Chironico
Encyclopedia
Chironico is a municipality
located in the district of Leventina
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
has a road connection, which however is not accessible in winter once the snows fall.
Most of the settlements have chapels that were built in the 16th-18th Centuries. In the past they were inhabited during a large part of the year, and during the Middle Ages
may have been occupied year round. At one time they were of crucial importance for the economic and social life of the village, now they have been partially turned into holiday resorts. For centuries, many of the residents emigrated, initially to Italy and starting in the 19th Century to France and England.
From the old Vicinanza
of Chironico, which included four or five Degagna
, six municipal corporations (or patriziali) have emerged, though they are usually no longer owners of the pastures that they used to use.
In the main core of Chironico, with its typical block buildings, is the small church of S. Ambrogio with a medieval twin apsis
and remarkable frescoes. Near the church is the Pedrini tower a six-story residential building probably dating from the first half of the 13th Century. On the outskirts of the village is the medieval parish church
of S. Maurizio, in which some testimonies of immigrants who were working as innkeepers in Venice, and a valuable martyrology
from 14th-15th Centuries is kept.
During the Middle Ages, the main mule track in the valley led through Chironico.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.5%. Out of the forested land, 25.2% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 12.7% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 2.3% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.7% is used for growing crops. Of the water in the municipality, 0.4% is in lakes and 0.9% is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 14.1% is unproductive vegetation and 28.5% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Leventina district, on the right slope of the mid-Leventina valley at an elevation of 786 metres (2,578.7 ft). The municipality stretches from the Ticino river at the Biaschina-Schlucht (elevation 450 m (1,476.4 ft)) up to the Pizzo Campo Tencia (3072 m (10,078.7 ft)) in the upper Piumogna valley. The core of the settlement, is made up of the sections of Grumo and Nivo, the latter is the only one in the valley bottom. Above the village center, situated on steeply sloping rock terraces are the settlements of Cala, Doro, Olina, and Osadigo Chiesso. The mountain village of Gribbio has a road connection.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Gules a pilgrim clead Sable and a chief Argent lined with walls line embatteled "alla Ghibellina".
Most of the population speaks Italian
(87.8%), with German being second most common ( 6.9%) and Serbo-Croatian
being third ( 4.5%). Of the Swiss national languages , 28 speak German
, 354 people speak Italian, and 1 person speaks Romansh. The remainder (20 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 50.1% male and 49.9% female. The population was made up of 196 Swiss men (48.4% of the population), and 7 (1.7%) non-Swiss men. There were 193 Swiss women (47.7%), and 9 (2.2%) non-Swiss women.
In there was 1 live birth to Swiss citizens and 3 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 2 while the foreign population remained the same. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was a decrease of 6 and the non-Swiss population change was a decrease of 2 people. This represents a population growth rate of -2.0%.
The age distribution, , in Chironico is; 26 children or 6.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 49 teenagers or 12.1% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 37 people or 9.1% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 50 people or 12.3% are between 30 and 39, 72 people or 17.8% are between 40 and 49, and 56 people or 13.8% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 46 people or 11.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 38 people or 9.4% are between 70 and 79, there are 31 people or 7.7% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.56 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 76.1% 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 185 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. there were 339 single family homes (or 85.2% of the total) out of a total of 398 inhabited buildings. There were 36 two family buildings (9.0%) and 13 multi-family buildings (3.3%). There were also 10 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0%. there were 462 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 135. There were 38 single room apartments and 121 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 184 apartments (39.8% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 271 apartments (58.7%) were seasonally occupied and 7 apartments (1.5%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 2.4 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
. The entire village of Chironico is listed as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 43.92% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(19.37%), the FDP
(13.95%) and the Ticino League
(12.91%). In the federal election, a total of 224 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 64.7%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 340 registered voters in Chironico, of which 271 or 79.7% voted. 2 blank ballots were cast, leaving 269 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD
+GenGiova which received 118 or 43.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS
(with 45 or 16.7%), the PLRT
(with 41 or 15.2%) and the SSI (with 31 or 11.5%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 2 blank ballots were cast, leaving 269 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD which received 117 or 43.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 47 or 17.5%), the PLRT (with 38 or 14.1%) and the LEGA (with 34 or 12.6%).
