culture and museums

Founded in 1982 in a former monastery, the Mendrisio Muse-um of Art offers exhibitions dedi-cated to the great 20th century masters. As a reference institu-tion for the region, the Museum regularly organises study exhibi-tions and produces publications on the arts and on the history of the region. Benefiting from some significant donations, the Men-drisio Museum of Art boasts an important collection of painting, sculpture and works on paper ranging from the 16th to the 20th century, which document many aspects of local art history. Set amidst an enchanting coun-tryside, the old Servite monas-tery which houses the Museum is included in the category of monuments of national interest due to its historical and architec-tural interest. The church of San Giovanni, with its richly decorat-ed interior, and the Oratory of the Madonna delle Grazie, with a rare 14th century lunette, were built close to the atmospheric arched cloister (16th–17th century).

Piazza S.Giovanni | 6850 [email protected] +41 (0)91 646 76 49

Tue-Fri 10.00-12.00 | 14.00-17.00Sat-Sun 10.00-17.00Only open during temporary exhibitions

Full price CHF 8.-Reduced price CHF 5.-

Museo d’Arte PinacotecaCantonaleG. Züst

Museo Casa Pessina

Museo dei fossili

Museo EtnograficoValle di Muggio

Museo della CiviltàContadina

GalleriaBaumgartner

Cinema TeatroSpazio Officina

Villa Vela, the home of the museum today run by the Swiss Federal Of-fice of Culture, was donated with its collections to the Swiss Confedera-tion in 1892 by the painter Spartaco Vela (1854-95), son of the better known Vincenzo Vela. One of the greatest European sculptors of the 19th century, Vincenzo Vela was a leading exponent of the realist school of sculpture. He was born in the village of Ligornetto in 1820 and died there in 1891. The villa was of-ficially designated the “Museo Vela” in 1898. In doing so it became the second federal museum and the first museum in Ticino. Conceived by Vincenzo Vela to be a “house-cum-museum”, construction of the villa began in 1862. It was designed by Cipriano Ajmetti and completed in 1865. Set in a large park open to the pu-blic and divided into three separate landscaped areas, Villa Vela is con-sidered one of the most important artist’s houses in Switzerland and one of the most significant in Eu-rope. Between 1997 and 2001 the building was renovated by the ar-chitect Mario Botta.

Largo Vela | 6853 [email protected] +41 (0)91 640 70 40/44

March-May | October-NovemberTue-Sat 10.00-17.00Sun 10.00-18.00June-September | Tue-Sun 10.00-18.00


The Giovanni Züst Cantonal Art Gal-lery exhibits the work of artists from the 17th to the 20th century, native of the regions which in 1803 formed the Canton Ticino. The Art Gallery summons works collected by Gio-vanni Züst (Basel,1887 – Rancate, 1976) and donated to the State of Canton Ticino in 1966. The highlights of the Züst Gallery are works by Giovanni Serodine (1600-1630) and Giuseppe Antonio Petrini (1677-1758/59).Giovanni Serodine’s “San Pietro in carcere” is considered one of the best paintings of the Italian 16th century. Nonetheless the Züst Gallery is strongly attached to its routs and to the Mendrisiotto in particular, due to the presence of a great number of works (96 paintings and 246 draw-ings) by the local painter Antonio Rinaldi of Tremona (1816-1875).The aim of Gallery Züst is to value its collection. This in fact is always open to public, together with tem-porary exhibitions dedicated to ar-tists native from Canton Ticino and Lombardy between the 17th and the 20th century.

Via Züst | 6862 [email protected]/zuestT +41 (0)91 646 45 65

Tue-Sun | Mon close, except holy-day March-June | September-November 9.00-12.00 | 14.00-17.00July-August 14.00-18.00

Full price CHF 8.- / 6.-Reduced price CHF 6.- / 4.-

Casa Pessina was donated to the Municipality of Ligornetto by Mrs. Bianca Pessina in memory of her brother, the sculptor and painter Apollonio, author of several impor-tant works of art, among which the monument in memory of the “Bat-taglia dei sassi grossi di Giornico”. It was renovated and transformed into a House of Culture over a pe-riod of more than twenty years. On the ground floor a beautiful room can host lectures, concerts, receptions... using the adjoining, interesting outside space. On the first floor, as well as the four rooms where the most important works of Pessina are shown, divided into his main production periods, there is also the large room, where tem-porary exhibitions of local artists are organised.

