[1][2][3] The upper terminus of the funicular was on the third floor of a tower, linked with a footbridge to the hotel, whilst the lower terminus was a simple stop alongside the Salita degli Angioli.

[1][2][3] The line was built by the Stigler elevator company [it] of Milan and opened in 1913.

In 2012 the car was removed, and the line was listed as a cultural property of regional significance.

[1][2][3][4] In April 2018 the Lugano city authorities announced a competition, with a CHF36,000 prize, for the best idea for a future for the funicular.

In September of the same year, the same authorities requested a loan of CHF325,000 for a study into the future of the funicular and how it could form part of a wider plan for improved access to the lake.