Museo d'Arte della Svizzera Italiana

Lugano


The showpiece of Lugano's striking new LAC cultural centre, the MASI zooms in predominantly on 20th-century and contemporary art – from the abstract to the highly experimental, with exhibitions spread across three spaces. There is no permanent collection currently on display, but there is a high-calibre roster of rotating exhibitions. Recent focuses have included European pop art and the work of Belgian surrealist René Magritte.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Lugano attractions

1. Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angioli

0.03 MILES

This simple Romanesque church contains two frescos by Bernardino Luini dating from 1529. Covering the entire wall that divides the church in two is a…

2. Piazza della Riforma

0.25 MILES

Porticoed lanes weave around Lugano's busy main square, which is presided over by the 1844 neoclassical Municipio (town hall) and is even more lively when…

3. Cattedrale di San Lorenzo

0.32 MILES

Lugano’s early-16th-century cathedral conceals some fine frescos and ornate baroque statues behind its Renaissance facade. Out the front are far-reaching…

4. Campione d’Italia Casino

0.4 MILES

The 12-storey casino, converted by Lugano’s favourite architect, Mario Botta, into Europe’s biggest in 2005, does a brisk business. Smart dress is…

5. Cherry Building

0.45 MILES

Like an abstract work of art, a cherry tree graces the roof of this pink-brick, cubic edifice, the handiwork of much-lauded Ticinese architect Mario Botta.

6. Parco Ciani

0.53 MILES

This lakefront promenade necklaces the shore of glassy Lago di Lugano, set against a backdrop of rugged mountains. Notice the distinctive profiles of cone…

7. BSí

0.6 MILES

Bearing the hallmark of famous Ticinese architect Mario Botta, this striking cluster of buildings was formerly known as the Banca del Gottardo.

8. Monte San Salvatore

1.6 MILES

Lugano's very own Sugarloaf Mountain, the 912m peak of Monte San Salvatore has riveting 360-degree views over Lago di Lugano and southern Ticino to the…

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