Why Is There A Tiny Bit Of Italy Inside Switzerland?

Summary

This video explores the intriguing enclave of Campione d'Italia, a small Italian village entirely surrounded by Switzerland. Located on the shores of Lake Lugano, it's an exclave and enclave with a unique history dating back to Roman times. The village, once a garrison, became an enclave when Pope Julius II gifted land around it to Switzerland as a token of gratitude. Despite opportunities to join Switzerland, the residents chose to remain part of Italy. Today, Campione d'Italia is known for its casino, which once funded the enclave but faced bankruptcy during the financial crisis. The video offers a quirky travel suggestion for those interested in geographical anomalies and historical curiosities.

Takeaways

• 🗺️ The script describes an unusual geographical feature: a small Italian village, Campione d’Italia, and a segment of Lake Lugano, located entirely within Switzerland.
• 🏞️ Campione d’Italia is both an enclave and an exclave, being surrounded by Switzerland and separated from the rest of Italy by less than a kilometer.
• 🛤️ Access to Campione d’Italia is primarily through a single road, featuring an ornamental arch built in the 1930s by Benito Mussolini to emphasize its Italian identity.
• 💷 The village has a unique economic aspect, with prices displayed in Swiss francs but charged in Euros when paying by card, and services like ambulances and fire engines provided by Switzerland, while the police are Italian.
• 🎰 Campione is home to a historic casino, established in 1917 for espionage during WWI and rebuilt in 2007 into a large, controversial structure that is now one of Europe's largest casinos.
• 🏛️ Despite its economic peculiarities, Campione retains the charm of an Italian lakeside village with waterfront establishments, old churches, and scenic houses.
• 🏰 The history of Campione as an enclave dates back to Roman times, originating as a garrison village and later becoming a point of contention between the Archbishop of Milan and the Bishop of Como.
• 🤝 The enclave's existence is tied to Pope Julius II's decision to reward Switzerland for their assistance against the French by granting them land, except for Campione, which legally remained under the Archbishop of Milan.
• 🗳️ Residents of Campione have been given the opportunity to join Switzerland on two occasions but initially voted against it. Later, they requested annexation by Switzerland, which was declined due to Switzerland's political neutrality.
• 🌐 The script suggests that while Campione d’Italia remains an enclave and exclave, its unique geographical and historical features make it an intriguing destination for those interested in geographical anomalies.
• 🚤 For those wishing to visit, Campione d’Italia is accessible by boat and bus from Lugano, which is connected to major cities like Milan and Zürich via the Gotthard railway line and the A2 Autobahn.

Q & A

Where is the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland located?

The Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, known as Ticino, is located in the southern part of the country, near the border with Italy.

What is the significance of Lake Lugano in the context of the video?

Lake Lugano is significant because it is where the unusual border situation occurs, with a small Italian village and a segment of the lake being within Swiss territory.

What is Campione d’Italia?

Campione d’Italia is a tiny Italian territory that is completely detached and surrounded by Switzerland, making it both an enclave and an exclave.

How does Campione d’Italia's unique geographical situation affect its economy?

Campione d’Italia's economy was historically supported by its casino, which generated enough revenue to fund the entire enclave. However, it faced bankruptcy and economic collapse after the 2007 financial crisis.

Why was the casino in Campione d’Italia originally established?

The casino was originally established in 1917 to extract secrets from foreign diplomats during World War 1.

What is the architectural style of the current casino building in Campione d’Italia?

The current casino building is a 9-story faceless tower of beige-brown concrete, which has been criticized for being out of scale and not fitting in with the landscape.

How did Campione d’Italia become an enclave within Switzerland?

Campione d’Italia became an enclave when Pope Julius II, as a token of gratitude for Switzerland's help in defeating the French, gave them a few northern parishes from the territory of the Bishop of Como, but Campione itself remained under the ownership of the Archbishop of Milan.

What is the historical background of Campione d’Italia's creation as an enclave?

The enclave was created due to a land dispute dating back to the year 777, when Totone da Campione left his land to the Archbishop of Milan instead of the local Bishop of Como.

How has the local government of Campione d’Italia used the casino's revenue?

The revenue generated by the casino was used to fund the entire enclave, allowing residents to live more or less tax-free.

What are the unique administrative features of Campione d’Italia?

Campione d’Italia has a mix of Italian and Swiss administrative features, such as Swiss francs being displayed for prices but transactions being processed in Euros, Swiss emergency services, and Italian police.

