Italiano in comune. La Svizzera parla italiano
Institutional Communication Service
6 October 2025
Promoting the Italian language in Switzerland means investing in social cohesion and intercultural dialogue. With this objective in mind, “Italiano in comune. La Svizzera parla italiano" was created. This series of events is promoted by the Forum per l'italiano in Svizzera in collaboration with universities and cultural institutions. It will take place in various Swiss cities throughout the autumn.
Switzerland is a unique example of linguistic and cultural coexistence, where Italian – alongside German, French and Romansh – plays a fundamental role not only for the identity of the Canton of Ticino and the Italian-speaking regions of Graubünden, but also for national balance. Supporting and promoting the Italian language is crucial for strengthening social cohesion, fostering intercultural dialogue, and preserving a cultural heritage that is at risk of being marginalised in an increasingly homogenised global context.
“Italiano in comune. La Svizzera parla italiano" was created with this mission in mind. Following a preview last August at the Locarno Film Festival, the programme will offer four public encounters between October and November, organised by Forum per l'italiano in Svizzera in collaboration with universities and cultural institutions.
The programme opens on Thursday, 9 October in Bern, at Alte Feuerwehr Viktoria, with author Francesco Filippi and the encounter "Five hundred years of anger. Uprisings and means of communication from Gutenberg to Capitol Hill", organised in collaboration with the University of Bern and Pecore Ribelli.
On Thursday, 13 November, it will be Lugano's turn: the Auditorium of the Università della Svizzera italiana will host the meeting-debate "The Italian language in Switzerland: a threatened treasure" featuring Stefano Prandi (director of the Institute of Italian Studies at USI), Lorenzo Erroi (RSI) and Fabio Pusterla (poet and literary critic). The discussion will be moderated by Aldo Bertagni, a journalist and coordinator of Forum per l'italiano in Svizzera.
Also on 13 November, in Basel, the city's university will host the event "What to do without Italian?", in which nine citizens from different backgrounds will answer the question through micro-interviews. On this occasion, Basel and Lugano will be connected via live streaming, creating a symbolic bridge between the north and south of the country.
The series will conclude with the encounter "Reading in Italian in Fribourg", scheduled for Tuesday, 18 November at the Cantonal Library. The event will be attended by librarians, booksellers, the Dante Alighieri Association and journalist and writer Jari Bernasconi.
All events are free of charge and will be followed by refreshments.