Director Riccardo Lüthi and municipal councilor Giovanni Chiappini discuss the sociotherapeutic institute, its evolution over the years, its relationship with the Brissago community, and its future, also linked to donations.

The sociotherapeutic institute La Motta has been an integral part of Brissago's reality for decades. Today, we want to tell its story and its role within the community. The foundation dates back to 1938, thanks to Dr. Ita Wegman, a close collaborator of Rudolf Steiner, the father of anthroposophy and, together with Dr. Wegman, of anthroposophic medicine. Originally, the institute was established as a care home for children, many of whom came from the Sonnenhof Institute in Arlesheim, to escape National Socialism and avoid euthanasia. These were particularly Jewish children with disabilities. During World War II, La Motta actively collaborated with the Swiss Red Cross, producing restorative products distributed to those in need.

Over the years, it has welcomed people from all over the world, becoming a reference point in care and assistance. Today, La Motta is integrated into the cantonal planning of LISPI institutes and recognized as a House with occupation and increased educational needs.

"At the beginning, the environment was very familial," explains Director Riccardo Lüthi. "The staff lived within the institute, cultivated the fields using organic and biodynamic methods, and offered care in a context that valued nature, climate, and culture. Since the 1980s-1990s, La Motta has become bilingual, with a progressive increase in users from the Canton of Ticino. In 2014, it transformed into a foundation to meet modern organizational needs and underwent a complete renovation of the buildings between 2000 and 2012, thanks to public and private contributions. Today, La Motta proudly carries forward Dr. Wegman's legacy, keeping alive a vision centered on human dignity, individual care, and community, with a sociotherapeutic approach that has been refined day by day."

The Relationship with the Brissago Community

Giovanni Chiappini, head of the social department in the Municipality of Brissago, knows well the reality of La Motta—as well as the Hildebrand Clinic and the San Giorgio House—having worked there years ago as an architect. "For this reason," he states, "I have an increased sensitivity to the role that the institutes operating in Brissago in the social and health sector play for our reality. For us, it is a pride to host such an important network of care and assistance that is an integral part of our country's history."

La Motta has always had a national (in the past also international) scope and, since the 1980s, progressively also a cantonal one, adds Director Lüthi. "Over time, it has built a strong bond with the local community. Involvement occurs through cultural events, markets, collaborations with organizations, and the sale of products from the workshops. Furthermore, the relationship with Brissago is also nurtured through spontaneous meetings with citizens in our 'Spazio Colore' shop, on the streets, and in the village's gathering places. The climate, nature, and social fabric of the area are integral parts of our care approach."

In this regard, Chiappini expresses a hope: "I hope that the Brissago community continues to welcome users with the usual sensitivity, and that those who still do not know these realities—I think of La Motta but also of the other institutes—go to discover them and perhaps decide to support them with a concrete gesture."

Lüthi echoes: "We like to think that the population of Brissago knows us, appreciates us, and cares for us. We often feel, in small daily gestures, in encounters on the street, in greetings and words of encouragement, how close the community is to us and follows our path with affection. We like to believe that people are aware that obtaining the necessary resources to guarantee a dignified life for our users is not taken for granted and that, precisely for this reason, they will know how to seize opportunities to give visibility to La Motta, promote its knowledge, and perhaps transform this closeness into spontaneous gestures of support and philanthropy."

How La Motta is Funded

La Motta is supported by public contributions through a mandate and a performance contract with the Canton of Ticino and other Swiss cantons. The funding also includes the collection of the daily fee (covered by AI) for each user. However, since public subsidies do not cover all management expenses, the Foundation, through its own capital and thanks to the support of private citizens and donors, ensures the institute's economic stability.

The Foundation's task is to ensure stability and continuity, raise funds, and keep alive the institute's social and therapeutic mission.

Currently, La Motta welcomes 11 day users and 45 residents, of whom 18 come from German-speaking Switzerland and 27 from Ticino, explains the director. The residents live divided into 7 housing units that reflect a family context.

Daily Activities are Divided into Three Main Areas:

• Occupational Workshops: paper, candles, wood, bakery, weaving, iron and stone, preparation of spices, tea and jams, gardening, wood splitting, delivery activities, etc. These workshops strengthen the sense of belonging, personal growth, and social appreciation, also thanks to the sale of products at markets.

• Therapies: Regarding anthroposophic therapies: curative eurythmy, music therapy, oil dispersion bath, rhythmic massage. These therapies are prescribed by the anthroposophic doctor to stimulate vital forces, harmonize emotional balance, and promote identity. For classical therapies: physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, hippotherapy, and Ortho-Bionomy.

• Cultural and Recreational Activities: singing, movement, community parties, disco, walks, swimming pool, games, holiday camps, etc.

"We promote autonomy," explains the director, "through targeted support that helps each user express their potential. It is a daily balance between support and freedom, always trying to stimulate self-determination without losing sight of safety and well-being."

Philosophy and Future Challenges

Over the years, explains the director, "La Motta has evolved from a care home for children to a place capable of accompanying people into adult life, developing occupational workshops and community activities. The challenge is to offer meaningful and personalized life paths, enhancing skills and the desire for expression in a social context. Our users are mainly people with congenital cognitive disabilities, many of whom require intensive support. Our approach is deeply relational: we recognize and value individual resources, adapting each intervention to specific needs. The great challenge is to maintain the balance between individual and community needs, between freedom and protection, between self-determination and support. All this takes place in a context of financial precariousness, which makes our commitment to keeping sociotherapy alive even more valuable."