The week on the Collina: 1 August, Hesse and the heat

Good morning from the Collina.

The grills and music have only just gone quiet at Campo Bigogno after the summer festivities. In Montagnola, meanwhile, the afternoon takes a gentler turn: at 4 pm the Hermann Hesse Museum opens its doors for a reading devoted to the garden, in Italian and German. It is one of those changes of pace that feel entirely natural here. One evening people are dancing in Agra; the next, they sit down to listen to a page read aloud.

The coming week will bring life back to Piazza Brocchi. First comes Thursday’s small market, then Burraco under the stars and, on Saturday morning, Swiss National Day with music, a public address and a plate of macaroni. Next Sunday the focus returns to Hesse and to Orchestra Ceresio. Heat, however, will be the week’s constant backdrop: MeteoSwiss expects temperatures to rise quickly and indicates a possible level-three heat warning for the Lugano region from Tuesday.

Weather: seven sunny days, with temperatures climbing

This is the official MeteoSwiss forecast for 6926 Montagnola, at 473 metres above sea level, updated at 11.47 am today. The figures are for the municipal centre, not for Lugano. Conditions can still differ around the municipality: Agra sits higher, while Gentilino and Carabietta have different altitudes and exposures.

The message behind the table is straightforward. Monday and Tuesday will feel fully summery, with highs of 29°C. From Wednesday, night-time temperatures remain above 20°C, while Thursday and Friday could reach 32°C. The central rainfall estimate remains at zero for the weekend, but the range grows wider. That does not mean rain is forecast for an outdoor celebration or concert; it means it will be worth checking the radar and the organiser’s channel once more as the date approaches.

MeteoSwiss also indicates a possible marked heat hazard, level 3, for the Lugano region below 600 metres, from 12 noon on Tuesday 28 July until 8 pm on Monday 3 August. Regional highs of 32–34°C are possible, with humidity between 35 and 45 per cent and nights around 20–22°C. Anyone heading to the Ovale on 1 August should bring water, look for shade while waiting and not underestimate the midday sun. Official Montagnola forecast

Today at the museum: Hesse steps into the garden

At 4 pm, at the Hermann Hesse Museum in Montagnola, Simon Cattaneo and Torsten Korte will read In the Garden in Italian and German respectively. The Sunday readings run from 5 July to 30 August, moving between prose and poetry and through different themes in Hesse’s work. The bilingual format does more than repeat the same page. It neatly reflects Montagnola itself: firmly Ticinese, yet long shaped by different languages, biographies and places of origin.

You do not need to know Hesse’s work in depth to attend. The pleasure lies in the event’s modest scale: one chosen text, two voices and enough time to listen without committing to an entire novel. Next Sunday at 4 pm, the series continues with a chapter from The Art of Idleness, with the same two readers. Full programme

Thursday and Friday: the Ovale becomes a village square again

The Ovale’s summer programme enters the final week of July in its simplest form. On Thursday 30, from 5 pm, the kiosk opens and the small market returns to Piazza Brocchi with local produce. It does not need to be turned into a grand event. Its purpose is precisely to offer a place to stop on the way home from work, meet someone and linger for a while in the centre of Montagnola.

On Friday 31, the kiosk opens again at 5 pm, this time with food prepared by Gipo. The Burraco under the stars tournament begins at 6 pm. Those who are not playing can still stop by for a drink or simply to see who is there. Montagnola’s forecast currently gives 32°C in the afternoon and a warm evening, with no rainfall indicated. An organiser update closer to the start remains worth checking. E…state all’Ovale programme

Saturday 1 August: Swiss National Day in Piazza Brocchi

The municipality’s National Day gathering begins at 11 am at the Ovale in Montagnola. Collina d’Oro Musica opens with a concert; at 11.30 am Mayor Andrea Bernardazzi gives the official address; and at noon macaroni will be served. The official programme ends at 3 pm. This is a municipal celebration, but much of the organising work also comes from local societies: Collinainfesta, Grüpp di Gris e di Peraa, Società del Picon di Agra, Società Stangon de Carabieta and Giovani d’Oro.

Their presence matters more than a list of names on the poster. It brings together the distinct parts of the Collina. Agra, Gentilino, Montagnola and Carabietta arrive with their own habits and stories, but for a few hours everyone sits at the same table. With 31°C forecast for Montagnola and a low of 21°C, this will be a particularly hot National Day. Anyone accompanying children or older people should come prepared with water and sun protection. National Day programme

Sunday 2 August: from Hesse’s words to Viennese Classicism

Sunday brings two events only a few hours apart. At 4 pm, the bilingual reading returns to the Hermann Hesse Museum. At 7 pm, the Collina d’Oro school hosts a Ceresio Estate concert devoted to Viennese Classicism.

The Orchestra Ceresio, conducted by Ahmed El Saedi, performs early works by Mozart, Haydn and Schubert. The programme moves from Mozart’s bright theatricality to the more intimate dialogue of Haydn’s cello concerto, with Victoria Kapralova as soloist, and then to the already lyrical sensibility of the young Schubert. Concert programme

Keep an eye on Viglio: the Via in Pasquée roadworks

Work to replace the drinking-water main on Via in Pasquée in Gentilino-Viglio has entered its final phase. The municipality reports that bad weather and unforeseen construction issues have caused a slight delay. Further disruption was expected until the end of July while the road surface was completed.

For residents, the practical point is not to rely only on the old works schedule. Before arranging deliveries or special access, check the municipality’s most recent notice. Municipal news and updates

From the municipality: the summer pause in building notices

The procedural court holiday runs from 15 July to 15 August under Ticino’s administrative procedure law. The municipality therefore listed Friday 26 June as the last ordinary publication date before the pause. This does not mean that every planning file is frozen or that no notice can appear. It mainly means that statutory deadlines do not usually run during the protected period.

If you are following a planning application, an objection or a procedure concerning a neighbouring plot, check the date of the individual document rather than calculating deadlines from memory. The municipality’s online noticeboard remains the authoritative source. This digest can flag the calendar, but it cannot replace the official act. Open the municipal noticeboard

One thing to know before you need it: the two emergency meeting points

Since 1 July, Emergency Meeting Points provide a way to make emergency calls even when telephone and internet networks are unavailable, using alternative communication systems. Collina d’Oro has two:

• Montagnola, Vicolo delle Scuole 1
• Carabietta, former municipal building, Via Municipio 8

These are not permanently staffed public counters and they are not intended for everyday administrative questions. They are activated in exceptional situations such as prolonged power cuts, natural disasters, major emergencies or supply problems. Activation is announced through municipal channels, radio, television and Alertswiss.

That is all for this week. If there is a story that deserves space—a roadwork site changing daily life, a society looking for volunteers, a person worth meeting or a corner of the Collina we too often pass without seeing—write to us. Changed times and corrections are welcome, too: in a local newsletter, accuracy matters more than speed.

See you next Thursday.

Sources for this issue

• MeteoSwiss – local forecast for Montagnola
• Vivi Collina d’Oro – events calendar
• Hermann Hesse Museum Montagnola
• Municipality – news and notices
• Municipality – online noticeboard

Weather forecasts, events and times can change. The figures above were taken from the official 6926 Montagnola, 473 m forecast at 11.47 am on 26 July 2026. This digest summarises and links to sources; it does not replace official notices, warnings or documents.