Lugano is the biggest city of the Tesino, the corner of Italian expression in Switzerland. Nevertheless, the cantonal capital is Bellinzona.
The city is in the shore of the Lake of Lugano and is surrounded by the Brè mounts, San Salvatore and Sighignola. The border with Italy is to 8 kilometers of the center; nevertheless, the residential district Gandria, that today comprises officially of the municipality of Lugano, extends until the border.
In 2003 Lugano it incorporated its suburbs, forming an extended city, Nueva Lugano. At the present time it is the eighth bigger city of Switzerland as far as surface; before the integration of the suburbs position in the ranking of the greatest metropolis of Switzerland only was in the 61. Due to its climate tempered in the South slope of the Alps, surrounded by high mounts to borders of a lake, Lugano is one of the more popular tourist destinations of Switzerland.
The tourism is one of the sources of more important income of the tesinesa city. The city of Lugano is the third more important financial center of the country. All the greater banks of Switzerland, as well as certain number of international private banks have their offices here. Also the commerce plays an important role in the economy of the city. Lugano is the main base of the University of the Italian Switzerland founded on 1996 that maintains narrow bows with the universities in superior Italy.
Lugano has in addition a small airport to domestic flights in Agno, although also a bus from shuttle to the international airport of Malpensa in Milan exists. Lugano is in the railroad that it connects northern Switzerland with Italy through port of the Gotardo. There is in addition funiculares small that communicates the city with Montes of San Salvatore and Brè, as well as the railway station with the shore to the lake.

History
The name of the villa derives from the Latin word “lucus” that means “sacred forest”. Archaeological findings have demonstrated that the zone was populated by Etruscan and celtas. In century IX the villa was incorporated to the territory of the bishop of Because with time it extended his dominiales rights in the luganesa region.
During the Low Age Average Lugano one was implied in a complex fight between Milan and Like and later between Milan, France and the Swiss Confederation by his control. Therefore, the villa entered into the hands of different powers until the regime of the confederados ones in 1513 prevailed. When the French invaded Switzerland in 1798 abolished the system of the subject territories and created in the subalpine region the corner of Lugano that after the French occupation received the name of the greater river, the Tesino.