Ice hockey, history of the Ambrì-Lugano derby

A village of a thousand people that has a 6,500 capacity facility, always full. A group of houses in the mountains against one of the richest cities in Europe. The “shepherds” against the “cool bankers”. The most northerly Italian language game there is. And so on…

Just get to the Como Brogeda customs, and then go up for another 100 km. Up to the furthest edge of the Italian language, the last villages before the Gotthard. On the other side of the mountain and up to the Baltic is the Germanic world. There, however, and only there, a ritual that is a fairy tale, romantic and surreal has been on ice for sixty years. Much beyond hockey, much beyond sport. AND The Ticino Derby. It’s Ambrì Piotta-Lugano.

ttn-14