The Tipografia e Libreria Elvetica of Capolago

Capolago

Capolago was a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland, but is now part of the municipality of Mendrisio. On 25 November 2007 the municipalities of Arzo, Capolago, Genestrerio, Mendrisio, Rancate and Tremona voted to merge into the municipality of Mendrisio...

 was a nineteenth-century Swiss

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 publishing house, which operated in Canton Ticino from 1830 to 1853 and acquired a particular importance as a clandestine press of the patriots of the Italian Risorgimento.

The Tipografia Elvetica was founded in 1830 by the Genoese exile Alessandro Repetti and directed by Gino Daelli. Thanks to its location on Swiss territory, close to the border with the Austrian-controlled Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, it rapidly became an important point of reference for the publication of patriotic works circulated clandestinely in Italy.

The press enjoyed the collaboration of the Mazzinian

Giuseppe Mazzini

Giuseppe Mazzini , nicknamed Soul of Italy, was an Italian politician, journalist and activist for the unification of Italy. His efforts helped bring about the independent and unified Italy in place of the several separate states, many dominated by foreign powers, that existed until the 19th century...

 Luigi Dottesio, who gave a notable impulse to the printing of books, periodicals and proclamations of Risorgimental patriots and exiles. The main authors published included Vincenzo Gioberti

Vincenzo Gioberti

thumb|250px|Vincenzo Gioberti.Vincenzo Gioberti was an Italian philosopher, publicist and politician.-Biography:Gioberti was born in Turin....

, Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi

Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi

Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi was an Italian writer and politician involved in the Italian risorgimento.-Biography:...

, Giuseppe La Farina

Giuseppe La Farina

Giuseppe La Farina was an influential leader of the Italian Risorgimento.Minister of Cavour, was highly involved in Garibaldi's departure for Sicily. Ostensibly sent by Cavour to dissuade Garibaldi from going, he in fact did little of the sort...

, Niccolò Tommaseo

Niccolò Tommaseo

Niccolò Tommaseo was an Italian Dalmatian linguist, journalist and essayist, the editor of a Dizionario della Lingua Italiana in eight volumes , of a dictionary of synonyms and other works...

, Jean Charles Leonard Simonde de Sismondi, Pietro Colletta

Pietro Colletta

Pietro Colletta was a Neapolitan general and historian, entered the Neapolitan artillery in 1796 and took part in the campaign against the French in 1798.-Biography:Colletta was born in Naples...

, Cesare Balbo

Cesare Balbo

Cesare Balbo , Count of Vinadio, was an Italian writer and statesman.Balbo was born at Turin on the 21st of November 1789. His father, Prospero Balbo, who belonged to a noble Piedmontese family, held a high position in the Sardinian court, and at the time of Cesare’s birth was mayor of the capital...

 and Massimo d'Azeglio.

In 1851, Dottessio was arrested and executed by the Austrians. The growing attentions of the Swiss authorities, under Austrian pressure, forced Repetti to close down the Tipografia Elvetica in 1853.