Municipio di Lamone

Lamone has ancient origins and is divided into three distinct parts: the historic center, the new town, and the hamlet of Ostarietta. The historic center consists of a cluster of mainly rustic houses grouped around a few streets and districts.

It is located at the foot of the hill of San Zeno, whose slopes form a natural amphitheater to the south.

For some years now, there has been a "nature trail": this path, which partly follows an old mule track that has fallen into disuse, joins a path that climbs from Origlio near the top, and along the way there are signs providing information about the particular vegetation of the area.

The new part of the village is located on the plain that extends south of the church. The hamlet of Ostarietta also has rather ancient origins.

It is separated from the new part of Lamone by the railway line, and the main road passes through this hamlet.

Historical profile

"Lamone with Ostarietta, the main village, although due to its location it is not the capital of the district of Vezia (district of Lugano). The postal road skirts the edges of the Lamone countryside, but the village is located some distance away, at the foot of a mountain which, sheltering it from the cold winds, allows it to produce wines of good reputation. Its separation from the parish of Lugano dates back to the years 1580-90. On the mountain is the hermitage of San Zenone, overlooking the Agno and Lugano valleys..."

 

This is how Stefano Franscini describes Lamone in his work "La Svizzera Italiana" (Italian Switzerland), published in 1840. In order to better illustrate our municipality, we have drawn on the rich source that is the historical monograph on Lamone, written by Canon Giovanni Sarinelli (1885-1967).

Origins

Lamone is referred to as Namonne in ancient documents (before the year 1000). In 1300, it is called Lemonno or Lemonne and, in some cases, Lamonno.

However, by 1400, it was referred to as Lemone and Alamone, names that are closer to the current name of Lamone.

It is not easy to determine the etymological origin and meaning of the name Lamone. Sarinelli states that it probably derives from an ancient character from an Italian village with the same name as ours (Lamon in the province of Belluno).

If, on the other hand, we consider the oldest term used to describe the village, namely "Namonne," this may lead us to reflect on the Iatino word "nemus," which means "forest rich in pasture."

It cannot be ruled out that the area where the village of Lamone was built was originally a place predominantly dedicated to sheep farming.

It is not easy to ascertain what actually happened and how the village developed. We know little or nothing about Ticino during the barbarian invasions and the influence they had on the population. There are archaeological traces of the Lombards in the 7th century.

Between 568 and 572, they conquered the Po Valley and then pushed into the Alpine valleys where, around 590, they clashed with the Franks at Ponte Tresa.

Some Lombard lords owned property in the Sottoceneri region, including a certain Totone da Campione, whose estates were very extensive, including all the lands of Lamone.

Upon his death, he left all his property (including the Lamone lands) to the Monastery of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan. With this donation, the monastery in the Lombard capital became one of the oldest feudal lordships in the Sottoceneri region, of which the most significant traces have been found. The monastery's jurisdiction lasted until 1300.

Ancient community life

The different families who lived side by side on the same land created a community in which everyone was free to enjoy the goods without being owners. In fact, there was no private property that excluded the participation of other families.

Wood from the forest and stone for building houses were to be enjoyed in common, as were pastures for livestock, while land for cultivation was usually allocated by lot during a public meeting. This form of self-management was called 'vicinìa'.

It had its own rules, including the appointment of a 'dean' or 'consul' (corresponding to the current mayor), the discussion and approval of statutes and regulations for the running of the community, etc.

The assemblies, called "vicinanze," could be ordinary or extraordinary and were generally held in the central square of the village or in the churchyard.

Community activities

Lamone was a predominantly agricultural village, as the people earned their livelihood from farming and livestock breeding.

The number of livestock must have been very large, as we know that in 1392 Lamone owned two alpine pastures on Camoghè above Isone: this property was held until around 1500.

Another fact that indicates the massive presence of livestock are the municipal regulations and decrees governing the use of pastures.

In addition to the aforementioned agricultural and livestock activities, it is worth mentioning the silkworm industry, which flourished in Lamone between the late 1700s and early 1800s and continued for almost a century.

Hemp and flax were also cultivated, and after being suitably processed, their fibers were transformed into thread to be woven on hand looms to produce fabrics. Who does not remember the famous linen cloths of our grandparents?