Why was Campione d’Italia offered to join Switzerland in the past?

Campione d’Italia was offered to join Switzerland twice, in 1798 and 1814, but the residents voted against it. Later, during the wars of Italian unification in 1848, they asked Switzerland to annex them, but Switzerland declined due to their political neutrality.

Outlines

00:00

🗺️ Geographical Oddity: Campione d’Italia

The script introduces the peculiar geographical situation of Campione d’Italia, a small Italian enclave completely surrounded by Switzerland. Located on the shores of Lake Lugano, the village is separated from the rest of Italy and has a unique history that led to its current status. The video explores the village's distinctive features, such as its casino, which is a significant revenue source, and the architectural contrast it presents with its surroundings. The summary also touches on the village's historical background, starting from Roman times and moving through to the present day, including the political and economic factors that have shaped its existence.

05:01

🏰 The Historical Formation of Campione d’Italia

This paragraph delves into the historical events that led to the creation of Campione d’Italia as an enclave. It starts with the land ownership disputes in the 8th century, moving on to Pope Julius II's military campaigns and the subsequent territorial changes that occurred in the early 16th century. The summary explains how Pope Julius II rewarded Switzerland for their assistance in battles by granting them land, inadvertently creating the enclave. It also discusses the opportunities Campione had to join Switzerland, which were rejected, and the village's continued existence as an enclave and exclave. The paragraph concludes with travel information for those interested in visiting this unique geographical anomaly.

Keywords

💡Lake Lugano

Lake Lugano is a large lake located on the border of Switzerland and Italy. It is a significant geographical feature in the video as it sets the scene for the discussion about the unusual border situation of Campione d’Italia. The lake is mentioned at the beginning of the script as the narrator describes the setting and the peculiar border that runs through it.

💡Campione d’Italia

Campione d’Italia is a small Italian village that is geographically detached from the rest of Italy and is surrounded by Switzerland, making it an enclave and an exclave. The village is central to the video's theme as it explores the historical and political circumstances that led to its unique situation. The name change from just 'Campione' to 'Campione d’Italia' by Benito Mussolini is highlighted to emphasize its Italian identity.

💡Enclave and Exclave

An enclave is a territory, or a part of a territory, that is entirely surrounded by the territory of another state. An exclave is a part of a country that is separated from the main part by the territory of another country. In the video, Campione d’Italia is described as both an enclave and an exclave, illustrating its unique geopolitical status.

💡Benito Mussolini

Benito Mussolini was the Italian dictator who ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943. In the context of the video, Mussolini is mentioned for building an ornamental arch in the 1930s to mark the entrance to Campione d’Italia, emphasizing its Italian sovereignty amidst Swiss territory.

💡Casino

The term 'casino' refers to a facility that houses games of chance, and in the video, it is used to describe the economic engine of Campione d’Italia. The casino has a long history, dating back to 1917, and its modern incarnation is a significant architectural and economic feature of the village. The video discusses how the casino's revenue once funded the entire enclave but also led to an economic collapse when it went bankrupt.

💡Mario Botta

Mario Botta is a Swiss architect known for his distinctive style. In the video, he is mentioned as the designer of the modern casino in Campione d’Italia. The script quotes Botta's own criticism of the building as being out of scale and not fitting in with the landscape, which adds a layer of irony to the discussion about the casino's impact on the village.

💡Tax-free

The term 'tax-free' refers to the absence of taxes on certain goods or income. In the context of the video, it is mentioned that residents of Campione d’Italia lived more or less tax-free due to the revenue generated by the casino. This point is used to illustrate the economic benefits that the casino provided to the enclave before its bankruptcy.

💡Garrison Village

A garrison village is a settlement that houses military troops. The video mentions that Campione started as a garrison village in Roman times, providing historical context for the village's existence and development over the centuries.

💡Pope Julius II

Pope Julius II was the head of the Catholic Church from 1503 to 1513. The video discusses how he played a pivotal role in the creation of the enclave of Campione d’Italia. As a thank you to Switzerland for their military assistance against the French, Pope Julius II granted a portion of land around Campione to Switzerland, which is how Campione became an enclave.

💡Geographical Anomaly

A geographical anomaly refers to an unusual or unexpected geographical feature or situation. The video uses this term to describe Campione d’Italia and its unique border situation. The script suggests that visiting such anomalies can be an interesting holiday activity, positioning Campione d’Italia as a quirky tourist destination.

