Giubiasco
Encyclopedia
Giubiasco is a municipality
in the district of Bellinzona
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
, Giubiasco has been important since ancient times. The roads over the Monte Ceneri to the south, the Passo di San Jorio from the east, over the San Bernardino Pass
and the Gotthard Pass from the north and the route along Lake Maggiore
from the west all meet at Giubiasco.
organized an excavation, which made it possible to save a certain number of graves and document the discoveries scientifically. Further, limited archaeological digs were organized in 1958 and 1971 to explore the edges of the graveyard. A large part of the collection is kept in the National Museum in Zurich
, while other items have been given to various foreign and Swiss museums. The latest discoveries are in the Conservation Office in Bellinzona
.
The large necropolis
, which was not far from the modern train station, has 565 graves. It is one of the rare examples of a site that was in continuous use for a particularly long period, stretching from the late Bronze Age
(11th century BC) to the Roman period
(2nd century AD). However, only the massive graveyard has been discovered, to date no associated settlement has been located. The cemetery has several different types of graves. The few Late Bronze Age graves are all cremation
urn burials. The ashes of the deceased were buried in clay urns in simple trenches in the bare earth, the offerings are modest and consist almost exclusively of fragmented traditional ceramics.
In the early Iron Age
the Sopraceneri peoples burials gradually transformed from cremation to a full body burial. The graves were rectangular, bounded by dry stone trenches. From the mid-6th Century the distribution of grave goods reflect the Golasecca culture
. They include a richer collection of items such as pottery (usually an urn, a bowl and a cup included) but only rarely any bronze
containers. There were also clothing, accessories and jewelry; such as bronze or iron brooches, pendants, earrings, rings, belts, sheets and amber
necklaces.
Most of the tombs in the necropolis date back to the Late Iron Age (4th-1st century BC) and are exclusively full body burials. From the beginning of the 3rd Century the influence of migration is visible in the graves. Celtic belt fittings, pendants and bronze bracelets are found in graves overlying ones from the Golasecca culture. Particularly interesting is the presence of weapons (spears and swords) and helmets of the early Iron Age, a period that is missing in other cemeteries (e.g. Solduno, which is now part of Locarno
).
Even with the transition to Roman rule Giubiasco continued to play an important role, probably in connection with the military post of Castel Grande
at Bellinzona. Roman items include imported bronze vessels and a silver bowl with two handles in a Roman style. Roman era graves included vessels of clay, metal or glass containing typical Roman grave goods. Additionally, coins and small iron day to day use items have been discovered.
While the archeological discoveries at the necropolis end during the 2nd Century, it is likely that the graveyard remained in use for additional centuries. The nearby fortress of Castel Grande remained in use throughout the Roman era.
, Giubiasco was probably the center of the land that the Abbey of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro
in Pavia
, held in Locarno and the upper reaches of Ticino. Presumably, the church of St. Mary of Primasca, which is mentioned in a document of King Hugo of Italy
from the 929 as the property of the monastery, was in the village. The village of Giubiasco is first mentioned in 1186 as apud Cibiascum. In 1195 it was mentioned as Zibiassco. By 1200, the Abbey had sold their ownership of the village and surrounding area to the noble Adam of Contone. At this time, the communities (vicinanze) of the valleys were able to partly buy limited self-rule with cash payments. In 1186, Frederick Barbarossa granted imperial immediacy to the region around Locarno.
After the battle of Arbedo
in 1422, it fell under the power of Milan
. From Milan, it was ruled by the Visconti and then by the Sforza families. Finally, after the Italian campaigns of the Swiss Confederation
at the beginning of the 16th Century, it became part of the Bailiwick
of Bellinzona, which was administratively shared between Uri
, Schwyz
, and Nidwalden
.
The Church of Santa Maria Assunta if first mentioned in 1387, but is probably from the 13th Century. In 1622 it was separated from Bellinzona and became a vice-parish church
. It was raised in 1804 to become the parish church. Between the 15th and 17th Centuries, the church was enlarged and modified several times.
