On April 26, 2018 at 17.00 at the Park Ciani in Lugano a new Garden of the Righteous has been inaugurated, in the presence of Ignazio Cassis, Federal Councilor, Claudio Zali, President of the Council of State, Marco Borradori, Mayor of Lugano, Moreno Bernasconi, President of the Federica Spitzer Foundation, Marco Del Panta Ridolfi, Italian Ambassador in Switzerland, Boas Erez, Rector of the University of Italian Switzerland, Gabriele Nissim, journalist and President of Gariwo. Four figures of Ticinesi who with their tangible commitment have opposed the oppression and/or saved the life of those who were persecuted has been honoured: Guido Rivoir, Waldensian pastor of socialist faith, who worked in the seventies for the reception to Chilean citizens persecuted under the dictatorship of Pinochet; Francesco Alberti, a Catholic priest who is a friend of Don Sturzo, director of "Popolo e Libertà" and an antifascist committed; Carlo Sommaruga, a Swiss diplomat in Rome who together with his wife Anna Maria Valagussa gave protection to persecuted Jewish families.

The inauguration took place at the conclusion of the "Lugano città aperta" Project.

In the evening, to celebrate the Day of the Righteous, the concert "Bunter Abend/Serata Colorata: music from the internment camp of Ferramonti" with Peppe Servillo, voice Cristina Zavalloni, texts Viviana Kasam and Fabiano Marti has been held at the LAC Lugano Art and Culture and directed by Fabiano Marti. An unforgettable show to commemorate the racial persecution in Italy after the promulgation of the 1938 Racial Laws.

During the evening, the Federica Spitzer 2018 Prize has been awarded, which supports projects that help to prevent racial, cultural and religious conflicts and addresses public and private schools in the Canton of Ticino and the Italian-speaking valleys of the Canton of Graubünden.