As a curiosity, we would like to mention the discovery a few years ago, during an excavation in the historic center, of a large worked stone belonging to a lever or Piedmontese press (an instrument widely used between 1500 and 1800 for processing grapes and, in particular, for preparing walnut oil).

However, agriculture was not the only activity of the Lamonesi. In the 17th century, there were several kilns for firing terracotta in our area. With the increase in population and the loss of mountain pastures, many inhabitants had to change professions, becoming bricklayers, painters, carpenters, and blacksmiths.

These activities did not always guarantee work in the village and, as a result, there was only one solution: emigration.

The residential area

Lamone is divided into three distinct parts: the historic center, the new part, and the hamlet of Ostarietta.

The historic center is a collection of mainly rustic houses, grouped around a few streets and districts.

Walking along these streets and looking closely at the houses, walls, doors, railings, and gates, we can see how some buildings were constructed without noble materials, but with a great deal of passion.

Very often, the builders of these works were people of humble means who were forced to emigrate in order to make a living.

Far from home, they learned their trade and then, when they returned, they demonstrated what they had learned by building or embellishing their homes.

The old town center, which is well preserved and protected by special regulations enacted by the City Council about ten years ago, is an unmistakable testament to rural civilization.

The new part of the village, located on the plain that extends south of the old town, has gradually developed since the 1960s, with the construction of new houses and numerous buildings.

The arrival of new residents has been accompanied by the establishment of many economic activities in the industrial and service sectors.

The hamlet of Ostarietta also has rather remote origins. In fact, Schinz states in his work "Descrizione della Svizzera Italiana nel settecento" (Description of Italian Switzerland in the 18th century) that in Ostarietta there was "... an isolated house with a mill and a sawmill next to it "... separated from the new part of Lamone by the railway line.

Communication routes

The residential area was not and has never been crossed by transit roads, but this has not prevented the municipality from developing more and more. The main road, first called Regina and then Cantonale, still passes through the hamlet of Ostarietta today.

It was extended in two stages: first the Lugano-Ostarietta section, built between 1806 and 1808, then the Ostarietta-Cadenazzo section, built between 1808 and 1811.

Until the opening of the motorway, this road was the main artery connecting Lugano and Monte Ceneri.

In 1896, a passenger service was introduced on this road, connecting the neighboring villages with the city of Lugano by stagecoach.

In 1934, the stagecoach was replaced by a bus service (three trips a day).

Furthermore, with the construction of the Gotthard railway (1882) and after a series of long vicissitudes lasting over 30 years, the municipal authorities of Lamone, together with those of Cadempino, managed to obtain an additional service for the community: the railway station.

The church

Dedicated to St. Andrew, it is located south of the historic center. Its current appearance is the result of frequent transformations, some of which took place in 1612 and others in 1800.

Further renovations were carried out in 1920, while the interior was restored in 1976-77. The bell tower, located to the south of the church, dates back to the Romanesque period (1100), as evidenced by the blind niches defined by two or three arches. In 1820, it was extended to the north and raised.

The façade of the church is neoclassical; designed in 1894 by the architect A. Ghezzi, it has a portico with Tuscan-style pillars as its entrance. The interior comprises a nave with three bays, the choir, and two side chapels.

The walls of the nave are supported by Tuscan order pillars supporting a neoclassical cornice. The high altar is in stucco, with columns surmounted by composite order capitals; it is enriched by a 17th-century altarpiece depicting Jesus inviting the two brothers Andrew and Peter to follow him and by an Arzo marble altar table from the mid-18th century.

In the side chapels, the stuccoes by Gabriele Cattori di Lamone (the artist who decorated the high altar) are noteworthy. In the left chapel, dedicated to St. Sebastian, there is an altarpiece depicting the saint in the company of the Virgin Mary and St. Roch. In the chapel on the right, dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, the altar is surmounted by a niche decorated with stuccoes and containing a statue dating from the late 1600s.

Noteworthy are the paintings of the twelve apostles displayed on the walls, attributed to Caresana di Cureglia and created around 1700. The Venetian mosaic floor was laid in 1858.