Capriasca
Encyclopedia
Capriasca is a municipality
in the district of Lugano
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
The municipality was created in 2001 by a merger of Cagiallo
, Lopagno
, Roveredo
, Sala Capriasca
, Tesserete
and Vaglio
.
from the Middle Ages
through the modern era.
The late medieval
church of S. Matteo was was rebuilt 1672, but retained the romanesque
clock tower. The village was part of the parish
of Tesserete
. The Chapel of St. Lucia is first mentioned in 1606, and the Chapel of St. Sebastian in Almatro was built in 1682.
The pre-industrial economy was based on agriculture and emigration. In the 18th and 19th Centuries, the Battaglini family played an important role throughout the valley. Cagiallo supports the tourist facilities and hotels of the village of Tesserete, and has become a suburb of it in recent years.
walled village. In the 15th Century, it formed a Vicinanza
with Bigorio. In the first half of the 16th Century had rights to the commons
in the parish
of Capriasca. It was part of the Tesserete parish until 1933.
The parish church
of St. Anthony was first mentioned in 1413. In the 15th and 16th Centuries it was totally rebuilt. The monastery of Bigorio was founded in 1535 as the first seat of the Capuchins
in Switzerland.
Economically the village was dominated by agriculture and rural handicrafts. The traditional seasonal migration
brought extra income. In the second half of the 20th Century it developed into a bedroom community
. In 2000, four-fifths of the working population were commuters, especially to Lugano
.
. In the 16th and 17th Centuries there were several large-scale emigrations from the village. The economy of the village was based on agriculture, trade and construction activities. The inhabitants of Lopagno were among the leaders of the popular uprising against the authorities of the Helvetic Republic
on 26 January 1802. Since 1952, the Institute Don Orione for the care of the mentally disabled, is active in Lopagno.
The S. Apollonia chapel dates back to the 16th Century, and is a dependent of the parish of Tesserete.
In 2000 about three quarters of the working population worked outside the village.
of Capriasca and the parish church
of Tesserete. The local Chapel of St. Bernard of Clairvaux was built in 1403.
Agriculture and pastoralism
were once the main sources of income. Starting in the 1960s, Roveredo developed into a residential community, due to its proximity to Lugano and Tesserete. In 2000, approximately four-fifths of the workforce in Roveredo commutes.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.2%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 0.2% is used for growing crops.
Cagiallo village also contained the settlements of Sarone, Almatro, Bettagno and San Matteo-Muralta. The village of Sala Capriasca is located in the Capriasca valley at the foot of Mount Bigorio and includes the settlements of Sala, Bigorio, Lelgio and Pezzolo. The village of Lopagno is located in the Capriasca valley at the entrance to Val Colla and includes the hamlets
of Treggia, Somazzo and Oggio. The village of Roveredo is located in the upper Capriasca valley on the right side of the entrance to the Val Colla.
In there were 50 live births to Swiss citizens and 7 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 58 deaths of Swiss citizens and 3 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 8 while the foreign population increased by 4. There were 16 Swiss men and 6 Swiss women who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 13 non-Swiss men and 14 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 an increase of 90 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 49 people. This represents a population growth rate of 2.3%.
The age distribution, , in Capriasca is; 664 children or 10.6% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 694 teenagers or 11.1% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 607 people or 9.7% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 815 people or 13.0% are between 30 and 39, 1,101 people or 17.5% are between 40 and 49, and 922 people or 14.7% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 728 people or 11.6% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 459 people or 7.3% are between 70 and 79, there are 284 people or 4.5% who are over 80.
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 25.87% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(22.35%), the SP
(19.08%) and the Ticino League
(15.1%). In the federal election, a total of 1,708 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 49.2%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 3,471 registered voters in Capriasca, of which 2,208 or 63.6% voted. 26 blank ballots and 5 null ballots were cast, leaving 2,177 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT
which received 451 or 20.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PPD
+GenGiova (with 414 or 19.0%), the SSI (with 362 or 16.6%) and the PS
(with 361 or 16.6%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 18 blank ballots and 9 null ballots were cast, leaving 2,182 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the LEGA which received 505 or 23.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 434 or 19.9%), the PLRT (with 429 or 19.7%) and the PPD (with 423 or 19.4%).
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Capriasca there were 193 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 323 students attended the standard primary schools and 11 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 280 students in the two year middle school, while 136 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 67 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 114 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 9 students in the professional program.
