Balerna
Encyclopedia
Balerna is a municipality
in the district of Mendrisio
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
in Milan
purchased land in the concilium of Castel S. Pietro which would have included Balerna. In the 12th Century some decimani (tithe
collectors) and the monastery of S. Abbondio in Como owned land and associated rights in Balerna.
By no later than the 12th Century, Balerna was as the center of a pieve
, which encompassed the area that is now the district of Mendrisio except for Chiasso
(which was part of the pieve of Zezio) and some areas of the Pieve of Riva San Vitale
. Balerna, together with Riva and Uggiate, formed a consorzio (a common property group)in the 12th Century. Politically the municipalities of Chiasso, Boffalora, Pedrinate, Seseglio, Novazzano, Coldrerio, Villa, Castel San Pietro, Vacallo and the Valle di Muggio part of the Pieve of Balerna.
Starting in the 9th Century Balerna belonged to the count
of Seprio. In the 13th Century it was under the city of Como, and later under the Bishop of Como
. In 1335 under the rule of the Visconti
of Milan
, then under Franchino Rusca. In 1412 it came to the Duke of Milan, who completely separated it from Como in 1416. Balerna was now ruled by a Podestà, who resided in Mendrisio, but had his court in Balerna. In the following period it was owned by a large number of rulers: the Rusca family (1416–32), the Sanseverino family, the Golden Ambrosian Republic, the Schliessler family and then the Sforza family
. In 1475, the Sforzas separated Balerna administratively from Mendrisio. In 1499 it passed into the hands of Count Bartolomeo Crivelli, but it was occupied in the same year by the French. In 1512 they were followed by the Swiss Confederation
, who combined it with Mendrisio into a bailiwick
. As part of the bailiwick, Balerna was able to retain its privileges. Until 1573 the bailiff had a court in Balerna. He had two plebani representing him at Balerna and two reggenti at Mendrisio. In 1798 it was supposed to become part of the Cisalpine Republic
, but it, instead, wanted to be part of Switzerland. The decree of Aarau on 30 May 1798 combined it with Mendrisio as part of the Helvetic Republic
.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 15.2% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 25.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 30.7%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.9% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 4.7%. Out of the forested land, 2.3% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.9% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 13.6% is used for growing crops and 25.3% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality is located in the Mendrisio district, Das von Transitachsen der Gotthardlinie durchzogene Gemeindegebiet umfasst auch die Siedlungen Caslaccio, Mercole, S. Antonio, Bisio, Pontegana, Passeggiata.. It consists of the village of Balerna and the hamlets
of Bez. Mendrisio. Das von Transitachsen der Gotthardlinie durchzogene Gemeindegebiet umfasst auch die Siedlungen Caslaccio, Mercole, S. Antonio, Bisio, Pontegana, Passeggiata..
of the municipal coat of arms
is Azure a Maltese cross gules.
Most of the population speaks Italian
(91.6%), with German
being second most common (2.8%) and Portuguese
being third (1.6%). Of the Swiss national languages , 95 speak German
, 37 people speak French
, 3,129 people speak Italian
. The remainder (154 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 48.6% male and 51.4% female. The population was made up of 1,287 Swiss men (37.6% of the population), and 375 (11.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,446 Swiss women (42.3%), and 313 (9.1%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 23 live births to Swiss citizens and 8 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 28 deaths of Swiss citizens and 7 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 5 while the foreign population increased by 1. There were 2 Swiss men who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 26 non-Swiss men and 19 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was a decrease of 5 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 24 people. This represents a population growth rate of 0.6%.
The age distribution, , in Balerna is; 313 children or 9.1% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 345 teenagers or 10.1% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 342 people or 10.0% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 464 people or 13.6% are between 30 and 39, 542 people or 15.8% are between 40 and 49, and 409 people or 12.0% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 421 people or 12.3% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 359 people or 10.5% are between 70 and 79, there are 226 people or 6.6% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.6 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.6 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 28.9% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 1,519 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. there were 265 single family homes (or 45.5% of the total) out of a total of 582 inhabited buildings. There were 119 two family buildings (20.4%) and 129 multi-family buildings (22.2%). There were also 69 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.93%. there were 1,662 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 572. There were 44 single room apartments and 295 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 1,513 apartments (91.0% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 29 apartments (1.7%) were seasonally occupied and 120 apartments (7.2%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.2 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
complex of S. Vittore, Magazzini Generali and the ruins of the medieval castle at Pontegana
are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
.
