Why Mendrisio?
I chose it partly by intuition and partly because there was room for a dermatologist, so to speak. I liked the town right away, with its liveable size and surrounding greenery. And then, of course, its strategic location. You can get to Como in just a few minutes and the Duomo of Milan in less than an hour. And now Zurich is also a two-hour train ride away. Mendrisio is a lovely place to work; the friendliness of the people is definitely a very important factor.
What does Mendrisio mean to you?
It’s a nice place to work, but that’s not all! Being at the practice from morning to night, and often at the weekend as well, I get to experience the town during breaks and outside working hours. People who come from outside Mendrisio feel welcomed, the simplicity and immediacy of relationships make you feel somehow at home, and people are helpful and even caring in some ways. An example: the lights in the practice go out on Friday and by 8 am Monday mornings everything is working again, the electrician arrives and fixes the problem. You quickly develop a good personal relationship with those who work at the supermarket. In the bookstore, you find smiling people, happy to see you. These are aspects that make a difference in terms of quality of life. I also find the cultural landscape rich: the concert season, the museums, including the fossil museum, the festivals, the ice rink in Piazzale alla Valle, and much more.
What couldn’t you give up about Mendrisio?
Definitely the landscape. Mendrisio offers a truly stunning natural landscape: San Giorgio, Monte Generoso, and the whole countryside in general are very beautiful places, where you can regain strength and relax, where you simply feel good.