, there were 34 workers who commuted into the municipality and 98 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 2.9 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 7.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 60.4% used a private car.
, there was one hotel in Chironico.
. There are 48 individuals (or about 11.91% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 4 individuals (or about 0.99% of the population) did not answer the question.
).
In Chironico there were a total of 61 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Chironico there were 9 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 13 students attended the standard primary schools and 0 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 16 students in the two year middle school and 0 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 10 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 3 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 7 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 3 students in the professional program.
, there were 35 students from Chironico who 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...
located in the district of Leventina
Leventina (district)
The district of Leventina is one of the eight districts of the largely Italian-speaking canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The capital of the district is Faido but the largest town is Airolo at the beginning or at the end of the valley....
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
Chironico is first mentioned in 1202 as Cuirono. The village lies on a terrace that was partly created by a prehistoric landslide on the opposite side of the valley. The core of the settlement, is made up of the sections of Grumo and Nivo, the latter is the only one in the valley bottom. Above the village center, situated on steeply sloping rock terraces are the settlements of Cala, Doro, Olina, and Osadigo Chiesso. These poorly developed and almost entirely surrounded by farmland settlements are difficult to classify: it can not determine whether they are mountain pasture camps (maggenghi) or proper villages. The mountain village of GribbioGribbio
Gribbio is an Italian-speaking village in Ticino, Switzerland, in the district of Chironico.It is situated in the Lepontine Alps, more specifically in Alta Leventina between Chironico and Dalpe at an altitude of 1,300 metres...
has a road connection, which however is not accessible in winter once the snows fall.
Most of the settlements have chapels that were built in the 16th-18th Centuries. In the past they were inhabited during a large part of the year, and during 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...
may have been occupied year round. At one time they were of crucial importance for the economic and social life of the village, now they have been partially turned into holiday resorts. For centuries, many of the residents emigrated, initially to Italy and starting in the 19th Century to France and England.
From the old Vicinanza
Bürgergemeinde
The Bürgergemeinde is a statutory corporation in public law in Switzerland...
of Chironico, which included four or five Degagna
Degagna
A Degagna is a public statutory corporation of territorial division in Switzerland. It is characteristic of the Leventina valley in the Canton of Ticino. It is a smaller division of a Vicinanza and is currently treated as the same as a patriziato under Swiss law. It began as church-territorial...
, six municipal corporations (or patriziali) have emerged, though they are usually no longer owners of the pastures that they used to use.
In the main core of Chironico, with its typical block buildings, is the small church of S. Ambrogio with a medieval twin apsis
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
and remarkable frescoes. Near the church is the Pedrini tower a six-story residential building probably dating from the first half of the 13th Century. On the outskirts of the village is the medieval 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 S. Maurizio, in which some testimonies of immigrants who were working as innkeepers in Venice, and a valuable martyrology
Martyrology
A martyrology is a catalogue or list of martyrs , arranged in the calendar order of their anniversaries or feasts. Local martyrologies record exclusively the custom of a particular Church. Local lists were enriched by names borrowed from neighbouring churches...
from 14th-15th Centuries is kept.
During the Middle Ages, the main mule track in the valley led through Chironico.
Geography
Chironico has an area, , of 57.77 square kilometres (22.3 sq mi). Of this area, 0.62 km² (0.239383338327372 sq mi) or 1.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 23.2 km² (9 sq mi) or 40.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.57 km² (0.220078230397745 sq mi) or 1.0% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.77 km² (0.297298662116252 sq mi) or 1.3% is either rivers or lakes and 24.59 km² (9.5 sq mi) or 42.6% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.5%. Out of the forested land, 25.2% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 12.7% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 2.3% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.7% is used for growing crops. Of the water in the municipality, 0.4% is in lakes and 0.9% is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 14.1% is unproductive vegetation and 28.5% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Leventina district, on the right slope of the mid-Leventina valley at an elevation of 786 metres (2,578.7 ft). The municipality stretches from the Ticino river at the Biaschina-Schlucht (elevation 450 m (1,476.4 ft)) up to the Pizzo Campo Tencia (3072 m (10,078.7 ft)) in the upper Piumogna valley. The core of the settlement, is made up of the sections of Grumo and Nivo, the latter is the only one in the valley bottom. Above the village center, situated on steeply sloping rock terraces are the settlements of Cala, Doro, Olina, and Osadigo Chiesso. The mountain village of Gribbio has a road connection.