💡Gotthard Railway Line

The Gotthard Railway Line is a major railway line in Switzerland that connects the northern and southern parts of the country. In the video, it is mentioned as a means of reaching Lugano, which is near Campione d’Italia. This provides practical information for potential visitors interested in the geographical and historical aspects discussed in the video.

Highlights

Introduction to the unique geographical situation of Lake Lugano and its border peculiarities.

Mention of the small Italian village of Campione d’Italia and its rectangular segment of lake within Switzerland.

Description of Campione d’Italia as both an enclave and exclave, surrounded by Switzerland.

Historical background on the village's name change to Campione d’Italia by Benito Mussolini.

The economic and political oddities of Campione, such as pricing in Swiss francs and charging in Euros.

The role of Swiss services like ambulances and fire engines in Campione, contrasted with Italian police.

The existence of a casino in Campione, a rarity in Italy where they are generally banned.

Historical context of the casino's establishment during World War 1 for espionage.

The casino's economic impact on Campione, funding the enclave and allowing for a tax-free lifestyle.

The financial crash's effect on the casino and the local economy, and its recovery post-2022.

The architectural controversy of the casino building, described as out of scale by its own architect.

The historical origins of Campione as a garrison village in Roman times.

The story of Totone da Campione and the land dispute with the Archbishop of Milan and the Bishop of Como.

The political machinations of Pope Julius II and the War of the Holy League affecting Campione's status.

How Pope Julius II's gratitude to Switzerland led to the creation of the enclave.

The historical opportunities for Campione to join Switzerland, which were declined by its residents.

The enduring status of Campione as an enclave and exclave, and its unique geographical and cultural appeal.

Practical travel tips for visiting Campione d’Italia, including transportation options and nearby attractions.

Transcripts

Hello and buongiorno!

It is a gorgeous spring day,

I’m halfway up a mountain in the  Italian-speaking bit of Switzerland,

and this is Lake Lugano, on the  border of Switzerland and Italy.

Now, I say the lake is “on the border",

but right here in this part of the lake,

the border does something very weird.

Here is Lake Lugano on a map,

and here is the international border.

And to be clear, that’s not the weird bit.

The weird bit is this.

One small Italian village, and an almost  perfectly rectangular segment of lake,

stuck inside Switzerland.

So what’s that doing there?

Or if you’ve watched one of my  Borderline Insanity videos before:

what ridiculous combination  of historical circumstances

ended up accidentally creating this one?

Well there’s only really one way to find out...

Which means I now need to go down there.

Did we come all the way up  here just for this scene?

This is the tiny Italian  territory of Campione d’Italia.

Its borders are separated from the rest of Italy

by less than a kilometre at their nearest point,

but it is completely detached  and surrounded by Switzerland,

making it technically both an enclave  and an exclave at the same time.

There's only really one road in and out

so pretty much every visitor is  greeted by this ornamental arch,

built in the 1930s by a  man called Benito Mussolini

who was keen for everyone  to know that this is Italy.

And just to make sure,

he also added the word "Italia"  to the name of the village.

Before that it was just called Campione.

Now in English, Campione translates as “champion”,

so this place is literally  called “champion of Italy”.

But despite that, on the surface,

it feels just like any other  village in the Italian lakes;

with its waterfront bars & restaurants,

its beautiful old churches,

and the houses clinging to the slopes above,

all of them trying to get  the best view over the lake.

However, you don’t need to  scratch too far below the surface

before things start getting a little strange.

For example, those waterfront bars display their prices in Swiss francs,

but if you try to pay by card  you’ll be charged in Euros.

Meanwhile, ambulances, fire engines, and the  postal service are all provided by the Swiss,

but the Police are Italian.

And then... there’s the casino.

In most of Italy, you would never see a casino

because generally, casinos are banned.

But Campione is one of the rare exceptions.

There’s been a casino here since 1917,

when it was originally set  up to try and extract secrets

from foreign diplomats during World War 1,

and then in 2007, just before  the global financial crisis,

Campione decided to replace the  relatively modest old building with this:

a 9-story faceless tower of beige-brown concrete

that, by some measurements, is  the largest casino in Europe.

It's not often you get to  see a piece of architecture

that says such a loud *raspberry*  to everything else around it.

The Swiss architect Mario Botta recently  described the Casino of Campione

as “an out of scale building”

that “doesn’t fit in with the landscape”

and “it pains me whenever I see it from Lugano”.

And what makes that quote particularly damning

is that he’s the man who built it.

