia Valle Maggia ( English, "Maggia Valley") is an alpine valley in the Vallemaggia district of canton of Ticino, the Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland. The valley is formed by the river Maggia and is situated between the Centovalli and Lago ...

. A third of the emigrants remained in Australia but they had to work as farmer, vine-growers, merchants and hotelkeepers. Those staying in the gold fields had to work for mining companies in low-paid and insecure jobs. The second generation eventually assimilated in Australian society. “ Ticinese” and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

were no longer spoken and the family connections became more difficult. The family ties with Ticino were limited to short stays during a vacation to Europe. Family names and some tombstones in Catholic cemeteries are the present traces of emigration from Ticino. Australian people of Italian and Italian-speaking Swiss descent gather every year in

Hepburn Springs Hepburn Springs is a resort town located in the middle of the largest concentration of mineral springs in Australia, situated in Victoria, 48 km northeast of Ballarat. In the , Hepburn had a population of 631, and Hepburn Springs had a po ...

for the Swiss Italian Fiesta (see

Swiss Italians of Australia Swiss Italians of Australia are the Italian-speaking Swiss who settled in Australia during the 1850s and 1860s and their descendants who identified as such. The Swiss immigrants were from the canton of Ticino and the southern part of Graubünd ...

).

Emigration to Argentina

Several Ticinese, in particular from the Southern part of Ticino, took part in the colonization of

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

and other

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

countries. The journey to

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

with a

sailing ship A sailing ship is a sea-going vessel that uses sails mounted on Mast (sailing), masts to harness the power of wind and propel the vessel. There is a variety of sail plans that propel sailing ships, employing Square rig, square-rigged or Fore-an ...

lasted three months. Later, with a transatlantic

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

the journey was much shorter (one month) and safer.

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

and some Swiss municipalities promoted emigration to South America. A federal office was in charge of all problems related to emigration. Until 1937 a financial aid was granted to settle in Argentina. Moreover, a Swiss Consul in

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

advised the migrants. Some migrants had to be protected from untrustworthy and dishonest emigration agencies. Argentina opened a consulate in

Bellinzona Bellinzona ( , ; ; is a municipality, a List of towns in Switzerland, historic Swiss town, and the capital of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The town is famous for its Three Castles of Bellinzona, three castles (Castelgrande, Montebello, Sa ...

to encourage immigration but civil wars and coup d’état hampered this public advertising. The number of immigrants increased sharply in the second half of the 19th century (a fivefold increase from 1869 to 1895). Living conditions were difficult because of surge of epidemics ( yellow fever in 1871,

cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

in 1874), political instability, civil wars and monetary depreciation. The Ticinese lived mainly in the cities. Swiss rural colonies were founded by people from the

cantons A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, th ...

of

Fribourg or is the capital of the Cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Canton of Fribourg, Fribourg and district of Sarine (district), La Sarine. Located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss Plateau, it is a major economic, adminis ...

and

Valais Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzer ...

. The tentative of a rural colony in

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

by Mosé Bertoni was an interesting scientific and social experiment but an economic failure. In the construction sector, the Ticinese were masons, stonecutters, site foremen, carpenters, architects, stucco workers and sculptors. Among the business men, the Ticinese were bankers, hotelkeepers, industrialists, engineers, doctors, pharmacists, lawyers and teachers. All other typical occupations for Ticinese abroad were found in Argentina: dairy farmers, porters, waiters, coppersmiths, knife-grinders, glaziers, brick-makers and chimney sweeps. Mutual aid societies and patriotic societies were founded to foster the bonds among fellow countrymen. For example, the Swiss Philanthropic Society of Buenos Aires, founded in 1861, had 190 members and helped many sick and penniless Ticinese. In his book, Pedrazzini gives a careful description of the professional and political activities of many Ticinese migrated to Argentina. The dynasties of the Bernasconi, Chiesa, de Marchi, Matti, Pellegrini, Quadri and Soldati families have played an important role in the economic and political activities of Argentina.

Villa Lugano Villa Lugano is a ''barrio'' (neighbourhood) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, located in the south of the city. It has a population of approximately 114,000 people. It is delimited by Avenida Eva Perón, Avenida General Paz, Calle José Barros Pazos, A ...

