Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 262, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 November 1917 — Beautiful Lugano Smallest of Italian Lakes and One of the Most Picturesque [ARTICLE]

Beautiful Lugano Smallest of Italian Lakes and One of the Most Picturesque

Lugano is the smallest though not the least beautiful of the Italian lakes —as a matter of fact it is not entirely in Italy, as the Swiss frontier is crossed at Chiasso, yet, perhaps on account of its Italian sounding name, it is usually classed with Como and Maggiore, says the Christian Science Monitor. The lake is surrounded by wooded hills, which rise directly out of the clear water, and at all times of the year it is beautiful. In early spring these tree-covered slopes take on a soft purplish bloom; all the outlines become blurred and velvety as the sap rises in every branch and twig, and there is a wonderfully peaceful impression given by theje soft outlines against a serene blue sk.v. All along the lake sides are tiny villages, built on the steepest possible slopes, the houses seeming to stick to the hillside wherever a niche can be hollowed ou.t. There is no road directly around the lake, so the inhabitants prefer to go everywhere by water. Little steamers ply - from The town of Lugano to Porlezza, taking a zigzag course in order to call at the various villages on either side of the lake. Of all the villages, perhaps the most beautiful is Morcbte, which lies east of Lugano, with its dark cypress trees standing out on the hillside against the pure sky, but for sheer picturesque effect thi" village of Gandria must come first. < ?; The houses appear to rise straight out of the water, piled, as it were, one on top of the other, quite haphazard. Many of them shine white in the bright sunlight w’ith hard blue-black shadows where the projecting eaves cover them. The walls at the water’s edge are festooned with flowers and creepers, clinging wherever they can find a foothold, while the water laps softly against dim shadows of boats tied tip under dark archways. Each little village forms a separate picture, having its own characteristics, while over all the mountain of San Salvatore Stands like a sentry on guard.