But to be fair to Mario,

it was really the local government who  pushed for the building to be so big,

because well, you can probably guess:

the casino generates so  much revenue for the coffers

that it funds the entire enclave on its own.

In other words, people here  live more or less tax free.

Or at least, that’s how it was supposed to work,

until the financial crash arrived,

the casino went bankrupt a few years later,

and the local economy more  or less collapsed overnight

but since 2022, it’s back up and running again.

Anyway, this casino business is all fun and games,

or depending how you look at it,

blatant profiteering from  people’s gambling addictions,

but either way it doesn’t  really answer the question:

why does the enclave exist in the first place?

After all, Campione didn’t start with the casino

- technically it started as a  garrison village in Roman times -

but how it became an enclave  is a whole other story,

and it all begins when some rich bloke  disagrees with a Bishop in the year 777.

Now back in the mid-700s,  as I’m sure you remember,

there is no such thing as Switzerland yet,

and Italy doesn’t exist either,

so most of the land around Lake Lugano  is owned either by Rome and the Pope,

or by various rich local landowners.

Campione itself belongs to  one of these landowners:

a man called Totone da Campione.

But when Totone dies in 777,

he leaves all of his land  to the Archbishop of Milan.

Which was a slightly controversial  move from big old Toto,

because the man the Pope had  put in charge of this area

was the Bishop of Como.

And as a result, you now had a small  patch of land owned by Archbishop of Milan

in the middle of territory  owned by the Bishop of Como.

But at the end of the day,  it all belonged to the Pope

so that little legal distinction  didn’t really matter.

Yet.

Fast forward 731 years to 1508,

and there is a new Pope in town:

Pope Julius II.

Who names himself not after Pope Julius I

but after the famous peace-loving Christian,

Julius Caesar.

So it’s not a huge surprise when he immediately  launches an attack on the Republic of Venice

and starts something called  The War Of The Holy League.

(And just in case it isn't clear,

things in this part of the world  are about to go biblically bonkers.)

To start with, Pope Julius  forms an anti-Venetian alliance

with France, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire.

And predictably, Venice starts losing quite badly.

But then Pope Julius falls out with France

to such an extent

that he now allies with Venice,

and starts attacking the French instead.

A year later, the Swiss join in as well,

because the Pope paid them to,

and eventually, France is driven  out of the region in 1512.

But hang on, what’s all that  got to do with Campione?

Well, to say thank you to Switzerland  for helping him beat the French,

the Pope decides to give them  a small chunk of his own land.

And the small chunk he gives them

is a few northern parishes from the  territory of the Bishop of Como

in the regiom of Lake Lugano.

In other words, everything around  Campione now becomes part of Switzerland,

except for Campione itself,

because legally it still belongs  to the Archbishop of Milan.

And that is how a small Italian  village ended up inside Switzerland.

(And it also explains why this bit  of Switzerland speaks Italian.)

But it is now more than 500 years  since the enclave was created,

and more than 1400 years since Totone  left the Bishop of Como out of his will.

At what point does someone just say,

"you know what,

maybe we should forget the past,

get rid of the borders,

and simply make Campione part of Switzerland?"

Well actually...

they already did.

The residents of Campione have twice been  given the chance to join Switzerland,

in 1798 and 1814,

and both times they voted against it,

before later changing their minds

during the wars of Italian unification in 1848

and actually asking Switzerland  if they would mind ever so much annexing them;

only for the Swiss to say "no  we can’t do that right now,

because we’re politically neutral."

And so, Campione remains an  enclave, and exclave, to this day.

And one thing’s for sure,

it is a pretty stunning location.

This video is not sponsored by the  Campione d’Italia tourist board

because I’m pretty sure they don’t have one

but let’s just say,

if you like spending your holidays  visiting quirky geographical anomalies,

but your friends and family are more,

how can I put this,

normal,

you could do a lot worse than bringing  them to the beautiful Italian lakes

so that you can sneak in a cheeky  little trip to Campione d’Italia.

Just don’t tell my friends I said that.

If you’d like to visit Campione d’Italia,

it is served both by boats  and buses from nearby Lugano,

and Lugano is on the famous Gotthard railway line

just over an hour north of Milan

or two hours south of Zürich.

And by the way,

the boats, buses, and some of the  trains also stop at nearby Melide,

where you can visit Swissminiatur,  if that’s your sort of thing.

And finally, if you’re driving,

all of this is just a few  minutes off the main A2 Autobahn.

And as always, thank you very much for watching,

and I’ll see you soon.