Via Nassa, Lugano’s ‘shopping street’ par excellence, accompanies you during your shopping spree with an elegant and refined atmosphere.
In the 270 metres of ancient arcades along the lake you can find shops of various kinds, from jewellers to clothing, from gastronomy to antique shops, not forgetting shopping centres.
A BIT OF HISTORY…
During the 17th and 18th centuries, porches were added or renovated to many Lugano houses. As they stood on municipal land, it was the municipality itself that had to grant permission for their construction. The arcades met countless needs: they widened the roadway allowing pedestrians a safe passage, they allowed shop owners to display their wares, sheltered from the sun and the weather, and partly served as a covered market.
In the past, the arcades of Via Nassa and Via Canova provided shelter for fishing and transport boats, served fishermen to spread their nets and trammels, and craftsmen to carry out and display their work. Each portico was named after its owner or the use to which it was put. Thus, in the old topographical maps, we find a mention of the Portichetto del lino, in the small square in Via Nassa, where, on market days, sacks of linen and tow were stored, or there is mention of the Portico dei mercanti, a meeting place where merchants gathered to negotiate prices and business.
More information on the shops can be found on the website of Associazione Via Nassa.
Copyright photo and text: © Lugano Region – Milo Zanecchia
Source of information: https://www.luganoregion.com/it