Frasco
Encyclopedia
Frasco is a municipality
in the district of Locarno
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
, Frasco was part of the greater Vicinanza
of Verzasca. In 1395, it and Sonogno
formed a single political municipality, which existed until 1843. The village church of St. Bernhard was probably built in the 14th Century. The present church dates from 1868–69 and stands on the foundations of the old building. In 1518 Frasco and Sonogno separated from the parish
of Vogorno and formed their own parish, which lasted until it divided again in 1734. For centuries, the inhabitants lived on agriculture and alpine seasonal migrations
with livestock. Starting in 1870, the Val d'Efra, a vein of white marble
, was exploited for limestone
quarries. In 2000, the agricultural sector was the only sector providing jobs in Frasco, while about two-thirds of the workers were commuters. In the hamlet of Piede della Motta, there are fresco
es from the 15th Century. All of the old settlement areas of the municipality are now protected as historical buildings. More recently, however, many houses have been built in the municipality.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.3%. Out of the forested land, 27.4% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 11.7% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 4.1% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 1.3% is used for growing crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 24.3% is unproductive vegetation and 22.7% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Locarno district. It consists of the village of Frasco and multiple scattered settlements along the road in the upper Verzasca valley. The average elevation of the settlements is about 880 metres (2,887.1 ft).
of the municipal coat of arms
is Azure a winged fish flying in bend sinister. The flying fish refers to trout breeding and fishing, typical in the area.
Most of the population speaks Italian
(94.0%), with German
and French
being second most common (1.0% each). Of the Swiss national languages , 1 speak German, 1 person speaks French, 94 people speak Italian. The remainder (4 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 55.8% male and 44.2% female. The population was made up of 60 Swiss men (53.1% of the population), and 3 (2.7%) non-Swiss men. There were 49 Swiss women (43.4%), and 1 (0.9%) non-Swiss women.
In there was 1 live birth to Swiss citizens and 1 death of a Swiss citizen. At the same time, there was 1 non-Swiss man and 1 non-Swiss woman who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was an increase of 1 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 2 people. This represents a population growth rate of 2.6%.
The age distribution, , in Frasco is; 10 children or 8.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 19 teenagers or 16.8% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 6 people or 5.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 13 people or 11.5% are between 30 and 39, 24 people or 21.2% are between 40 and 49, and 16 people or 14.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 14 people or 12.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 8 people or 7.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 3 people or 2.7% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.63 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 72.2% 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 37 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.6 persons per household. there were 187 single family homes (or 93.5% of the total) out of a total of 200 inhabited buildings. There were 8 two family buildings (4.0%) and 1 multi-family buildings (0.5%). There were also 4 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 208 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 56. There were 23 single room apartments and 33 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 36 apartments (17.3% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 172 apartments (82.7%) were seasonally occupied. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 32.78% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the Ticino League
(27.39%), the SVP
(17.84%) and the FDP
(14.52%). In the federal election, a total of 32 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 36.4%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 90 registered voters in Frasco, of which 65 or 72.2% voted. The most popular party was the LEGA
which received 26 or 40.0% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the SSI (with 13 or 20.0%), the PPD
+GenGiova (with 12 or 18.5%) and the PS
(with 6 or 9.2%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, the most popular party was the LEGA which received 23 or 35.4% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PPD (with 13 or 20.0%), the SSI (with 12 or 18.5%) and the PS (with 9 or 13.8%).
, there were 24 workers who commuted away from the municipality. Of the working population, 2.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 62.2% used a private car.
. There are 7 individuals (or about 7.00% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 4 individuals (or about 4.00% of the population) did not answer the question.
).
In Frasco there were a total of 22 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Frasco there were 2 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years. In the municipality, 7 students attended the standard primary schools. 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 9 students in the two year middle school, while 1 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 was 1 vocational student who was attending school full-time and 2 who attend part-time.
, there were 4 students from Frasco 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...
in the district of Locarno
Locarno (district)
The district of Locarno is a district of Canton Ticino, Switzerland. It has a population of .-Geography:...
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
Frasco is first mentioned in 1235 as Felasco. During 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...