, now a working class

neighbourhood A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neighbourh ...

in Buenos Aires, was formerly a town founded by Giuseppe (José) Soldati to honour

Lugano Lugano ( , , ; ) is a city and municipality within the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It is the largest city in both Ticino and the Italian-speaking region of southern Switzerland. Lugano has a population () of , and an u ...

, the city in his district of origin. The most famous Ticinese migrant is the poet

Alfonsina Storni Alfonsina Storni (29 May 1892 – 25 October 1938) was a Swiss Argentines, Swiss-Argentine poet and playwright of the Modernismo, modernist period. Early life Storni was born on May 29, 1892, in Sala Capriasca, Switzerland. Her parents were Alf ...

. She was a four-year girl when her parents migrated to Argentina. Her father had opened a brewery in

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...

and later a restaurant in

Rosario Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city, located northwest of Buenos Aires on the west bank of the Paraná River, is the third-most populous city in the ...

. From 1869 to 1892 several hundred people left Ticino to migrate to South America. In his book, Pedrazzini gives the names and the villages of origin of 6470 migrants from Ticino. This information was obtained using consular and private registers. This old president of the Swiss Philanthropic Society of Buenos Aires estimates that migration was profitable for 10%, indifferent for 50% and negative for 40% of his fellow countrymen. The rich migrant who came back home built magnificent villa and took part in the industrialisation of Ticino. For instance, Villa Argentina in

Mendrisio Mendrisio (; ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Mendrisio (district), Mendrisio in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Ticino in Switzerland. Mendrisio is the seat of the Accademia di Architettura di Mendris ...

was built by Antonio Croci for Giovanni Bernasconi and Villa Buenos Aires in

Castel San Pietro Castel San Pietro is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. History Castel San Pietro is first mentioned in 1171 as ''Castellum Sancti Petri''. A settlement near the village was mentioned in 865, wh ...

is another illustration of past emigration to Argentina. The second generation acquired Argentine citizenship at birth and did not speak “ Ticinese” and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

. Sometimes the name was changed to make pronunciation easy. Emigration to Argentina ceased after the Second World War and the members of patriotic societies became old and very few. Family names and tombstones are the present traces of emigration from Ticino.

Architecture

Like in many other places in Ticino, there are interesting examples of architectural design, such as: * The family house at Riveo, built in 1977 by

Bruno Reichlin Bruno Reichlin (born 10 February 1941 in Lucerne) is a Swiss architect. Biography Reichlin studied at the Polytechnic of Zürich. In the 1970s he became associated with Fabio Reinhart and opened a practice in Lugano. They were strongly influenced ...

and

Fabio Reinhart Fabio Reinhart (born 23 March 1942 in Bellinzona) is a Swiss architect. He promotes sustainable design principles within the architectural community Biography Reinhart studied architecture at the Polytechnic of Zürich, where he graduated in 1969 ...

, with strong neoclassical influence.

The official website OltreconfiniTi

In August 2013, the Ticinese government set up OltreconfiniTi ("beyond the borders of Ticino"), a multimedia project dedicated to emigration issues, in a bid to strengthen ties with emigrants. Several pages are dedicated to Someo and its inhabitants who moved to other countries.

References

Bibliography

* Cheda Giorgio, L’emigrazione ticinese in Australia, Dadò, Locarno, 1976 * Cheda Giorgio, L’emigrazione ticinese in California, Dadò, Locarno, 1981 * Pedrazzini Augusto O., L’emigrazione ticinese nell’America del Sud, Tipografia Pedrazzini, Locarno, 1962 * Perret Maurice Edmond, Les colonies tessinoises en Californie, F. Rouge & Cie SA, Lausanne, 1950 * Raup H.F., « The Italian-Swiss in California », California Historical Society Quarterly, vol. 30, December 1951, pp. 305–314 * Strozzi Giuseppe, Diario d’Australia, a cura di Oliveto Rodoni, Dadò, Locarno, 1992 * Wegmann Susanne, The Swiss in Australia, Verlag Rüegger, Grüsch, 1989 Someo is also a French brand of mattresses and beds. See more abou
Someo
(in French).

External links

OltreconfiniTi, the official website dedicated to Ticinese emigration
{{Authority control Former municipalities of Ticino Villages in Switzerland

Demography

Emigration

Italian-Swiss Emigration

Emigration to Europe

Emigration to California

Emigration to Australia

Emigration to Argentina

Architecture

The official website OltreconfiniTi

References

Bibliography

External links