Canton of Lugano
Encyclopedia
Lugano was the name of a canton
of the Helvetic Republic
from 1798 to 1803, with its capital at Lugano
. The canton unified the former Landvogteien of Lugano
, Mendrisio
, Locarno
and Valmaggia.
As with the other cantons of the Helvetic Republic, the autonomy
of Lugano was very limited, the republic having been founded by Napoleon in order further to centralise power in Switzerland. The canton was led by an Directory
of five members, who appointed a "national préfet
", the first of whom was Giacomo Buonvicini.
The canton was riven with dispute between "patriots", supporting the Cisalpine Republic
, and traditionalist "aristocrat
s". The politics of the central government — the seizure of church property, the introduction of direct taxation, mandatory military service
, an amnesty favouring Cisalpine patriots and a law regarding municipalities that rejected the secular tradition of communal autonomy — as well as the military occupation
by the French Revolutionary Armies, with its associated violence and requisitions, all combined to maintain a level of hostility to the new régime within the local population, which eventually rose up against the régime.
In Lugano, during anti-French protests of 28 April and 29 April 1799, the printer Agnelli's was looted and the abbot Giuseppe Lodovico Maria Vanelli and other Cisalpine patriots were killed; the préfet Francesco Capra, who succeeded Buonvicini earlier that year, fled and power passed to a provisional government
sympathetic to the Habsburg
s. Similar protests erupted in Mendrisio
and Locarno
. The arrival of Austro-Russian troops
led to further requisition and pillage, leading to further shortages amongst the local population. French occupation was restored in 1800, with further consequences for the Luganese. Commissioner Heinrich Zschokke
re-established the authority of the Helvetic Republic on his arrival; a new préfet was appointed, Giuseppe Giovanni Battista Franzoni.
After two abortive attempts to unite Lugano with Bellinzona
in the first two years of the 19th century, popular discontent, combined with fiscal pressure and a disastrous economic situation, led to a revolt in Capriasca
early in 1802, which led to the autumn pronunciamento of Pian Povrò, named for the location of a district general congress, between Massagno
and Breganzona
, which declared the independence of Lugano from the Helvetic client republic
.
With the Act of Mediation
, the following year, political agitation was finally quelled, as were the struggles between unionists and federalists; merger with Bellinzona was at last completed, creating the Ticino
, which endures to the present day.
Canton (subnational entity)
A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared to other administrative divisions such as counties, departments or provinces. Internationally the best-known cantons, and the most politically...
of the Helvetic Republic
Helvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
from 1798 to 1803, with its capital at Lugano
Lugano
Lugano is a city of inhabitants in the city proper and a total of over 145,000 people in the agglomeration/city region, in the south of Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which borders Italy...
. The canton unified the former Landvogteien of Lugano
Lugano
Lugano is a city of inhabitants in the city proper and a total of over 145,000 people in the agglomeration/city region, in the south of Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which borders Italy...
, Mendrisio
Mendrisio
Mendrisio is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.Mendrisio is the seat of the Accademia di Architettura of the university of Italian speaking Switzerland ....
, Locarno
Locarno
Locarno is the capital of the Locarno district, located on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore in the Swiss canton of Ticino, close to Ascona at the foot of the Alps. It has a population of about 15,000...
and Valmaggia.
As with the other cantons of the Helvetic Republic, the autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
of Lugano was very limited, the republic having been founded by Napoleon in order further to centralise power in Switzerland. The canton was led by an Directory
French Directory
The Directory was a body of five Directors that held executive power in France following the Convention and preceding the Consulate...
of five members, who appointed a "national préfet
Préfet
A prefect in France is the State's representative in a department or region. Sub-prefects are responsible for the subdivisions of departments, arrondissements...
", the first of whom was Giacomo Buonvicini.
The canton was riven with dispute between "patriots", supporting the Cisalpine Republic
Cisalpine Republic
The Cisalpine Republic was a French client republic in Northern Italy that lasted from 1797 to 1802.-Birth:After the Battle of Lodi in May 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte proceeded to organize two states: one to the south of the Po River, the Cispadane Republic, and one to the north, the Transpadane...
