As one of Switzerland’s four national languages, Italian is spoken by approximately 8.1 percent of the country’s population, mainly in the cantons of Ticino and Graubünden. Under the mission of promoting Switzerland’s cultural diversity, the Swiss Embassy and its Consulates General in China support the La Settimana della Lingua Italiana nel Mondo initiated by the Italian Foreign Ministry, and Italian culture and language each year.
This year’s Italian Language Week will open with a book talk with Swiss-Italian author Andrea Bertagni at Beijing’s Bookworm bookstore on October 16. Following the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel - the world’s longest railway tunnel - in Switzerland in June this year, the Saint-Gotthard Massif mountain range excites interest in the public again. Swiss novelist Bertagni will present his debut novel A Gold Mountain (Una Montagna D’oro, 2015) to the Chinese audience. Set in the Saint-Gotthard Massif, the novel involves captivating plots of hope, betrayal, intrigue, murder, vengeance and love.
Ticino Night, another exceptional event of the week, is dedicated to Ticino, the only canton in Switzerland where Italian is the sole official language. Located in southern Switzerland, Ticino is known for its palm-lined lakes and the Mediterranean flavor of its architecture and cuisine. Home to a number of renowned Swiss artists, sculptors, and filmmakers, the region is also rich in literature and culture.
During Ticino Night, to be hosted at the Swiss Embassy on October 18, guests from Ticino will illustrate the different aspects of the region as a strategic economic, cultural, and tourism destination of Switzerland. The talks will be followed by the serving of authentic Ticino cuisine.
The Italian language, culture and life of average Swiss Italians can also be discovered at the screenings of the comedy Vecchi Pazzi (‘Old crazy people’). Vecchi Pazzi, directed by Swiss filmmaker Sabine Boss, tells the story of an aged diva sent to an elderly home where a former constructionist awaits his own death. Through laughter and a few tears, the film does not disappoint with its heartwarming tale set in the beautiful region of Ticino.
Film and TV production has a long history in the Italian-speaking regions in Switzerland. Mr. Marco Cucco and Mr. Massimo Scaglioni, two professors from Università della Svizzera italiana (University of Lugano), will illustrate the film and television system in the regions, as well as the local trends in film and television consumption at their lectures in Chinese universities in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
To promote the Swiss Italian culture to a wider audience and help them get first-hand experience, the Swiss Embassy has launched an online quiz on its WeChat account ‘SwissChat’. The winner of the quiz will be awarded with a round-trip flight with Swiss International Airlines for two people, a week’s stay at the Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola in Lugano, an introduction course to the Italian language and a good exposure to the local culture.