, there were 416 students in Capriasca who came from another municipality, while 99 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
, there were 7 hotels in Capriasca with a total of 48 rooms and 103 beds.
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 Lugano
Lugano (district)
The district of Lugano is a district of Canton Ticino, Switzerland. It has a population of .-Geography:The Lugano District has an area, , of . Of this area, or 15.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 66.5% is forested...
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....
.
The municipality was created in 2001 by a merger of Cagiallo
Cagiallo
Cagiallo is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 2001 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Lopagno, Roveredo, Sala Capriasca, Tesserete and Vaglio to form a new and larger municipality Capriasca.-History:Cagiallo is first...
, Lopagno
Lopagno
Lopagno is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 2001 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Cagiallo, Roveredo, Sala Capriasca, Tesserete and Vaglio to form a new and larger municipality Capriasca.-History:Lopagno is first...
, Roveredo
Roveredo, Ticino
Roveredo is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 2001 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Cagiallo, Lopagno, Sala Capriasca, Tesserete and Vaglio to form a new and larger municipality Capriasca.-History:Roveredo is first...
, Sala Capriasca
Sala Capriasca
Sala Capriasca is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 2001 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Cagiallo, Lopagno, Roveredo, Tesserete and Vaglio to form a new and larger municipality Capriasca.-History:Sala Capriasca is first...
, Tesserete
Tesserete
Tesserete is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 1976 the neighboring municipality Campestro was incorporated into Tesserete....
and Vaglio
Vaglio
Vaglio is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 2001 the municipality was merged with the neighboring municipalities of Cagiallo, Lopagno, Roveredo, Sala Capriasca, and Tesserete to form a new municipality, Capriasca....
.
History
Cagiallo is first mentioned in the 13th Century as Guzallo. In 1335 it was mentioned as Cazallo. Sala Capriasca is first mentioned in 1078 as Sale. In 1467 it was mentioned as Salla. Lopagno is first mentioned in 1335 as Lopagnio. Roveredo is first mentioned in 1583 as Roveretro.Cagiallo
Together with Lopagno and Campestro, Cagiallo formed a BürgergemeindeBürgergemeinde
The Bürgergemeinde is a statutory corporation in public law in Switzerland...
from 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...
through the modern era.
The late medieval
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
church of S. Matteo was was rebuilt 1672, but retained the romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
clock tower. The village was part of the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Tesserete
Tesserete
Tesserete is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 1976 the neighboring municipality Campestro was incorporated into Tesserete....
. The Chapel of St. Lucia is first mentioned in 1606, and the Chapel of St. Sebastian in Almatro was built in 1682.
The pre-industrial economy was based on agriculture and emigration. In the 18th and 19th Centuries, the Battaglini family played an important role throughout the valley. Cagiallo supports the tourist facilities and hotels of the village of Tesserete, and has become a suburb of it in recent years.
Sala Capriasca
Sala Capriasca was originally a LombardLombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
walled village. In the 15th Century, it formed a Vicinanza
Bürgergemeinde
The Bürgergemeinde is a statutory corporation in public law in Switzerland...
with Bigorio. In the first half of the 16th Century had rights to the commons
The commons
The commons is terminology referring to resources that are owned in common or shared between or among communities populations. These resources are said to be "held in common" and can include everything from natural resources and common land to software. The commons contains public property and...
in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Capriasca. It was part of the Tesserete parish until 1933.
The parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of St. Anthony was first mentioned in 1413. In the 15th and 16th Centuries it was totally rebuilt. The monastery of Bigorio was founded in 1535 as the first seat of the Capuchins
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
in Switzerland.
Economically the village was dominated by agriculture and rural handicrafts. The traditional seasonal migration
Transhumance in the Alps
Transhumance in the Alps, or seasonal migration between valley and high pastures is a traditional practice that has shaped much of the landscape in the Alps, as without it, most areas below 2000 m would be forests.While tourism and industry contribute today much to Alpine economy, seasonal...
brought extra income. In the second half of the 20th Century it developed into a bedroom community
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
. In 2000, four-fifths of the working population were commuters, especially to Lugano
Lugano
Lugano is a city of inhabitants in the city proper and a total of over 145,000 people in the agglomeration/city region, in the south of Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which borders Italy...
.
Lopagno
Lopagno, together with Cagiallo and Campestro, formed a Vicinanza since the Middle AgesMiddle 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...
