Arosio is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

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In 2005 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Breno

Breno, Ticino

Breno is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 2005 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Arosio, Fescoggia, Mugena and Vezio to form a new and larger municipality Alto Malcantone.-History:...

, Fescoggia

Fescoggia

Fescoggia is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 2005 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Arosio, Breno, Mugena and Vezio to form a new and larger municipality Alto Malcantone.-History:...

, Mugena

Mugena

Mugena is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 2005 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Arosio, Breno, Fescoggia and Vezio to form a new and larger municipality Alto Malcantone.-History:...

 and Vezio

Vezio

Vezio is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 2005 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Arosio, Breno, Fescoggia and Mugena to form a new and larger municipality Alto Malcantone.-History:...

 to form a new and larger municipality Alto Malcantone

Alto Malcantone

Alto Malcantone is a municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It was formed on 13 March 2005 from the earlier municipalities of Arosio, Breno, Fescoggia, Mugena and Vezio.-History:...

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History

Arosio is first mentioned in 1335 as Aroxio'.

According to tradition, the Roman

Switzerland in the Roman era

The history of Switzerland in the Roman era encompasses the roughly six centuries during which the territory of modern Switzerland was a part of the Roman Republic and Empire...

 road leading from Ponte Tresa

Ponte Tresa

Ponte Tresa is a municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Ponte Tresa is first mentioned in 818 as ad Tresiae Pontem, though this comes from a 12th Century copy of the earlier document. In 875 it was mentioned as Ponte Tretia...

 to Monte Ceneri Pass

Monte Ceneri Pass

Monte Ceneri Pass is a mountain pass in the Alps in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.It connects the Magadino plain and the Vedeggio valley....

 ran through Arosio. By the Middle Ages

Middle Ages

The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

 it was a central town in the upper Magliasina valley, which was at that time was known as the Valle d'Arosio. The villages of Arosio, Breno, Cademario, Mugena Tortoglio and Vezio formed an economic and political unit.

The Church of San Michele is first mentioned in 1217. In 1640-47 it was totally rebuilt. It contains a cycle of fresco

Fresco

Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...

es by Antonio da Tradate and notable stucco

Stucco

Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...

work by local artists from the 17th and 18th Centuries. At one time, the architects and master builders of Arosio operated throughout Europe.

The local economy was based on agriculture and herding in the alpine meadows. In recent decades the services sector dominated the local economy. After 1960, a number of new houses were built in the village.

Location

The village consisted of the amalgamated settlements Terra di sopra and Terra di sotto.

Historic population

The historical population is given in the following table:

Year	Population Arosio
1599	ca. 300
1801	221
1850	232
1900	186
1950	197
2000	422