LUGANO, a town of Switzerland, which divides with Locarno and Bellinzona the first rank in the canton of Tessin (Ticino). It stands on the shore of the lake of the same name, on a narrow strip of Swiss territory which projects into Lombardy and is everywhere close to the Italian frontier. The prosperity of the town is due to its position on the main line of land communication between Milan and the pass of the St Gotthard, and the facility of intercourse by land and water, whether for legitimate or contraband trade, between this outlying fragment of Switzerland and the rich region that surrounds it. The buildings are not remarkable, but the church of Santa Maria degli Angioli contains several important pictures by Luini, a native of the adjoining district. The monastery to which the church formerly belonged is now converted into a large hotel. During the struggle of the people of northern Italy to expel the Austrians from Lombardy, between the years 1848 and 1866, Lugano served as headquarters for Mazzini and his followers. Books and tracts intended for circulation throughout Italy were produced there, and at the neighbouring village of Capolago, on a large scale, and the efforts of the Austrian police to check their circulation were completely powerless. The population is Italian in character and features, and the Italian tongue is exclusively spoken. On the quay is a statue of Tell by Vela, and there are other works by the same eminent sculptor, a native of the canton, in private grounds near the town. About 2 miles distant, and nearly due south, a steep hill—called Monte Salvatore—rises more than 2000 feet above the surface of the lake, and commands a fine panoramic view, limited in some directions by the higher mountains on the opposite side of the lake, but ...