Veronica Marcacci Rossi and Norman Gobbi shared the spirit of the meeting to be held on Wednesday. At 11:30 a.m. meeting with the population
Next Wednesday, 1 April, the Council of State will hold an ‘extra muros’ meeting in Brissago. The ministers will arrive at 9 am, welcomed by a delegation of the City Hall, and will visit the Leoncavallo Museum. At Casa Branca Baccalà they will discuss the topics on the agenda and then, at 11.30 am, they will meet the population during an aperitif open to all those who want to participate. The lunch with the City Hall and the second part of the government session will follow, again at Casa Branca Baccalà.
"We are proud to welcome the Council of State in Brissago, which will hold its session at our prestigious and fresh inauguration of Palazzo Branca Baccalà," says the mayor, Veronica Marcacci Rossi. For once, the distances become shorter: the institutions approach the territory and we feel more involved, more considered, more part of a direct dialogue. It will certainly be an institutional moment, but also an opportunity for sharing: the aperitif open to the population will allow citizens to meet and discuss with representatives of the Government, making this event even more significant.
For me, in my first term as mayor, it is a great honour to be able to welcome them. After all, from Palazzo delle Orsoline to Palazzo Branca Baccalà the pass is short… only changes the landscape: fewer official corridors and a little more lake view – but decisions always remain serious and important!’.
In view of the meeting, we asked the President of the Council of State, Norman Gobbi, to briefly tell the subscribers of this Newsletter about the spirit that will animate the Cantonal Government’s visit.
– By Norman Gobbi, President of the Government
Brissago: border territory, identity and responsibility
There is a passage from the novel Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway who tells a night crossing on Lake Maggiore to Switzerland. An escape, of course, but also the search for a safer place, for a truce. It is an image that describes well the meaning of this territory: a place of passage, but also of landing.
It is no coincidence that the Council of State chose Brissago for its extra muros session. It is a gateway to Switzerland that concretely reflects the challenges and opportunities of our canton. Here the concept of frontier is lived every day: it means relations and exchanges, but also concrete responsibility in guaranteeing quality of life for the population.
Due to its geographical position, Brissago is a reality strongly oriented towards tourism. Different languages and identities intertwine along the streets of the village or on the lakeside: from the local dialect, unique in the Locarno linguistic panorama, to the Schwiizerdütsch. A territory that has been able to speak beyond Gotthard thanks to iconic figures such as the artist Nella Martinetti, born here and capable of bringing the Ticino soul into the Swiss-German cultural world, conquering it.
This openness, however, did not lose its roots. On the contrary, Brissago has maintained a solid bond with its own identity and history. It is on this balance that the reflections on the aggregation between Brissago and Ronco sopra Ascona are grafted. In an increasingly competitive environment, the ability to team up becomes a necessary element to better manage and enhance services, development and attractiveness of the territory.
Brissago also contains a story that has its roots in 1848, made up of skills, handed down gestures and people who over time have built a recognized knowledge well beyond the cantonal borders. I am referring to the famous cigar factory, a reality that goes far beyond the economy. The cigar, for those who know it, is not just a product: it is time, measure, attention. It requires calm, quality, respect for processes. In a fast-paced era, it is a concrete reminder of reflection. A message that also applies to state action: building patiently, maintaining coherence, looking away. And I say that as a cigar smoker.
Today, as then, the task of the institutions is clear: to create framework conditions that allow Ticino to be a solid, attractive and cohesive canton. The extra muros session in Brissago wants to be the concrete sign of a government close to the people and the municipalities. Because it is precisely starting from territories like this that a strong Ticino is built, aware of its identity and able to face future challenges.
As in Hemingway's tale, Lake Maggiore is not just a border to cross, but a line between uncertainty and security. Every time has its crossings. Today the Canton of Ticino is called upon to face a challenging one, maintaining the course and the sense of measure. Because it is precisely on this balance that the solidity of our landing depends.
On behalf of the Council of State, a warm thank you to the citizens and authorities of Brissago for your welcome.