Ticino, Switzerland - It couldn’t have been easy for Brother Bartolomeo, a Franciscan friar, honouring the Virgin Mary – who came to him in an apparition when he was a humble servant of God in the convent of Locarno, on the shores of Lake Maggiore.
But, if you’re going to have a place of worship for the Madonna, it has to be in a place that celebrates not only her, but the beauty of creation itself.
High above Locarno on a spectacular craggy rock, Brother Bartolomeo initiated the building of what became known as the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sasso. Heaven only knows what it cost in terms of years, toil, sweat – maybe even blood – to construct this shrine, but hundreds of years on, you have to admit, even as an irreligious tourist, that the labours of Bartolomeo and his cohorts were not in vain.
On a porch alongside the church, you feel you are closer to that heaven which Bartolomeo may have envisioned. Below are the limpid blue waters of the lake, which stretches in a serpentine way from north to south. Green, forested mountain slopes (frosted with snow in the colder months) plunge to the shores. In the distance, the Alps (perpetually snow-capped) stand guard on what seems like a little corner of paradise.
Down below, in the cafes of Locarno, where producing a bad espresso is probably a capital offence, the laid back, languid style speaks volumes about the Italian way of life.
And then, you remember that old joke about the definition of heaven: where the food is Italian and the efficiency is Swiss (or something like that).
Because, this little piece of Italy is part of Switzerland… and, apart from being the best of both worlds, is something of a best-kept secret (at least to English-speakers, and South Africans in particular).
Never mind the food and the efficiency, the beauty of the place is a combination of the best of Italy – say the dramatic Amalfi Coast on the Mediterranean – and the forested greens and granite greys of mountainous Switzerland. Locarno is one of the main towns in the canton of Ticino, which is the southernmost in Switzerland (and abuts Italy in the south) and the only one where Italian is the dominant language and culture.
It has a milder climate than the rest of Switzerland (snow is rare) and is the place in the Alpine country which has the most sunshine yearly. Even in December, the maximum temperatures do not go below zero (the average is 5°C – cold by South African standards, but not bad by European ones).
In late summer, when we were there, there is a definite Riviera feeling about the place. Boats – sail-powered and motorised – cut glittering wakes across the glass-like lake surface, while water skiiers weave their intricate patterns.
People, locals and tourists, stroll the promenades of Locarno as well as nearby Ascona, which is said to boast some of the highest property prices in Europe. In Lugano, further around the lake, the well-heeled soak up the warmth at the end of summer before heading to the pleasures, somewhat cooler, of St Moritz. Plenty of glitz, plenty of glamour and a Ferrari or two… if you like to live the life of the wealthy in a vicarious way.
But, you can enjoy the beauty first hand – in a physical, or even adventurous way.
Ticino has myriad lakes and mountains, and is laced with a network of more than 3 000km of walking, hiking and biking trails.
You can wander off by yourself or you can go on an organised excursion.If you fancy, you can paraglide – and you will seldom ever have a more scenic backdrop for those particular flights of fancy.
As is the case in the rest of Switzerland, getting around is no problem.
The efficient rail network provides connections between major centres, backed up by clockwork-precise bus services.
There is a host of cableways, funiculars and mountain railways to get you to the top of the most spectacular high points in the region.
Accommodation ranges from the high-end (five-star hotels and resorts) to the more affordable (like self-catering and family hotels) – but in South African rand terms it can be painful in high season. However, because the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn are milder than they are elsewhere in Switzerland and the prices are much more reasonable, they are attractive.
Eating out is not as affordable as it is at home, but there are plenty of rustic family restaurants where you get the “real” Italian experience without having to pay through the nose for it.
Also, one of the best things about Ticino is that, being part of Switzerland (where the national education system emphasises the ability to converse in a number of languages), the chances of encountering someone who will understand your English are higher than they are in neighbouring Italy.
Even in an “ordinary” hotel in Bellinzona, opposite the train station, we were served the best Caprese salad I have yet had. Mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, drizzled with real virgin olive oil and sprinkled with salt. Perfect. And brought to the table within minutes of being ordered, yet still fresh.
Italian passion, Swiss precision. Ticino.
If You Go...
Flights to Switzerland: www.swiss.com
Travel in Switzerland (train, bus and boat on one pass): www.swisstravelsystem.com
Information on Ticino: www.ticino.ch