Casmalia
1997 - 6 mins

Directed by: Claudia Laffranchi
DP/Camera and editing by: Alberto Engeli
for TSI-Swiss TV

Casmalia is an unincorporated town in Santa Barbara County, California located just outside the borders of Vandenberg Air Force Base about 5 miles southwest of Santa Maria. Approximately 200 people live in and near Casmalia.
The formal town was founded by Antonio Tognazzini in the mid-1890s and was then named Someo, after the village of origin of the Tognazzini family, Someo, Switzerland. When the post office was opened, however, it was name Casmalia, rather than Someo, because of a name conflict with another California town and the name, Someo, was eventually dropped.
The public area of the hotel built by Antonio Tognazzini more than 100 years ago still exists, although the guest rooms were torn down in 1944. The building is now occupied by The Hitching Post barbecue restaurant.