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 Gules a pilgrim clead Sable and a chief Argent lined with walls line embatteled "alla Ghibellina".
Demographics
Chironico has a population of . , 4.0% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of -7.3%.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...
(87.8%), with German being second most common ( 6.9%) and Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian language
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
being third ( 4.5%). Of the Swiss national languages , 28 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....
, 354 people speak Italian, and 1 person speaks Romansh. The remainder (20 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 50.1% male and 49.9% female. The population was made up of 196 Swiss men (48.4% of the population), and 7 (1.7%) non-Swiss men. There were 193 Swiss women (47.7%), and 9 (2.2%) non-Swiss women.
In there was 1 live birth to Swiss citizens and 3 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 2 while the foreign population remained the same. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was a decrease of 6 and the non-Swiss population change was a decrease of 2 people. This represents a population growth rate of -2.0%.
The age distribution, , in Chironico is; 26 children or 6.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 49 teenagers or 12.1% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 37 people or 9.1% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 50 people or 12.3% are between 30 and 39, 72 people or 17.8% are between 40 and 49, and 56 people or 13.8% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 46 people or 11.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 38 people or 9.4% are between 70 and 79, there are 31 people or 7.7% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.56 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 76.1% 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 185 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. there were 339 single family homes (or 85.2% of the total) out of a total of 398 inhabited buildings. There were 36 two family buildings (9.0%) and 13 multi-family buildings (3.3%). There were also 10 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0%. there were 462 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 135. There were 38 single room apartments and 121 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 184 apartments (39.8% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 271 apartments (58.7%) were seasonally occupied and 7 apartments (1.5%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 2.4 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1567 | 233 |
| 1745 | 565 |
| 1850 | 829 |
| 1880 | 104 |
| 1900 | 855 |
| 1950 | 548 |
| 1990 | 393 |
| 2000 | 403 |
Heritage sites of national significance
The Church of S. Ambrogio and the Torre Pedrini are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significanceSwiss 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...
. The entire village of Chironico is listed as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
The Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage.-Sites of national importance:-Types:...
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 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 43.92% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(19.37%), 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....
(13.95%) 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...
(12.91%). In the federal election, a total of 224 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 64.7%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 340 registered voters in Chironico, of which 271 or 79.7% voted. 2 blank ballots were cast, leaving 269 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was 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 which received 118 or 43.9% 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 45 or 16.7%), 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....
(with 41 or 15.2%) and the SSI (with 31 or 11.5%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 2 blank ballots were cast, leaving 269 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD which received 117 or 43.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 47 or 17.5%), the PLRT (with 38 or 14.1%) and the LEGA (with 34 or 12.6%).
Economy
, Chironico had an unemployment rate of 1.75%. , there were 34 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 12 businesses involved in this sector. 54 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 5 businesses in this sector. 20 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 9 businesses in this sector. There were 164 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 34.1% of the workforce., there were 34 workers who commuted into the municipality and 98 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 2.9 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 7.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 60.4% used a private car.
, there was one hotel in Chironico.
Religion
From the , 342 or 84.9% were Roman Catholic, while 9 or 2.2% 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 48 individuals (or about 11.91% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 4 individuals (or about 0.99% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Chironico about 66.8% 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 Chironico there were a total of 61 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 Chironico there were 9 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 13 students attended the standard primary schools and 0 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 16 students in the two year middle school and 0 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 10 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 3 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 7 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 3 students in the professional program.
, there were 35 students from Chironico who attended schools outside the municipality.