Home to less than 3,000 inhabitants, the local tourist office describes it as “an air bubble in a sheet of glass.” Surrounded by picture-postcard scenery, it huddles below a Swiss mountain on the shores of Lake Lugano. There are two ways to get here: by ferry from Lugano town across the lake, or by a road that passes under a stone archway marking the boundary of the enclave. There is no border or customs point, and access to the enclave is governed by Swiss visa regulations. If you can travel freely to Switzerland, you can go to Campione.
View from Campione towards Lugano
In Campione, it’s impossible to get lost. Do not expect anything that resembles a city, or even a town - it is a village of about 1.6 square kilometers. With its belle-époque villas and colourful floral displays, the lakeside setting is quaint and beautiful.
Campione’s municipal coffers are awash with cash, making it one of Italy’s wealthiest communities. The upkeep of Campione and local services are funded entirely by the famous Casino di Campione, the village’s largest employer. A new casino is currently under construction to serve the thousands of gamblers who come here each year. Designed by star architect Mario Botta, the new building is based on the premise that “Campione is the Casino and the Casino is Campione.”
There are only a few shops as Campione residents go to Lugano town to buy groceries and do their banking. After all, Lugano is only about 10 minutes away by car - or boat.
Campione's History
How did an Italian village and up as an enclave entirely within Switzerland’s Canton of Ticino? Its current status can be traced back to the year 777, and is due to a quirk of fate. A wealthy landowner named Totone lay on his deathbed, and perhaps to ensure an easy passage to heaven, he donated his worldly possessions to St. Ambrose’s Basilica in Milan. Totone’s estates included vineyards, olive groves, and the whole of Campione...
Through the Middle Ages, the lakeside fishing settlement remained an independent church fiefdom, recognized by all authorities. One fascinating snippet from 1589 relates to the murder of a Campione innkeeper: The captain of the neighboring Swiss town of Lugano sent soldiers to arrest the culprits. However, the governor of Milan ordered the captain to leave the murderers alone as the Swiss military had no jurisdiction there. Campione, he said, was directly subject to the Abbots of St. Ambrose.
The Napoleonic wars brought a change of ownership, but after short periods belonging to Austria and the French Republic, the village was given to the northern Italian province of Lombardy and subsequently became part of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century, Switzerland made various diplomatic attempts to obtain possession, but to no avail. Although Campione now uses Swiss currency, communications, and car registration plates, territorially it still belongs to Italy.
View from Campione towards Melide
Some of the many advantages of being resident in Campione d'Italia:
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Political, social and economic stability |
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First-class Swiss infrastructure |
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Swiss Franc is the official currency |
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Banking through Swiss banks with Swiss banking secrecy |
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Attractive lifestyle in a quiet, clean environment |
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Efficient and reliable public services |
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Swiss postal services, telephone numbers and car registration plates |
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Effectively resident in Switzerland - with E.U. residence permit |
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No value added tax (VAT) |
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Income tax concessions, no inheritance or gift tax |
Further Information
Henley & Partners is the only international firm with profound knowledge and experience with regard to Campione and offering unbiased advice and assistance. Our Zurich/Switzerland office and our representatives in Lugano and Campione constantly monitor the market and know who is who – and with whom better not to deal with. As professional consultants independent of any local real estate agent we are best positioned to help and assist you to acquire property and to establish yourself in Campione d'Italia, including dealing with Italian immigration procedures, real estate purchase agreements, tax issues, etc.
For more information about residence and real estate purchase in Campione, contact Henley & Partners. Through our offices in Zurich and representative offices in Lugano and Campione itself, we are in the best position to advise and assist you with all matters regarding residence in Campione as well as in Italy and Switzerland.