Students from the ex-Macconi school have been working for some time on the second floor in some rooms which closely resemble ar-tists’ studios. An important legacy, part of the Pessina Library, is also kept here.

Via Pessina | 6853 [email protected] +41 (0)91 647 15 75

Thu-Sat 17.00-19.00Sun 14.00-18.00Only open during temporary exhibitions

Free entry

The Fossil Museum is located in the centre of Meride. It shows authentic fossils but also some moulds and il-lustrations of reptiles, fishes and in-vertebrates, which lived in the area of Monte San Giorgio during Middle Triassic Period. Illustrations describe the fossil ex-cavation activity. The exhibited specimens have been chosen among thousands of other fossils found in the Trias-sic rocks of Monte San Giorgio and are of absolute scientific value. For this reason, in 2003, the mountain has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The rock layers of Monte San Gior-gio, in fact, yield perfectly preserved fossils of organisms which more than 230 million years ago dwelled in the sea which covered this area. The water was inhabited by many fishes: a very interesting one was Saurichthys, a large predator very similar to the modern barracuda.Reptiles were also common: the most famous are Ceresiosaurus, about 2,5m long, and Tanistro-pheus, whose very long neck re-semble that of a giraffe.

Village Center | 6866 [email protected] +41 (0)91 646 37 80

Mon-Sun 8.00-18.00

Free entry

In 2008 the museum will be completely restored.

The Muggio Valley is an area with special features of historical, artis-tic and ethnographic importance, and environmental and naturalistic significance. There are many ethnographic signs of the past in the territory: nevère (stone structures filled with snow and used to preserve milk before it was transformed), roccoli (complex systems used to capture migratory birds with nets - photo), graa (chest-nut roasting structures), bolle (man-made ponds), fontane (fountains), cisterne (cisterns), ponti (bridges), carbonaie (charcoal piles), sostre (cattle shelters), mulini (mills). The Ethnographic Museum is commit-ted to increasing the value of this wealth and conserving it by bringing a museum into being which is not confined to a building, but which draws on elements of cultural and landscape interest, to be found in the valley, keeping them in their en-vironmental context. With its exhibitions and documen-tation, Casa Cantoni, the Informa-tion Centre, encourages the visitor to seek and find these objects in the area.

Casa Cantoni | 6838 [email protected] +41 (0)91 690 20 38

March-OctoberTue-Sun 14.00-17.00

Full price CHF 5.-Reduced price CHF 3.-Families CHF 10.-

The museum, which was opened to the public in 1981, is in the 19th century building in Via al Castello, the narrow road which climbs up the hill from Piazza Maggiore; there was once a castle or a tower here.On the ground floor the museum shows the history of mankind from his origins to the invention of agri-culture, and exhibits means of transport and wheelwright’s tools. The first floor is designated for an-nual thematic exhibitions and hosts a collection of damaging butter-flies. The second floor hosts the col-lection of traps, leghold traps and snares used to capture furry ani-mals and birds as well as a collec-tion of stable equipment and cob-blers’ tables. In the other rooms are displayed the equipment for various activities in the rural world, as well as cutting tools: harnesses for horses, mules and oxen and objects for hand transport: wheelbarrows, baskets; tools for working the soil: ploughs, spades, forks, harrows, rakes, win-nowing fans...

Via al Castello | 6855 [email protected] +41 (0)91 641 69 90

Tue, Thu, Sat-Sun 14.00-17.00

Full price CHF 5.-Reduced price CHF 3.-Groups CHF 4.-/2.-

The Baumgartner Gallery exhibits something like 8’000 railway mo-dels, dioramas, layouts as well as ship and motor car models.

Model railways in the scales IIm, I, 0, H0, N and Z run on several layouts, all operated by solar energy. An important part of the exhibition is devoted to Tin Plate trains amongst which the oldest Märklin model built in 1891 as well as the famous 1933 “Crocodile” can be seen.

Railway motives from around the world enrich the Postal Stamp and Historic Titles Collection. Furthermore, a valuable collection of Petroleum Company Shares can also be admired.

Model railway manufacturers such as Märklin, Hag, LGB and Lemaco present their novelties.

