ASCONA – A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL CROSSROADS

A video journey through Monte Verità, the artistic avant-garde, modern dance, philosophy, spirituality and the extraordinary personalities who shaped Ascona.

At the turn of the twentieth century, the small Swiss town of Ascona became an extraordinary meeting place for artists, writers, philosophers, anarchists, dancers and spiritual seekers.

From the experimental communities of Monte Verità to the international gatherings of Eranos, from Expressionist painting to the birth of modern dance, Ascona played a remarkable role in the cultural history of Europe.

This collection invites visitors to discover that history through documentaries, interviews, archival recordings and films. Each link opens a YouTube search in a new tab, allowing you to explore without leaving this page.

1. Monte Verità – The Hill of Truth

Founded in 1900, the Monte Verità community became a laboratory for alternative lifestyles, vegetarianism, social reform, artistic freedom and spiritual experimentation.

2. Rudolf von Laban and the Revolution in Dance

Monte Verità became an important centre for experiments in movement and expressive dance. Rudolf von Laban and his circle contributed to the development of modern dance, influencing generations of choreographers and performers.

3. Hermann Hesse, Carl Gustav Jung and Eranos

Ascona and its surroundings attracted intellectuals interested in psychology, mythology, comparative religion and the encounter between Eastern and Western traditions.

The Eranos conferences, established in 1933 by Olga Fröbe-Kapteyn, became an important forum for interdisciplinary intellectual exchange.

4. Marianne von Werefkin and the Artistic Avant-Garde

Ascona became home to important representatives of European modernism. Marianne von Werefkin, a major figure in Expressionist painting, settled in the town and contributed significantly to its artistic identity.

5. Luigi Pericle – Art and the Invisible

Luigi Pericle lived and worked in Ascona, developing an artistic and philosophical universe that brought together abstraction, symbolism and spiritual inquiry.

His work provides another perspective on the continuing relationship between artistic creation and the search for deeper meaning in Ascona.

6. Anarchists, Reformers and Revolutionary Ideas

Ascona was not only an artistic refuge. It was also connected to anarchist movements, radical social experiments and the search for alternative ways of living.

Figures such as Gusto Gräser and Erich Mühsam belonged to the wider history of these reform movements. Nearby, in the Locarno region, Mikhail Bakunin had pursued his revolutionary activities during the nineteenth century.

7. Der Sturm, Nell Walden and European Modernism

Ascona’s cultural history also intersects with the international networks of the European avant-garde, including the world of Der Sturm, the influential artistic and literary movement associated with Herwarth Walden and Nell Walden.

8. Archival Films and Historical Footage of Ascona

Historical photographs, television archives and documentary films provide further opportunities to discover the transformation of Ascona from a small lakeside settlement into an internationally recognised cultural destination.

Discover the Hidden History of Ascona

The history of Ascona is far more than the history of a picturesque Swiss town. It is the story of an extraordinary convergence of artistic innovation, philosophical experimentation, social reform and spiritual exploration.

These people did not all share the same ideas or belong to a single movement. Yet their different paths intersected in a place that offered unusual opportunities for intellectual exchange and creative freedom.

Exploring their lives helps us understand Ascona’s remarkable contribution to the cultural history of the twentieth century.

Video guide: The links lead to thematic YouTube searches rather than individually verified recordings. Availability, language and historical accuracy may vary. External links are configured to open in a new browser tab or window.