in the village of Pontegana. The foundation of the castle includes Roman era
sarcophagi as spolia
. The remains of the walls still show the 15th Century embrasure
s. Between 789 and 810, Ragifrit and Ragipert de Pontegano are mentioned as owning a nearby manor house
. In the 10th or 11th Centuries a castle was built as a possession of the Bishop of Como
. In the ten years of war between Como
and Milan
it was captured in 1124 by Milan. The castle was returned after the war, and expanded in 1380. In 1508 it is mentioned as castrum de Pontegana. The remains of the building were used in the 18th Century as a warehouse. Between the late 12th and the early 15th Century, knights of Pontegana are mentioned in contemporary documents. The castle Chapel of S. Ilario is first mentioned in 1339, but no longer exists. Since 2007, the remains of the castle have been in the possession of the Canton Ticino.
the most popular party was the FDP
which received 26.24% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
(23.48%), the SP
(22.77%) and the Ticino League
(14.29%). In the federal election, a total of 1,175 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 51.6%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 2,331 registered voters in Balerna, of which 1,515 or 65.0% voted. 39 blank ballots and 7 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,469 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT
which received 367 or 25.0% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS
(with 319 or 21.7%), the PPD
+GenGiova (with 276 or 18.8%) and the SSI (with 241 or 16.4%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 26 blank ballots and 8 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,480 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PS which received 360 or 24.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT (with 335 or 22.6%), the PPD (with 281 or 19.0%) and the LEGA (with 239 or 16.1%).
, there were 3,283 workers who commuted into the municipality and 1,057 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 3.1 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 32.3% of the workforce coming into Balerna are coming from outside Switzerland, while 1.4% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work. Of the working population, 9.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 61.6% used a private car.
, there were 3 hotels in Balerna.
. There are 257 individuals (or about 7.53% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 112 individuals (or about 3.28% of the population) did not answer the question.
).
In Balerna there were a total of 563 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Balerna there were 97 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 156 students attended the standard primary schools and 8 students attended the special school. In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two year middle school followed by a two year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four year program to prepare for higher education. There were 141 students in the two year middle school, while 60 students were in the four year advanced program.
The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college. In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student). There were 37 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 57 who attend part-time.
The professional program lasts three years and prepares a student for a job in engineering, nursing, computer science, business, tourism and similar fields. There were 7 students in the professional program.
, there were 201 students in Balerna who came from another municipality, while 149 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the district of Mendrisio
Mendrisio (district)
The district of Mendrisio is the southernmost district of canton of Ticino and of Switzerland. To its north lies the district of Lugano. It is surrounded on the other three sides by Italy: to the east and south by the province of Como, and to the west by the province of Varese...
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Ticino
Ticino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
in 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....
.
History
Balerna is first mentioned in 1115 as Barerna. In 844 and 865, the monastery of S. AmbrogioBasilica of Sant'Ambrogio
The Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio is a church in Milan, northern Italy.-History:One of the most ancient churches in Milan, it was built by St. Ambrose in 379-386, in an area where numerous martyrs of the Roman persecutions had been buried. The first name of the church was in fact Basilica...
in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
purchased land in the concilium of Castel S. Pietro which would have included Balerna. In the 12th Century some decimani (tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
collectors) and the monastery of S. Abbondio in Como owned land and associated rights in Balerna.
By no later than the 12th Century, Balerna was as the center of a pieve
Pieve
In the Middle Ages, a pieve was a rural church with a baptistery, upon which other churches without baptisteries depended.The Italian word pieve is descended from Latin plebs which, after the expansion of Christianity in Italy, was applied to the community of baptized people...
, which encompassed the area that is now the district of Mendrisio except for Chiasso
Chiasso
Chiasso is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.As the southernmost of Switzerland's municipalities, Chiasso is located at the border with Italy, in front of Ponte Chiasso...
(which was part of the pieve of Zezio) and some areas of the Pieve of Riva San Vitale
Riva San Vitale
Riva San Vitale is a municipality in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland, located in the district of Mendrisio.Riva San Vitale is also the home of the Virginia Tech Center for European Studies and Architecture , the European campus center and base of operations for the regional activities of...
. Balerna, together with Riva and Uggiate, formed a consorzio (a common property group)in the 12th Century. Politically the municipalities of Chiasso, Boffalora, Pedrinate, Seseglio, Novazzano, Coldrerio, Villa, Castel San Pietro, Vacallo and the Valle di Muggio part of the Pieve of Balerna.
Starting in the 9th Century Balerna belonged to the count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
of Seprio. In the 13th Century it was under the city of Como, and later under the Bishop of Como
Roman Catholic Diocese of Como
The Catholic diocese of Como, in northern Italy, has existed since the fourth century. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Milan. The bishops' seat is in Como Cathedral....
