The writers, considered two of Latvia's most important literary artists, lived and worked in and around Lugano between 1905 and 1920.
A delegation from Lugano said that last week a decision was approved to name a street after Rainis and Aspazija, which is planned to be ceremonially opened in the spring of 2025.
After the Second World War, arrivals in Switzerland from Latvia started building a memorial place for Rainis in the village of Castagnola, and the first memorial room was opened in the mid-1960s, while a permanent museum of Rainis and Aspazija opened its doors in 1980 and now occupies a room in the building.
The museum is located in what is now the Historical Archive building of the city of Lugano. The famous Italian patriot Carlo Cattaneo lived there in the 19th century, and from 1906 to 1908 it was the abode of Rainis and Aspazija. A monument to the influential couple stands outside.
According to existing agreements, the municipality of Lugano had set aside the premises for the exposition of the Rainis and Aspazija Museum until the middle of May 2025. In the spring of 2024, it was announced that the municipality was going to discontinue the exhibition in the city archive building and that the premises would have to be vacated. Talks about the future course of action took place during the visit of the Swiss delegation, which also visited the summer house of Raina and Aspazija in Jūrmala – which is also a museum dedicated to the pair.
