It is the largest city in both Ticino and the Italian-speaking region of southern Switzerland. Lugano has a population as of December [update] of 62,, [ 9 ] and an urban agglomeration of over , It is the ninth largest Swiss city. The city lies on Lake Lugano , at its largest width, and, together with the adjacent town of Paradiso , occupies the entire bay of Lugano.
The territory of the municipality encompasses a much larger region on both sides of the lake, with numerous isolated villages. The region of Lugano is surrounded by the Lugano Prealps , the latter extending on most of the Sottoceneri region, the southernmost part of Ticino and Switzerland. Both western and eastern parts of the municipality share an international border with Italy. Described as a market town since , Lugano was the object of continuous disputes between the sovereigns of Como and Milan until it became part of the Old Swiss Confederation in In , the political municipality of Lugano was created, following the establishment of the canton.
Since , Lugano has been an important stop on the international Gotthard Railway. The rail brought a decisive contribution to the development of tourism and more generally of the tertiary sector which are, to this day, predominant in the economy of the city.
The toponym is first recorded in AD, in the form Luanasco , in as Luano , and from as Lugano. Traditional German-language variants of the name now virtually unused are Lowens , Lauis , Lauwis , Louwerz. The shores of Lake Lugano have been inhabited since the Stone Age. Within the modern city limits Breganzona, Castagnola , Davesco and Gandria several ground stones or quern-stones have been found.
Graves with jewellery and household items have been found in Aldesago, Davesco, Pazzallo and Pregassona along with Celtic money in Viganello. There was an important Roman town north of Lugano at Bioggio.