, Frasco was part of the greater Vicinanza
Bürgergemeinde
The Bürgergemeinde is a statutory corporation in public law in Switzerland...
of Verzasca. In 1395, it and Sonogno
Sonogno
Sonogno is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It is located in Valle Verzasca.-History:Sonogno is first mentioned in 1200 as Sornono. In 1417 it was mentioned as Senognio. During the Middle Ages, Sonogno was part of the Vicinanza of Verzasca and...
formed a single political municipality, which existed until 1843. The village church of St. Bernhard was probably built in the 14th Century. The present church dates from 1868–69 and stands on the foundations of the old building. In 1518 Frasco and Sonogno separated from 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 Vogorno and formed their own parish, which lasted until it divided again in 1734. For centuries, the inhabitants lived on agriculture and alpine seasonal migrations
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...
with livestock. Starting in 1870, the Val d'Efra, a vein of white marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
, was exploited for limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
quarries. In 2000, the agricultural sector was the only sector providing jobs in Frasco, while about two-thirds of the workers were commuters. In the hamlet of Piede della Motta, there are fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es from the 15th Century. All of the old settlement areas of the municipality are now protected as historical buildings. More recently, however, many houses have been built in the municipality.
Geography
Frasco has an area, , of 25.72 square kilometres (9.9 sq mi). Of this area, 0.45 km² (0.173745971366641 sq mi) or 1.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 11.14 km² (4.3 sq mi) or 43.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.22 km² (0.0849424748903577 sq mi) or 0.9% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.48 km² (0.185329036124417 sq mi) or 1.9% is either rivers or lakes and 12.09 km² (4.7 sq mi) or 47.0% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.3%. Out of the forested land, 27.4% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 11.7% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 4.1% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 1.3% is used for growing crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 24.3% is unproductive vegetation and 22.7% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Locarno district. It consists of the village of Frasco and multiple scattered settlements along the road in the upper Verzasca valley. The average elevation of the settlements is about 880 metres (2,887.1 ft).
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 winged fish flying in bend sinister. The flying fish refers to trout breeding and fishing, typical in the area.
Demographics
Frasco has a population of . , 7.7% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 18.8%.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...
(94.0%), 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....
and 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...
being second most common (1.0% each). Of the Swiss national languages , 1 speak German, 1 person speaks French, 94 people speak Italian. The remainder (4 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 55.8% male and 44.2% female. The population was made up of 60 Swiss men (53.1% of the population), and 3 (2.7%) non-Swiss men. There were 49 Swiss women (43.4%), and 1 (0.9%) non-Swiss women.
In there was 1 live birth to Swiss citizens and 1 death of a Swiss citizen. At the same time, there was 1 non-Swiss man and 1 non-Swiss woman who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was an increase of 1 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 2 people. This represents a population growth rate of 2.6%.
The age distribution, , in Frasco is; 10 children or 8.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 19 teenagers or 16.8% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 6 people or 5.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 13 people or 11.5% are between 30 and 39, 24 people or 21.2% are between 40 and 49, and 16 people or 14.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 14 people or 12.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 8 people or 7.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 3 people or 2.7% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.63 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 72.2% 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 37 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.6 persons per household. there were 187 single family homes (or 93.5% of the total) out of a total of 200 inhabited buildings. There were 8 two family buildings (4.0%) and 1 multi-family buildings (0.5%). There were also 4 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 208 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 56. There were 23 single room apartments and 33 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 36 apartments (17.3% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 172 apartments (82.7%) were seasonally occupied. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1626 | 550 |
| 1850 | 445 |
| 1900 | 345 |
| 1950 | 128 |
| 1990 | 157 |
| 2000 | 100 |
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 32.78% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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...
(27.39%), the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
(17.84%) and 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....
(14.52%). In the federal election, a total of 32 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 36.4%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 90 registered voters in Frasco, of which 65 or 72.2% voted. The most popular party was the LEGA
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...
which received 26 or 40.0% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the SSI (with 13 or 20.0%), 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 12 or 18.5%) and the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 6 or 9.2%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, the most popular party was the LEGA which received 23 or 35.4% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PPD (with 13 or 20.0%), the SSI (with 12 or 18.5%) and the PS (with 9 or 13.8%).
Economy
, Frasco had an unemployment rate of 1.32%. , there were 10 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 4 businesses involved in this sector. No one is employed in the secondary sector or the tertiary sector. There were 37 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 27.0% of the workforce., there were 24 workers who commuted away from the municipality. Of the working population, 2.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 62.2% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 87 or 87.0% were Roman Catholic, while 2 or 2.0% 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 7 individuals (or about 7.00% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 4 individuals (or about 4.00% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Frasco about 63.1% 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 Frasco there were a total of 22 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 Frasco there were 2 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years. In the municipality, 7 students attended the standard primary schools. 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 9 students in the two year middle school, while 1 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 was 1 vocational student who was attending school full-time and 2 who attend part-time.
, there were 4 students from Frasco who attended schools outside the municipality.