Claino con Osteno, located on the Italian side of Lake Lugano, counts 544 inhabitants and its altitude is of 280 meters above sea level. It covers an area of 1290 hectares and it is composed by several villages, including the two most importants which give the village its name. The other villages are St. Lucio, Barclaino, Rescia and Righeggia.
One of these villages was built on the ruins of an old fortress, as suggested by its structure, of which the remains of the walls and the tower are still visible. This fact also explains the name of the only town square, actually called "Piazza del Forte" (fortress square). This land played an important role during the Middle Ages, and during later centuries due to its strategic position, as it indeed was the access point to the Val D'intelvi.