A Laboratory of Minorities - The territory of Ticino represents a form of cultural and linguistic minority within the Swiss Confederation: as the only officially monolingual Italian-speaking canton, it embodies a condition of being at the margins of the centre, where the dominant culture is often constructed through dialogue—or tension—with the German- and French-speaking regions.

In 1872, Jules Verne published a novel that, more than 140 years after its initial release, remains widely known and appreciated for its evocative power: Around the World in Eighty Days. The story follows the adventures of Phileas Fogg, a wealthy London gentleman of habitual, sedentary, and reserved character. On October 2, 1872, Fogg leaves his residence on Saville Row and heads to the Reform Club. As usual, at half past eleven he reaches the club premises after taking exactly 575 steps.

Trained as a geographer, Roland Hochstrasser heads the Office for the Analysis and Digital Cultural Heritage within the Department of Education, Culture and Sport of the Republic and Canton of Ticino. He is a member of the foundation boards of the Alpine Biology Center and Switch, and serves on the steering committees of the Memoriav Association and Swiss Cultural Capital.