A shop is at your disposal.

Via S.Franscini 24 | 6850 [email protected] +41 (0)91 640 04 00

Tue-Fri 9.30-12.00 | 13.30-17.30Sat-Sun 9.30-17.30


The Accademia di architettura del-l’Università della Svizzera italiana provides best higher education, together with a rich cultural range of publications, lectures and exhibi-tions open to all, offeres on its cam-pus in Mendrisio.Galleria dell’AccademiaLocated in the Palazzo Canavée, the gallery hosts exhibitions pro-duced by the Academy, also in col-laboration with some international schools. Its programme includes cycles of exhibitions of architec-ture, urban planning and art, as well as events featuring works by the architect-teachers at the Academy itself or by its students.Archivio del ModernoThe institute works closely with the Academy and complements its teaching activities. It holds archive collections and iconographic do-cuments on architects, designers and photographers. It catalogues, arranges and pro-vides online access to its archives, also through academic collabora-tions with international institutions.It promotes research, conferences, exhibitions and publications.

Accademia di architettura - USILargo Bernasconi 2 | 6850 MendrisioArchivio del ModernoVia Lavizzari 2 | 6850 [email protected] +41 (0)58 666 50 00/55 00

Tue-Sun 13.00-18.00

Free entry

The Cinema Teatro was built in 1935, the work of the architect Americo Marazzi, who drew inspi-ration from classicism and 20th century rationalism; it was decora-ted by the painter Carlo Basilico. It was brought to life again in Sep-tember 2001, establishing itself as an extremely active and innovative theatre centre. The artistic choices are oriented towards overcoming the dualism between avant-garde and tradition, tending towards na-tional and international emerging forms of expression, which are more interesting than interdisciplinary re-search; the choices include all the performing arts.Spazio OfficinaSince 2005 the renovated space of an old workshop (designed by the architects Durisch and Nolli) has become an extraordinary multipur-pose building. It is situated right in front of the Teatro, only a few meters from Corso S.Gottardo, the main street in town. The Spazio Officina and the Cinema Teatro are located in a border area; due to their location they attract pu-blic both from Ticino and Lombardy.

Via Dante Alighieri 3b | 6830 [email protected] +41 (0)91 695 09 14

Advance sale of ticketsCinema Teatro, Chiasso Wed-Sat 17.00-19.30Mendrisiotto TourismMon-Fri 9.00-12.00 | 14.00-18.00Sat 9.00-12.00

First | second seats CHF 30.- / 25.-

The m.a.x.museo was established on the 12th of November 2005 by the Board of Trustees of the Foun-dation, with the aim of spreading the culture of graphic design and leaving trace of Max Huber’s work to posterity.The structure of the building is clean and simple, in tune with Huber’s sensitivity, who thus influenced the urban landscape of his native Swit-zerland.

This museum aims at acting as a bridge towards young designers and artists of future generations through various exhibitions, while conveying the message of Max Huber, who dedicated his life to de-sign. We plan to organize exhibitions pri-marily on graphic design, in order to present “design” in general to the world.

The m.a.x.museo shows Max Hu-ber’s graphic works and paintings in a permanent collection, while hosting temporary exhibitions and organizes didactic activities.

Via Dante Alighieri 6 | 6830 [email protected] +41 (0)91 682 56 56

Wed-Sun 10.00-12.00 | 15.00-18.00August close


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Art and Artists in the Mendrisiotto

What were those young artists seeking when they moved from Ba-sel to the Mendrisiotto around 1925 with sudden enthusiasm? Their names led to the creative ex-perience of the group “Rot-Blau”, whose distinctive feature is chro-matic expressiveness. In those days the Mendrisiotto was a poor, farming area where those young artists found a natural and human landscape with strong, vi-brant colours and warm, “Lombard” light. To them the Mendrisiotto and Basso Ceresio was an inexhausti-ble source of uncontaminated ins-piration and artistic stimuli. As in those days, this is still a land of stimuli today. There are few Euro-pean regions which can offer a terri-tory so rich in artistic testimony in so few square kilometres.

