My husband and I like to visit Ascona. We go there at least four or five times a year, often taking our three puppies. With its roots firmly in the Middle Ages, Ascona is a beautiful little jewel at the end of Lago Maggiore with a Mediterranean feel. Today, it is an attractive tourist destination, as well as a place where many Swiss and other Europeans have holiday flats and houses.
In 1900, a Belgian and his Austrian girlfriend acquired the hill above Ascona and formed the ‘Co-operative vegetarian colony Monte Verità.’ Monte Verità was a Utopian colony of socialists, anarchists, vegetarians and nudists that lasted for the next 20 years, attracting a fascinating mix of artists, writers, philosophers and aristocrats, including Paul Klee, Erich Maria Remarque, Herman Hesse, Carl Jung, Isadora Duncan, Max Weber and Rudolf Steiner. In 1923, a hotel was established at Monte Verità, which was subsequently acquired by Baron Eduard von der Heydt, the German banker and art collector. In 1964, Baron von der Heydt left Monte Verità to the Swiss Republic and Canton of Ticino with the request that “Monte Verità be used for international artistic and cultural activities at the highest level”. In 1989, the Canton of Ticino and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich established the seminar, hotel and museum complex that exists today at Monte Verità.
Ascona’s coat of arms – two silver keys crossed and held together by a ribbon under a papal crown – refers to Ascona’s feudal relationship with the Bishop of Como and the historic Church of Saints Peter & Paul in the center of Ascona, which dates from 1530. Another important church in Ascona is the beautiful Santa Maria della Misericordia, which is part of the Collegio Papio. The Collegio was established in 1580 when Ascona native Bartolomeo Papio left funds in his will for the building of a seminary. I love the stunning cloister and courtyard of the Collegio, which has inspired the architecture of other buildings in Ticino. Santa Maria della Misericordia was completed in 1442. Its late Gothic period frescoes are the most comprehensive set of medieval wall frescoes in Switzerland. For art lovers, Ascona has the Museo Comunale d’Arte Moderna di Ascona and the Museo Castello San Materno, which include paintings by artists who lived in Ascona, such as the Russian expressionist painter Marianne von Werefkin. A part of the Museo Comunale is currently housed in Casa Serodine, a three story palazzo in the center of Ascona, which dates from 1620. Casa Serodine has a detailed and well-preserved baroque façade that depicts figures from the Bible, as well as the four seasons. The Hotel Castello Seeschloss, which is located in what remains of the 14th century Castello dei Ghiriglioni on the lakefront is a four-star hotel, sympathetically furnished, with a pool and two restaurants, one immediately on the lake, the Ristorante “al lago”, and the more formal Locanda de’ Ghiriglioni within the hotel itself. The Castello’s buildings and interiors have been remarkably well-preserved, and together with the friendly staff, contribute to a romantic atmosphere. It would make a good setting for an Agatha Christie novel. Another hotel of note in Ascona is the glamourous five-star Hotel Eden Roc, which sits on the lake just to the left of the main lakefront area. The Eden Roc has its own beach, a spa and four restaurants. Its ristorante Marina on the lake is a popular destination year round for locals and visitors to Ascona celebrating special occasions such as birthdays, engagements and anniversaries. Other popular restaurants in Ascona include the Michelin two star-ranked Ecco in the Hotel Giardino, the Locanda Barbarossa in the Castello del Sole hotel and spa, and the Ristorante della Carrà in the center of Ascona. Ascona offers many activities on the water, including swimming and boating. In addition, since 2007, Ascona Venezia, a company led by Ascona entrepreneur Claudio Rossetti, has offered travellers the opportunity to make the 600 km, 8-day journey from Ascona to Venice in inflatable open boats. This sounds like a great adventure.
I like to visit antique shops, and Ascona has two that are worth visiting – Antichità La Corona on the Via Contrada Maggiore, and Fiori Willy at Via Lido 2, run by the delightful Mrs. Willy. Although not a traditional antique shop, Fiori Willy has all manner of objet and pictures purchased at local estate sales, as well as vintage swords and other Swiss militaria. Not surprisingly, Ascona is often thronged with tourists in the late spring and summer. However, in the autumn, winter and early spring, it is a pleasure to visit because it is less crowded and blissfully tranquil. I adore the palm trees and other Mediterranean plants in its gardens and streets. I will be returning soon.