, and traditionalist "aristocrat
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
s". The politics of the central government — the seizure of church property, the introduction of direct taxation, mandatory military service
Military service
Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations require a specific amount of military service from every citizen...
, an amnesty favouring Cisalpine patriots and a law regarding municipalities that rejected the secular tradition of communal autonomy — as well as the military occupation
Military occupation
Military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. The territory then becomes occupied territory.-Military occupation and the laws of war:...
by the French Revolutionary Armies, with its associated violence and requisitions, all combined to maintain a level of hostility to the new régime within the local population, which eventually rose up against the régime.
In Lugano, during anti-French protests of 28 April and 29 April 1799, the printer Agnelli's was looted and the abbot Giuseppe Lodovico Maria Vanelli and other Cisalpine patriots were killed; the préfet Francesco Capra, who succeeded Buonvicini earlier that year, fled and power passed to a provisional government
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
sympathetic to the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
s. Similar protests erupted in Mendrisio
Mendrisio
Mendrisio is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.Mendrisio is the seat of the Accademia di Architettura of the university of Italian speaking Switzerland ....
and Locarno
Locarno
Locarno is the capital of the Locarno district, located on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore in the Swiss canton of Ticino, close to Ascona at the foot of the Alps. It has a population of about 15,000...
. The arrival of Austro-Russian troops
Suvorov's Italian and Swiss expedition
The Italian and Swiss expeditions of 1799 and 1800 were undertaken by the Russian commander Alexander Suvorov against French forces in Piedmont and Switzerland as part of the Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars in general and the War of the Second Coalition in particular.-Italian...
led to further requisition and pillage, leading to further shortages amongst the local population. French occupation was restored in 1800, with further consequences for the Luganese. Commissioner Heinrich Zschokke
Heinrich Zschokke
Johann Heinrich Daniel Zschokke was a German author and reformer. Most of his life was spent, and most of his reputation earned, in Switzerland...
re-established the authority of the Helvetic Republic on his arrival; a new préfet was appointed, Giuseppe Giovanni Battista Franzoni.
After two abortive attempts to unite Lugano with Bellinzona
Canton of Bellinzona
Bellinzona was the name of a canton of the Helvetic Republic, with its capital in Bellinzona.The canton was founded in 1798 with the slogan Liberi e svizzeri as a means of remaining a part of Switzerland, rather than being annexed to the Cisalpine client republic...
in the first two years of the 19th century, popular discontent, combined with fiscal pressure and a disastrous economic situation, led to a revolt in Capriasca
Capriasca
Capriasca is a municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.The municipality was created in 2001 by a merger of Cagiallo, Lopagno, Roveredo, Sala Capriasca, Tesserete and Vaglio.-History:...
early in 1802, which led to the autumn pronunciamento of Pian Povrò, named for the location of a district general congress, between Massagno
Massagno
Massagno is a municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:An Upper Paleolithic Ax made out of serpentinite, and some cremation graves from the Iron Age are the only prehistoric traces discovered in Massagno. The village of Massagno is first mentioned in...
and Breganzona
Breganzona
Breganzona is a district of the city of Lugano, Switzerland. Breganzona was formerly a municipality of its own, having been incorporated into Lugano in 2004...
, which declared the independence of Lugano from the Helvetic client republic
French client republic
During its occupation of neighboring parts of Europe during the French Revolutionary Wars, France established republican regimes in these territories...
.
With the Act of Mediation
Act of Mediation
The Act of Mediation was issued by Napoleon Bonaparte on 19 February 1803 establishing the Swiss Confederation. The act also abolished the previous Helvetic Republic, which had existed since the invasion of Switzerland by French troops in 1798. After the withdrawal of French troops in July 1802,...
, the following year, political agitation was finally quelled, as were the struggles between unionists and federalists; merger with Bellinzona was at last completed, creating the Ticino
Ticino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
, which endures to the present day.