. In the 16th and 17th Centuries there were several large-scale emigrations from the village. The economy of the village was based on agriculture, trade and construction activities. The inhabitants of Lopagno were among the leaders of the popular uprising against the authorities 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...
on 26 January 1802. Since 1952, the Institute Don Orione for the care of the mentally disabled, is active in Lopagno.
The S. Apollonia chapel dates back to the 16th Century, and is a dependent of the parish of Tesserete.
In 2000 about three quarters of the working population worked outside the village.
Roveredo
Roveredo belonged to the PievePieve
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...
of Capriasca and the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of Tesserete. The local Chapel of St. Bernard of Clairvaux was built in 1403.
Agriculture and pastoralism
Pastoralism
Pastoralism or pastoral farming is the branch of agriculture concerned with the raising of livestock. It is animal husbandry: the care, tending and use of animals such as camels, goats, cattle, yaks, llamas, and sheep. It may have a mobile aspect, moving the herds in search of fresh pasture and...
were once the main sources of income. Starting in the 1960s, Roveredo developed into a residential community, due to its proximity to Lugano and Tesserete. In 2000, approximately four-fifths of the workforce in Roveredo commutes.
Geography
Capriasca has an area, , of 36.35 square kilometres (14 sq mi). Of this area, 0.36 km² (0.138996777093313 sq mi) or 1.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 2.14 km² (0.826258619388025 sq mi) or 5.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.41 km² (0.158301885022939 sq mi) or 1.1% is settled (buildings or roads) and 0.08 km² (19.8 acre) or 0.2% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.2%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 0.2% is used for growing crops.
Cagiallo village also contained the settlements of Sarone, Almatro, Bettagno and San Matteo-Muralta. The village of Sala Capriasca is located in the Capriasca valley at the foot of Mount Bigorio and includes the settlements of Sala, Bigorio, Lelgio and Pezzolo. The village of Lopagno is located in the Capriasca valley at the entrance to Val Colla and includes 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 Treggia, Somazzo and Oggio. The village of Roveredo is located in the upper Capriasca valley on the right side of the entrance to the Val Colla.
Demograhics
Capriasca has a population of . , 10.0% of the population are resident foreign nationals. , the gender distribution of the population was 49.6% male and 50.4% female. The population was made up of 2,765 Swiss men (44.1% of the population), and 347 (5.5%) non-Swiss men. There were 2,874 Swiss women (45.8%), and 288 (4.6%) non-Swiss women.In there were 50 live births to Swiss citizens and 7 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 58 deaths of Swiss citizens and 3 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 8 while the foreign population increased by 4. There were 16 Swiss men and 6 Swiss women who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 13 non-Swiss men and 14 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 an increase of 90 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 49 people. This represents a population growth rate of 2.3%.
The age distribution, , in Capriasca is; 664 children or 10.6% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 694 teenagers or 11.1% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 607 people or 9.7% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 815 people or 13.0% are between 30 and 39, 1,101 people or 17.5% are between 40 and 49, and 922 people or 14.7% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 728 people or 11.6% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 459 people or 7.3% are between 70 and 79, there are 284 people or 4.5% who are over 80.
Politics
In the 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 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...
which received 25.87% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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....
(22.35%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(19.08%) 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...
(15.1%). In the federal election, a total of 1,708 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 49.2%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 3,471 registered voters in Capriasca, of which 2,208 or 63.6% voted. 26 blank ballots and 5 null ballots were cast, leaving 2,177 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 451 or 20.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; 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 414 or 19.0%), the SSI (with 362 or 16.6%) and the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 361 or 16.6%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 18 blank ballots and 9 null ballots were cast, leaving 2,182 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the LEGA which received 505 or 23.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 434 or 19.9%), the PLRT (with 429 or 19.7%) and the PPD (with 423 or 19.4%).
Education
In Capriasca there were a total of 1,133 students . The Ticino education systemEducation 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 Capriasca there were 193 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 323 students attended the standard primary schools and 11 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 280 students in the two year middle school, while 136 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 67 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 114 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 9 students in the professional program.
, there were 416 students in Capriasca who came from another municipality, while 99 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Economy
There were 590 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 42.2% of the workforce. , there were 432 workers who commuted into the municipality and 442 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.0 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. About 10.0% of the workforce coming into Capriasca are coming from outside Switzerland., there were 7 hotels in Capriasca with a total of 48 rooms and 103 beds.