History

Lugano has ancient origins: the first reliable traces of a community in the area date back to a document from 875 mentioning "Sancti Laurenti in Luano."

Starting from the Middle Ages, for centuries, Lugano, like other territories in what is now the Canton of Ticino, was continuously contested between Como and Milan.

In 1513, the city came under Swiss rule, and in 1798, amid major European upheavals, it sought and gained independence, becoming part of the Swiss Confederation.

In 1815, the Congress of Vienna guaranteed the integrity of the new cantons, thus marking the birth of modern Switzerland.

In the 19th century, Lugano served as the capital of Ticino after the new Constitution of 1814 established a rotating cantonal capital shared every six years with the towns of Bellinzona and Locarno (until 1878).

Between 1880 and 1910, after the opening of the Gotthard railway line (1882), the city experienced exceptional demographic growth, with the population increasing from 6,949 to 14,998 in just thirty years.

Between 1900 and 1945, further demographic and economic growth brought significant urban transformations that radically changed the structure of the historic center and entire districts.

In 1972, the municipalities of Brè-Aldesago and Castagnola were incorporated into Lugano. In 2002, the "Nuova Lugano" project was approved by referendum, paving the way for the incorporation of several neighboring municipalities. In 2004, Breganzona, Cureggia, Davesco-Soragno, Gandria, Pambio-Noranco, Pazzallo, Pregassona, and Viganello joined the City, followed by Barbengo, Carabbia, and Villa Luganese in 2008.

In 2013, another phase of incorporations brought Bogno, Cadro, Carona, Certara, Cimadera, Sonvico, and Valcolla into Lugano as new districts. Today, Lugano spans 75.81 km² and has approximately 68,000 residents, making it one of the ten largest cities in Switzerland.

The initials LVGA

Despite legends and more or less fanciful hypotheses about the origin of the initials LVGA on the city's coat of arms, according to heraldry expert Gastone Cambin (1913-1991), the four letters simply represent an abbreviation of the name Lugano. There are indeed other cases of abbreviated names on coats of arms, and it is common to find inscriptions on coins where the last letters are omitted due to lack of space.