. In 1335 under the rule of the Visconti
House of Visconti
Visconti is the family name of two important Italian noble dynasties of the Middle Ages. There are two distinct Visconti families: The first one in the Republic of Pisa in the mid twelfth century who achieved prominence first in Pisa, then in Sardinia where they became rulers of Gallura...
of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, then under Franchino Rusca. In 1412 it came to the Duke of Milan, who completely separated it from Como in 1416. Balerna was now ruled by a Podestà, who resided in Mendrisio, but had his court in Balerna. In the following period it was owned by a large number of rulers: the Rusca family (1416–32), the Sanseverino family, the Golden Ambrosian Republic, the Schliessler family and then the Sforza family
House of Sforza
Sforza was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan.-History:The dynasty was founded by Muzio Attendolo , called Sforza , a condottiero from Romagna serving the Angevin kings of Naples...
. In 1475, the Sforzas separated Balerna administratively from Mendrisio. In 1499 it passed into the hands of Count Bartolomeo Crivelli, but it was occupied in the same year by the French. In 1512 they were followed by the Swiss Confederation
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
, who combined it with Mendrisio into a bailiwick
Bailiwick
A bailiwick is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and may also apply to a territory in which the sheriff's functions were exercised by a privately appointed bailiff under a royal or imperial writ. The word is now more generally used in a metaphorical sense, to indicate a sphere of...
. As part of the bailiwick, Balerna was able to retain its privileges. Until 1573 the bailiff had a court in Balerna. He had two plebani representing him at Balerna and two reggenti at Mendrisio. In 1798 it was supposed to become part of the Cisalpine Republic
Cisalpine Republic
The Cisalpine Republic was a French client republic in Northern Italy that lasted from 1797 to 1802.-Birth:After the Battle of Lodi in May 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte proceeded to organize two states: one to the south of the Po River, the Cispadane Republic, and one to the north, the Transpadane...
, but it, instead, wanted to be part of Switzerland. The decree of Aarau on 30 May 1798 combined it with Mendrisio as part of the Helvetic Republic
Helvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
.
Geography
Balerna has an area, , of 2.57 square kilometre (0.992282547582815 sq mi). Of this area, 1.01 km² (0.38996318017846 sq mi) or 39.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.16 km² (0.0617763453748056 sq mi) or 6.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2 km² (0.77220431718507 sq mi) or 77.8% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.04 km² (9.9 acre) or 1.6% is either rivers or lakes and 0.03 km² (7.4 acre) or 1.2% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 15.2% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 25.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 30.7%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.9% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 4.7%. Out of the forested land, 2.3% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.9% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 13.6% is used for growing crops and 25.3% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality is located in the Mendrisio district, Das von Transitachsen der Gotthardlinie durchzogene Gemeindegebiet umfasst auch die Siedlungen Caslaccio, Mercole, S. Antonio, Bisio, Pontegana, Passeggiata.. It consists of the village of Balerna and the hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Bez. Mendrisio. Das von Transitachsen der Gotthardlinie durchzogene Gemeindegebiet umfasst auch die Siedlungen Caslaccio, Mercole, S. Antonio, Bisio, Pontegana, Passeggiata..
Coat of arms
The blazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
of the municipal coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is Azure a Maltese cross gules.
Demographics
Balerna has a population of . , 20.4% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 1%.Most of the population speaks Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
(91.6%), with German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
being second most common (2.8%) and Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
being third (1.6%). Of the Swiss national languages , 95 speak German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, 37 people speak French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, 3,129 people speak Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. The remainder (154 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 48.6% male and 51.4% female. The population was made up of 1,287 Swiss men (37.6% of the population), and 375 (11.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,446 Swiss women (42.3%), and 313 (9.1%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 23 live births to Swiss citizens and 8 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 28 deaths of Swiss citizens and 7 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 5 while the foreign population increased by 1. There were 2 Swiss men who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 26 non-Swiss men and 19 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was a decrease of 5 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 24 people. This represents a population growth rate of 0.6%.
