Early Life and Apprenticeship in the Italian Tradition Santino Bussi, born on August 28th, 1664, in Bissone, Switzerland—a region steeped in artistic heritage near Lugano—emerged from a family deeply rooted in the world of art. His father, Giovanni Francesco Bussi, was a painter who instilled in his son an early appreciation for drawing and visual expression. However, Santino’s path soon diverged towards the more tactile realm of stuc…