The Mendrisiotto and Basso Cere-sio has hosted well-known artists, painters, sculptors and architects for centuries; the famous archi-tects Francesco Borromini, Carlo Fontana and Carlo Maderno who worked in Rome; Baldassarre Lon-

ghena, who was famous in Venice; the Masters from Campione who worked in France, Russia and Po-land, and Mario Botta; sculptors such as Vincenzo Vela and Apol-lonio Pessina, Remo Rossi and Ivo Soldini; the writers Francesco Chie-sa and Alberto Nessi; the natura-list Luigi Lavizzari and many young local painters, sculptors, writers, photographers and musicians, who contribute to making the artistic life of this region very interesting; a re-gion which, by tradition, is a cultural bridge between the important artis-tic poles of Milan, Zurich and Basel. Many Swiss and foreign artists have been guests in this Swiss Lom-bardy; at random we can mention Petra Weiss, Giacomo Puccini, Gerhart Hauptmann or the heroes of the Italian Risorgimento. Those who love to discover a region by walking, will find precious treas-ures, to be enjoyed with respect and in peace; in the Muggio Valley they will also find an exceptional Museum in the territory.

The hills of the Mendrisiotto and Basso Ceresio –dotted with olive trees and covered by vineyards, by thick woods of chestnut and beech

Mendrisiotto and Basso CeresioA Region to be discovered!

trees, by intense green in Summer and bright colours in Autumn– sur-round villages which hide real ar-tistic and architectonic treasures, like the Züst Cantonal Art Gallery in Rancate, Casa Cantoni in Muggio, the Pollini and Torriani mansions in Mendrisio, the Romanesque church of Santa Agata in Tremona, the Paleochristian Baptistery in Riva San Vitale, the Vela Museum in Ligornetto, the Fossil Museum in Meride, the 18th century loggia of the Allio House in Arzo, the Servite Cloister and Art Museum in Men-drisio, the villas in Brusata and Lo-verciano, the farms of Mezzana and the Villas of Puccini and Leonca-vallo in Vacallo or the family homes of famous contemporary architects like Tita Carloni, Ivano Gianola and Mario Botta, which offer a kind of ideal dwelling model for a class of cultured people.

But the bucolic landscape tinted with nostalgia should not make us forget that this land is extremely modern and dynamic and is an important area for the European culture thanks to the Academy of Architecture in Mendriso, a cosmo-politan and humanistic centre where students can meet international celebrities like Zaha Hadid, Franck Gehry and Massimo Cacciari inside

the walls of the neo-classical Villa Turconi, which has been rendered less severe by a huge multicoloured bird, the work of the sculptor Niki de Saint-Phalle.

The cultural dynamism of the region is made evident by the numerous open-air summer events and from the programme of the Cinema Tea-tro in Chiasso, which is an architec-tonic jewel dating to 1935, recently restored. It hosts not only prose and cinema, but also contemporary dance and music. Next to this active cultural laborato-ry, which is relaunching the image of Chiasso, an original artistic pole has been created: the new, avant-garde m.a.x.museo, dedicated mainly to graphics, design, photography and videoart, as well as the Spazio Of-ficina.

The Mendrisiotto and Basso Cere-sio Region also offers the attentive visitor great simplicity and vernacu-lar art, which can be found in the numerous churches and chapels, in the nevère, in the potters’ bou-tiques, in the kilns and artistic foun-dries which complete the rich offer. Together they make this land a true place devoted to culture!

BaptisteryRiva San Vitale

Church Santo StefanoArogno

FestateChiasso

Archaeological digsTremona

Academy of ArchitectureMendrisio

Some cultural heritage

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Local Tourist Office

Viewpoint

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Theatre

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Indoor swimming pool

International Tourist Railway

Railway

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Cableway

Airport

Nature parks1 Parco delle Gole della Breggia2 Collina del Penz3 Parco Valle della Motta4 Riserva Pre Murin

1 Baptistery San Vitale 2 Church Santa Croce 3 Church San Silvestro 4 Archaeological digs 5 Marble quarries 6 Church San Sisinio alla Torre Church San Giovanni Church San Martino 7 Mill 8 Episcopal house 9 Church San Giorgio 10 Church San Pietro or Red Church 11 Church San Vigilio 12 Church Santo Stefano

1 Mendrisio – Castel San Pietro Man and the grapevine2 Seseglio – Pedrinate The viticultural techniques3 Rancate – Besazio – Stabio Viticulture and the territory

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Viticulture and the territory

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