The canton of Ticino

The canton of Ticino

(TI) ( Italian: Canton Ticino ) is a canton of Switzerland.

Its name comes from the namesake tributary of the Po with the etymology of the Latin name : Ticinus is unknown, but it probably Celte origin . It is the only exclusively Italian-speaking canton since the Grisons , the other Italian-speaking canton is trilingual ( Italian, German and Romansh ) .

In ancient times, the township was populated by Lépontes an Indo-European tribe probably of Celtic origin . The area was annexed by Rome rather late . Later, Hannibal gave battle in the plain of Ticino against the Romans, it is one of its first victories against the enemy .

Ticino is the only Swiss canton located entirely south of the Alps . He rubs the north by the cantons of Valais Nufenen pass , and Uri , which it is separated by the St. Gotthard Pass ( San Gottardo in Italian). It shares its northeastern boundary with the Grisons , to the south and west , it borders with Lombardy and Piedmont. Chiasso border post , located at the southern end of the township is only about 30 km from the largest Italian industrial center Milan.

Canton with its Mediterranean climate, the Ticino is Switzerland palms . Its riviera, which stretches along Lake Lugano, is dominated in the north by the Monte Bre , panoramic viewpoint of Italian Switzerland .

The major cities of Ticino is Lugano, on the north bank of the namesake lake ( also called Ceresio ) , Locarno, north of Lake Maggiore and Bellinzona , the capital of the canton.

The official language is Italian.

The wine in Ticino.

The area planted diminnuent every year at the beginning of the twentieth century, the region still had 6500 hectares of vines. But it was without counting on the phylloxera, and then , tourism millionaires came in turn cause problems in the wine business

A vineyard on the slopes too steep can also be a great way for a beautiful villa with breathtaking views , and the influx of wealthy rich who prefer anyway drink bordeaux benefits service more profitable than the wine is born mountainside . Thus the vineyard of Ticino , which no longer has approximately 1200 hectares, retired alpine valleys to settle to less difficult to grow Mendrisotto plains south of Lake Lugano, where the wines red Ticino were once very conservative , the tenants today give more harm in their winemaking and give birth from the local grape merlot, with flaming red and beautifully round . Occasionally , a few bottles are the way to export the best of them bear the seal of quality Viti

Ticino is in fourth place for the size from the wine Swiss cantons . Prior to the attack by phylloxera , the township had 7,000 hectares of vineyards, against only 1200 hectares today. Ticino has two regions, the Sottoceneri Sopraceneri north and south , which are separated by up Ceneri .

Sottoceneri rests on a floor composed of a mixture of chalk, mineral , clay and sand

The vineyards are located on both banks of Lake Lugano and Rivera in the north, has a more typical Sopraceneri different geology of the Alps less rich in chalk, or the presence of granite and sand is marked by great lakes, with Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore and to a lesser extent that of Como play an important role, they temper somewhat warm Mediterranean climate

Merlot del Ticino

Merlot Del ticino is on one of the wines from Ticino , the Merlot vines were planted as a result of the destruction of vineyards by phylloxera

The results were surprising , two of the best wines from this region can even compete with the famous petrus .

Of course Ticino wines do not all offer the same quality as their more illustrious representatives

Most attractive are lightweight, flexible with a bit of acidity or tannin Only the best wines are matured in oak barrels and are very tannin transforming this real velvet year

the nostrano

The Nostrano is certainly the oldest and most traditional wines from Ticino , it is from a local grape The Bondola which sometimes adjoin The Freisa , The Bonarda and Malbec This wine is somewhat rustic but pleasant found also the Bondola , Ticino , Pinot Noir , Chasselas Chardonnay, Sémillons , Riesling, Sylvaner and Sauvignon

During the Middle Ages , the territory that now forms the township depended Como and the Duchy of Milan. Successive wars the Swiss canton of Uri (1440 , 1500) , including the Battle of Giornico and soon the entire Confederation ( 1512 ) led to the annexation of the region: the upper valley of Ticino , since the Gotthard massif to the town of Biasca , was attached to the canton of Uri , the rest of the territory is under collective management.

Historical particularity , the municipality of Campione d' Italia , on the eastern shore of Lake Lugano , remains under Italian sovereignty and is therefore an enclave in Switzerland.

The official language of the canton is Italian. Ticino is the only canton where Italian is the sole official language is Italian co- official language in Graubünden with German and Romansh.