The age distribution, , in Balerna is; 313 children or 9.1% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 345 teenagers or 10.1% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 342 people or 10.0% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 464 people or 13.6% are between 30 and 39, 542 people or 15.8% are between 40 and 49, and 409 people or 12.0% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 421 people or 12.3% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 359 people or 10.5% are between 70 and 79, there are 226 people or 6.6% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.6 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.6 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 28.9% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 1,519 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. there were 265 single family homes (or 45.5% of the total) out of a total of 582 inhabited buildings. There were 119 two family buildings (20.4%) and 129 multi-family buildings (22.2%). There were also 69 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.93%. there were 1,662 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 572. There were 44 single room apartments and 295 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 1,513 apartments (91.0% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 29 apartments (1.7%) were seasonally occupied and 120 apartments (7.2%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.2 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Heritage sites of national significance
The collegiate churchCollegiate church
In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
complex of S. Vittore, Magazzini Generali and the ruins of the medieval castle at Pontegana
Pontegana Castle
Pontegana Castle is a ruined castle located in the municipality of Balerna in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:The ruins of this medieval castle are located on small hill between Balerna and Chiasso in the village of Pontegana. The foundation of the castle includes Roman era...
are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
.
Pontegana castle
The ruins of this medieval castle are located on small hill between Balerna and ChiassoChiasso
Chiasso is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.As the southernmost of Switzerland's municipalities, Chiasso is located at the border with Italy, in front of Ponte Chiasso...
in the village of Pontegana. The foundation of the castle includes Roman era
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...
sarcophagi as spolia
Spolia
Spolia is a modern art-historical term used to describe the re-use of earlier building material or decorative sculpture on new monuments...
. The remains of the walls still show the 15th Century embrasure
Embrasure
In military architecture, an embrasure is the opening in a crenellation or battlement between the two raised solid portions or merlons, sometimes called a crenel or crenelle...
s. Between 789 and 810, Ragifrit and Ragipert de Pontegano are mentioned as owning a nearby manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
. In the 10th or 11th Centuries a castle was built as a possession of the Bishop of Como
Roman Catholic Diocese of Como
The Catholic diocese of Como, in northern Italy, has existed since the fourth century. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Milan. The bishops' seat is in Como Cathedral....
. In the ten years of war between Como
Como
Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como....
and Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
it was captured in 1124 by Milan. The castle was returned after the war, and expanded in 1380. In 1508 it is mentioned as castrum de Pontegana. The remains of the building were used in the 18th Century as a warehouse. Between the late 12th and the early 15th Century, knights of Pontegana are mentioned in contemporary documents. The castle Chapel of S. Ilario is first mentioned in 1339, but no longer exists. Since 2007, the remains of the castle have been in the possession of the Canton Ticino.
Politics
In the 2007 federal electionSwiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
the most popular party was the FDP
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
which received 26.24% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
(23.48%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(22.77%) and the Ticino League
Ticino League
The Ticino League is an isolationist, national conservative political party in Switzerland active in the canton of Ticino.In 1991, after some public campaigning in the Sunday journal Mattino della Domenica against political power and use of public money, the editor Giuliano Bignasca and the...
(14.29%). In the federal election, a total of 1,175 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was 51.6%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 2,331 registered voters in Balerna, of which 1,515 or 65.0% voted. 39 blank ballots and 7 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,469 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
which received 367 or 25.0% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 319 or 21.7%), the PPD
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
+GenGiova (with 276 or 18.8%) and the SSI (with 241 or 16.4%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 26 blank ballots and 8 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,480 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PS which received 360 or 24.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT (with 335 or 22.6%), the PPD (with 281 or 19.0%) and the LEGA (with 239 or 16.1%).
Economy
, Balerna had an unemployment rate of 5.11%. , there were 9 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 2 businesses involved in this sector. 795 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 43 businesses in this sector. 1,824 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 208 businesses in this sector. There were 1,519 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 41.8% of the workforce., there were 3,283 workers who commuted into the municipality and 1,057 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 3.1 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 32.3% of the workforce coming into Balerna are coming from outside Switzerland, while 1.4% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work. Of the working population, 9.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 61.6% used a private car.
, there were 3 hotels in Balerna.
Religion
From the , 2,926 or 85.7% were Roman Catholic, while 120 or 3.5% belonged to the Swiss Reformed ChurchSwiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
. There are 257 individuals (or about 7.53% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 112 individuals (or about 3.28% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Balerna about 64.2% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
).
In Balerna there were a total of 563 students . The Ticino education system
Education in Switzerland
The education system in Switzerland is very diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the authority for the school system mainly to the cantons...
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
and in Balerna there were 97 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 156 students attended the standard primary schools and 8 students attended the special school. In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two year middle school followed by a two year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four year program to prepare for higher education. There were 141 students in the two year middle school, while 60 students were in the four year advanced program.
The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college. In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student). There were 37 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 57 who attend part-time.
The professional program lasts three years and prepares a student for a job in engineering, nursing, computer science, business, tourism and similar fields. There were 7 students in the professional program.
, there were 201 students in Balerna who came from another municipality, while 149 residents attended schools outside the municipality.