Why is Italian champion an Italian municipality even if it is located in Switzerland?

Italian champion is a Italian country of about 1803 inhabitants, geographically placed in Swiss. It belongs to Italy because until the Napoleonic age it was a Feudo of the Archdiocese of Milan. At the end of the 18th century he lost the status of ecclesiastical territory, but was not annexed to the Swiss Confederation. Since 1861, when the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, it has been part of the Italian territory, constituting anExclaveor a territory belonging to a state that is surrounded by territories belonging to other states (in this case Switzerland). Today the Municipality of Campione d’Italia, which overlooks Lake Lugano, belongs to the province of Comobut inside there are special laws and rules, which differentiate it from other Italian municipalities.

Because Campione d’Italia is an Italian municipality

Italian champion is one Italian Exclave in Switzerland: The country is politically part of the Italian Republic, but geographically it is located in Swiss territory. More precisely, champion is about 7 kilometers from the border between Italy and Switzerland, inside the Canton Ticinoand belongs administratively to the Province of Como. The surface of the municipality is very small: about 2.6 square kilometers, of which, however, only 0.9 are placed on the mainland and the rest on the Lagano lake. There are about 1800 inhabitants.

The first certificates of the existence of sample date back to the eighth century AD, when the country was a Lombard settlement. In the year 777 the nobleman Toton He inherited the champion territory at the Archbishop of Milan. Champion therefore became a fief of the archdiocese, who entrusted the control to the Monastery of Sant’Ambrogio. The country retained this status in the following centuries and from 835 to 1797 was administered by a monk chosen by the abbot of Sant’Ambrogio with functions of parish priest and civil authority. In the Middle Ages, a tradition of sculptors and builders developed in the country, which will become known as champion masters.

In the 1521 The Swiss Confederation conquered the city of Lugano and the surrounding area, from which the Canton Ticino would be derived, but champion He remained a fief of the Archdiocese of Milan And it was not incorporated into the Confederation. Since then the country has been a enclaveor a territory completely surrounded by another state, in Swiss territory. In 1639, they were the statutes publishedwho sanctioned the obligations of the champions towards the archdiocese of Milan.

The history of the Italian Exclave

In 1797, during the Napoleonic wars, champion ceased to be an ecclesiastical fiefdom. The country became part before the “Napoleonic” states that arose in Italy (Cisalpine Republic, the Italian Republic and the Kingdom of Italy) and in 1815, following the Congress of Vienna, it was incorporated by theEmpire of Austria together with the rest of Lombardy. The Swiss Confederation tried to annex the territory champion on several occasions, but he could not do it and in 1861 the country became part of the kingdom of Italy with the name of Intelvi champion. Since then it has always been part of the Italian territory.

During the twentieth century, the country went to some significant changes. In 1934, the fascist regime lasted, the name was changed and, the “Intelvi” specification was replaced with “d’Italia”, to reiterate the belonging of the Municipality. In the same year the casinowhich soon became a central element of the economy and champion society.

In 1944 Campione was the first municipality of northern Italy a get rid of Nazifascism: On January 27, citizens arrested the representatives of the Republic of Salò and swore loyalty to the Kingdom of the South and to Vittorio Emanuele III. The condition of Exclave He prevented the Nazi -fascists from regaining the territory, which he therefore remained freed from employment.

After the Second World War, the champion of champion grew and the town went to a prosperous development. The casino, in particular, attracted Numerous tourists From Italy and other countries, but in 2018 it failed for debts and was reopened only in 2022 and in reduced form.

The regulatory situation

Despite being in all respects Italian territory, champion are in force Some special rules: first of all, in the country they circulate both the euro and the Swiss franc. In addition, until 2019 the vehicles were registered in Switzerland and brought Swiss plates (from January 1, 2020 the legislation changed). On the tax and customs level, the territory enjoys subsidized rateswhich attract investments and tourists.