Page 5 - Italian American Herald - September 2021

FROM THE COVER
when the Federal Constitution defined German, French and Italian as three national languages placed at the same rank, to which Romansh was added in 1938. There is a great benefit from the meeting of several languages and cultures which are linked by a political system based on federalism and direct democracy.
The strength of this multilingual and cultural aspect has allowed Switzerland
to excel in diplomacy precisely for its commitment to bringing together diverse cultures. However, it is not always easy
for linguistic minorities to make their voices heard. The Federal Law on National Languages and Understanding Between Linguistic Communities (LLing) has
been in force since 2007 with the related Implementing Ordinance of 2010. The law forms the basis for support for projects that promote mutual understanding in multilingual Switzerland.
For more than 100 years, the Pro Grigioni Italiano has been the guarantor of the Italian- speaking minority of the Grisons, promoting the Grisons-Italian culture and defending the language, thanks to the collaboration of the Canton and Confederation.
The coexistence of several languages in the same territory has given Italian in Switzerland
its specific characteristics, bringing into use words born from the influence of French and German and which differ from the Italian spoken in Italy: from products “in action” (from the Swiss German "Aktion"), which
for an Italian are rather “in promotion,” unless the products want to run away from the supermarket. Italians in Switzerland will “order a coffee” (the verb order taken from the French for commander) as if to force the cup to move. These specificities have also been studied by the Linguistic Observatory of Italian Switzerland which is currently developing the "Lìdatè.” This is an app (active from November 2020) aimed at Italian speakers in Switzerland, Italy and ideally the world to investigate the geographical varieties of the language.
Then we add the richness brought by
the dialects. Spoken by about a third of the population, although decreasing in usage, the dialects of Italian-speaking Switzerland derive from the Lombard ones. Italian speakers
do not address just anyone in dialect, they are in fact used in the informal and family context. From the best known "sa vedum" (see you) and "bondì" (good morning), the wide variety of Ticino dialects and the Italian- speaking valleys of the Grisons are abundant in the vocabulary of the dialects of Italian
Switzerland. Linguists are documenting these dialectical usages in encyclopedic works.
For the Swiss-Germans, Italian-speaking Switzerland, in particular Ticino, is the "Sonnenstube" due to its favorable climate and Mediterranean air. But the area has much more to offer than a few rays of sunshine. From art to architecture there are many accomplished Italians in Swiss history. Bregaglia, in the canton of Grisons, is a cradle of artists known all over the world such as Giovanni Segantini or Alberto Giacometti. Architect Mario Botta, born in the canton
of Ticino, has works commissioned from
the United States to China. His "Il Fiore di Pietra" (Stone Flower) is a modern restaurant with stunning views on Monte Generoso
in Canton Tessin which opened to great fanfare in March 2017. Looking at the great works of the past, we come across Francesco Borromini, also from Ticino, was one of the leading exponents of Baroque architecture. In 1634, Borromini received his first major independent commission to design the church, cloister and monastic buildings of San Carlo alle Quattre Fontane. Located
on the Quirinal Hill in Rome. Another talented artist, Domenico Trezzini, designed St. Petersburg on behalf of Tsar Pietro I. In addition, there are the "magistri Moesani,"
great builders active in Bavaria, Poland, and Austria between 1500 and 1700.
The Italian regions of Switzerland also hold numerous World Heritage Sites: The Valposchiavo is traversed by the Rhaetian Railway, an engineering masterpiece; the three Castles of Bellinzona still represent an important crossroads between north and south in Swiss history and Monte San Giorgio has fossils that date to more than 245 million years ago.
Italian Switzerland also plays a significant role in the scientific world: Lugano is home to the Swiss Center for Scientific Computing and the University of Italian Switzerland,
the only Italian-speaking university outside of Italy. In Bellinzona there are research institutes in biomedicine and cancer research which contribute to scientific progress on an international level.
It would take more than just a short visit to genuinely appreciate the richness of the language and culture of Italian-speaking Switzerland. The ties between the two countries and the influences of Italy to the south have become a vital component of Switzerland’s identity. IAH
ITALIAN-AMERICAN HERALD
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