For this year’s SUMMERTIMES Ascona Locarno magazine, I had the pleasure of conducting an interview with the likeable Ticino native Christa Rigozzi. We talked to her about her connection and love for Ticino, her career after the Miss Switzerland contest, her relationship with her husband Giovanni and where she likes to eat in Ticino.
Text: Malin Müller
Bilder: KO Photography, Ascona-Locarno
Christa Rigozzi, you live in Ticino with your husband Giovanni and your two daughters. What does home mean to you?
For me, home is the place where I feel comfortable and where I live with my family. I feel at home in Ticino. I grew up here and have experienced everything here. Even when I was studying in Bern and Fribourg, I always enjoyed coming back home to Ticino to be with my family and friends. Even back then, it was my goal and wish to live here in the future and build my own home with my family.
What is your favourite place in Ticino?
One of my favourite places is Ascona. We often go to Ascona for a meal or a stroll. I love the lake, I can recharge my batteries here. And even though I’ve lived in Ticino all my life, it feels like I’m on holiday when I go to Ascona or Locarno. It’s a privilege to be at home in such a beautiful place.
What’s your favourite place to eat in Ticino?
My favourite place to visit is a grotti. At the moment, I really enjoy going to the Antica Osteria del Carlin in Claro. The restaurant has excellent cuisine. In Ascona, we love going to the Marina restaurant at the Eden Roc. The location is unique and we like the ambience, plus the fact that Giovanni and I got married at the Eden Roc. When the weather is nice and the temperatures are warm, we also like to visit the Osteria Borei in Brissago.
Is there another place in the world where you could imagine living, if so where and why?
My husband and I have always said that one day, when we retire, when the children are well and independent, we will open a small bar on the beach (laughs). That’s a dream for the future because we both love the sea and the beach. But at the moment I don’t want to live anywhere else, I feel most at home in Switzerland.
In 2006, you were crowned Miss Switzerland. You became one of the most famous women in Switzerland overnight. How did you experience and perceive this at the time?
The truth is that I was catapulted into show business in the space of one night. I was recognised everywhere. It took some time for me to get used to it. At some point I felt comfortable and I discovered my talent and found my way.
Basically, you can say that people know you as Miss Switzerland. You are now a successful businesswoman. Does it sometimes bother you that people still think of you as Miss Switzerland?
No, that doesn’t bother me, on the contrary. It’s my story and the Miss Switzerland competition was my springboard. I am very grateful for this experience, it allowed me to pursue my dreams and realise my goals. People also know what I’ve made of it all, otherwise I wouldn’t be where I am today.
What do you think your life would have been like if you hadn’t taken part in the Miss Switzerland competition?
I used to want to be a police spokesperson. That was my absolute dream job. I can imagine that I would have worked in communications without the Miss Switzerland competition. It’s one of my strengths and of course it’s still the biggest part of my job today.
You have been together with your husband Giovanni for 24 years. As far as I know, you are the only Miss Switzerland, or one of the few, who has stayed together with her partner beyond her term of office and is still happy today. What is the secret of your relationship?
There is no secret. There has to be love and you have to talk to each other. Communication is one of the most important things, in good times as well as in bad. Love develops over the years. Our relationship is different today than it was 24 years ago. We got married and became parents. We are still a couple today as parents. You have to find moments together, even if you don’t have much time as parents. I would also like to add that when I was chosen as Miss Switzerland, Giovanni and I had already been a couple for five years. That helped us to cope well with this time together.
You are a brand ambassador for various brands such as Cembra, BVLGARI, Ascona Locarno to name a few, an influencer and a presenter – you could say you have a very varied job. What do you enjoy most about your job?
What I enjoy most is interacting with people. I love being on stage and interacting with the audience, that’s my passion and it has led to a job as a presenter. I also enjoy being active on social media. But I wouldn’t describe myself as an influencer, much more as a brand ambassador. I used to do that before social media existed. It’s actually the same, it’s just that the medium has changed.
«I love being on stage and interacting with the audience with the audience, that’s my passion.»
– Christa Rigozzi
To reflect:
What do you really want to do in your life?
Travelling the world with my family when our children are older. That’s a big dream of mine.
What advice would you have liked to have received earlier?
That you can say no more in life. I’m a very generous person by nature and that was often taken advantage of. Today I say no more than I used to.
Your next travel destination:
Next year, Giovanni and I want to travel to the west coast of America with our two daughters. We are big fans of America and have already visited 34 states in the USA.
What do you never leave the house without?
Without my mobile phone, to be honest. I use my mobile phone to work, make phone calls, send emails, photos, write texts, etc. It wouldn’t be possible today without a mobile phone, partly because of the children. Depending on what’s going on at school, the teacher also calls.
