History
Pregassona has been part of Lugano since 2004.
Its name was first documented in a parchment dated 3 June 1222, in which Bertaro Lambertenghi of Vico (Como) donated all his share of the tithe of Pregassona to the Church and the Hospital of Santa Maria in Lugano. In the following century, a document from 1335 mentions the village as "Precassono."
Over the centuries, the community sustained itself through agriculture, supplementing its income, particularly from the 19th century onwards, with emigration (Algeria being a frequent destination). In the latter half of the same century, Giuseppe Guioni, a benefactor and inventor of an ingenious threshing machine, owned an important farmhouse in Viarnetto.
During this period, small industries emerged, powered by the left stream of the Cassarate river, giving a boost to the local economy. Around 1899, a tobacco factory opened, and during the First World War, a chemical industry producing pharmaceuticals operated in the area. These developments attracted workers from neighboring Lombardy, so much so that between 1870 and 1905, a quarter of Pregassona’s population was foreign.
Pregassona experienced significant demographic growth, particularly from the mid-20th century onwards. Statistics began in 1643, with a population of 409 inhabitants. Later records show 464 inhabitants in 1670, 545 in 1696, 527 in 1709, 470 in 1769, 569 in 1801, 464 in 1850, 652 in 1900, 1,204 in 1950, 5,982 in 1990, 6,656 in 1992, and 9,148 in 2011. Documents note that from 1643 to 1801, the figures refer to the parish of Pazzalino, including the inhabitants of Pregassona and Viganello. From 1850 onwards, the data pertains solely to Pregassona.
The coat of arms
The Armoriale dei Comuni ticinesi by Gastone Cambin, published in 1953 by the Istituto Araldico e Genealogico di Lugano, describes the coat of arms of Pregassona as follows: "Gules, a pale wavy argent, flanked by a half mill wheel and a bell tower, all or, with black fenestrations."
The stream that divides the coat of arms represents the Cassone river and the many channels that crossed the municipality. The bell tower is that of the Church of Pazzalino, and the mill wheel recalls the presence of several mills in the territory of Pregassona.
Places of interest
This sacred building, located in an isolated position south of the village, was built in 1222 and renovated in 1591. The current main façade was constructed in the second half of the 19th century.
The church features a floor plan with three naves divided into five bays; the central nave is topped by a barrel vault with lunettes (which also continues above the choir), while the two side naves are covered by cross vaults.
Detached from the main building stands the post-Romanesque bell tower, a prominent feature in the surrounding landscape.
The Church of saints Giovanni Battista and Massimiliano Kolbe, located at Via Terzerina 1, is the second most important church in Pregassona. It is a modern and appealing building, completed in 1997. Next to the church stands the Centro Presenza Cristiana (Christian Presence Center).
The English version of this page was created with the aid of automatic translation tools and may contain errors and omissions.
The original version is the page in Italian.