This story aims to remember and eternalize the different stories of Italians and other immigrants who have lived here in Campione d'Italia for the past 70 years.

Whoever one day dreamed of living the good life on Lake Lugano, in one of the most beautiful Italian towns that exists. Campione d'Italia itself has a rich history that we are still studying and learning. Our main purpose is to photograph and collect individual stories of the characters who have formed and form the current city, and the elders, masters of storytelling, have been chosen to be the ones who eternalize their memories in our book.

We will start with the beautiful story told by Mr. Ranno Carmelo, born on April 8, 1936, a Sicilian who uprooted himself in Campione in the 1950s. Son of a shoemaker, Mr. Carmelo inherited his father's handicraft, starting to work on the production of handmade shoes when he was only 12 years old. In the late 1950s, his family decided to leave the beautiful villa in Sicily and move to Ticino, in the Italian region of Switzerland, and move on to live in the village of Massagno. When he was 20 years old, Mr. Carmelo came to work here in Campione, at a shoe factory. After 6 years he started working at the box office that sold tickets for the city boat transfer. After this he worked for the town hall as a janitor of the Campione school until retirement. Today with his 83 years he sits in Piazza Roma and proudly tells his stories to those who patiently listen to them like me.