During the wartime period, the partisan forces operating along the border could rely on the assistance of Swiss citizens. These were mainly individuals who were well acquainted with the region and were committed to providing all possible support to the partisans.
Silvio Baccalà, in particular, resided in Brissago. During the day, he worked as a gardener at the union hotel Brenscino, but, at night, he made himself available to the partisans and refugees, guiding them through the trails of Ghiridone to Val Cannobina. Crossing this border between 1943 and 1945 was an extremely difficult and dangerous undertaking. Refugees and partisans had to face various obstacles such as fences, checkpoints, and security controls. It's estimated that the journey took at least 10-12 hours on average. Many of these people were guided by locals like Silvio Baccalà, who possessed the necessary knowledge to navigate dangerous stretches like forests and mountains.
Vincenzo Martinetti, the father of singer Nella Martinetti, was also actively involved in the partisan forces of the Piave Division in Brissago. He soon became a key figure in logistics and the transportation of materials, weapons and people across the border. At the end of the war, he was also decorated by the partisan formations. He wasn't the only citizen from Ticino openly joining the partisan struggle. Lindo Meraldi, another inhabitant of Brissago, even spent a short period in fascist prisons in Novara in 1944, after being captured in Ossola.
From nearby Ascona, Gottardo Bacchi, later known as the "sheriff" of Ascona, actively participated in operations with the partisans of Cannobina. He was captured by the Germans in the summer of 1944 and also spent a brief period of imprisonment in Milan. After the war, he became a businessman in Ascona and was often recognizable by his cowboy attire, which earned him his nickname.
Considering its proximity to the border, Brissago was often caught up in the human events of the conflict period. Like other border areas, Brissago experienced a humanitarian crisis in the days following the armistice on September 8, 1943, declared by General Pietro Badoglio. Numerous Italian soldiers, former Allied prisoners previously held in Northern Italy, and many Jewish families poured towards the border, thus escaping capture by German and fascist forces. In September 1943, at least two or three thousand people crossed through Brissago.
The Nazi occupation of the region from mid-September 1943 brought difficult times for Brissago. Colonel Antonio Bolzani, in his significant work "Beyond the Border," reports several events related to Brissago. Even on Swiss territory, security wasn't always guaranteed, as Nazi-fascist troops often opened fire towards the border area. A second humanitarian crisis struck Brissago at the end of August and the beginning of September 1944. After a German reprisal in the village of Cannobio on August 27, 1944, where around thirty adults were deported, the majority of Cannobio's inhabitants and those from surrounding villages found temporary refuge in Brissago. A month later, on October 10, 1944, intense new fightings erupted in the border area. These marked the beginning of German operations to regain the Ossola area, which had previously been liberated by partisan forces for 40 days. Once again, Brissago welcomed hundreds of civilians and partisans. Brissago remained known as the first place of salvation along the path of hope for many unfortunate individuals.