The economy of the municipality was based around raising crops and livestock, trading and some industry (grist mills and hammer mills). Some of the residents found jobs in other countries, particularly in Spain. Due to its location, Italian and German-Swiss livestock dealers, held livestock markets in Giubiasco starting in the first decades of the 16th Century. The municipality's privileges to hold the fair in the fall led to a protracted dispute with Lugano, which broke out in 1513 and was not settled until the end of the 19th Century.
-Giubiasco-Sementina
line was fortified, while the fortifications around Giubiasco were later dismantled, the Fortini della fame at Camorino is still visible. The 19th and 20th Century brought profound changes to the economy and society of the municipality. Due to its geographic location near Bellinzona, it became a station on the Gotthard railway. The connection to Locarno was completed in 1874, followed in 1882 by the Lugano and Luino
route.
In 1905-06 two factories grew up next to the railway line; the linoleum works (later Forbo factory) and the Lenz engineering works (later Fischer e del San Gottardo Acciaierie Elettriche, closed 1925). In 1932, the Cattaneo AG ironworks opened. The ironworks still have a role in the regional economy.
Agriculture has remained virtually unchanged, cereals, fruit and vegetable are grown of the plains and vineyards are on the hillside. A wine cooperative opened in 1928 and a market hall in 1937. Warehouses, mills and silos for an agricultural cooperative
(Società cooperativa agricola ticinese, founded in 1941) supported other municipalities of the region.
The strong population growth in the 1970s and 80s, a consequence of the emergence of medium-sized industrial and small commercial businesses south of the main settlement, has slowed recently. The built-up area for housing and for commercial properties have extended from the old population centers at the foot of the mountain down into the valley floor. In 2000, about two-thirds of jobs were in the services sector, and about a fifth were in the manufacturing sector.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 5.8% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 19.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 6.7%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 2.1% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 1.8%. Out of the forested land, 18.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 36.0% is used for growing crops, while 5.5% is used for orchards or vine crops and 19.4% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality is located in the Bellinzona district, north of Bellinzona at the mouth of Valle Morobbia. It is part of the Agglomeration of Bellinzona. It consists of the villages of Giubiasco and Piano and the settlements of Lôro, Motti, Palasio, Pedevilla and Sasso Piatto. The municipality of Pianezzo
is considering a merger some time in the future into Giubiasco.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Per pale Azure on a Base Vert beneath a Mountain of the same a house Argent roofed Gules and in Chief a Sun Or and Argent a Poplar eradicated proper.
, Bellinzona and Locarno
, Giubiasco has one of the largest populations in Ticino.
Giubiasco has a population of . , 27.3% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 8.9%. Most of the population speaks Italian
(87.8%), with German
being second most common ( 4.1%) and Serbo-Croatian
being third ( 1.8%).
Of the Swiss national languages , 302 speak German
72 people speak French
, 6,516 people speak Italian
, and 8 people speak Romansh. The remainder (520 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 47.7% male and 52.3% female. The population was made up of 2,816 Swiss men (34.0% of the population), and 1,134 (13.7%) non-Swiss men. There were 3,270 Swiss women (39.5%), and 1,065 (12.9%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 60 live births to Swiss citizens and 19 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 69 deaths of Swiss citizens and 15 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 9 while the foreign population increased by 4. There were 7 Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 9 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 26 non-Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country and 15 non-Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was an increase of 52 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 48 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.2%.
The age distribution, , in Giubiasco is; 766 children or 9.2% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 888 teenagers or 10.7% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 934 people or 11.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 1,187 people or 14.3% are between 30 and 39, 1,436 people or 17.3% are between 40 and 49, and 1,008 people or 12.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 921 people or 11.1% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 684 people or 8.3% are between 70 and 79, there are 461 people or 5.6% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.62 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 33.8% 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 3,273 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. there were 906 single family homes (or 59.1% of the total) out of a total of 1,534 inhabited buildings. There were 253 two family buildings (16.5%) and 251 multi-family buildings (16.4%). There were also 124 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.56%. there were 3,628 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 1,222. There were 154 single room apartments and 623 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 3,264 apartments (90.0% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 277 apartments (7.6%) were seasonally occupied and 87 apartments (2.4%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 10.4 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
the most popular party was the FDP
which received 32.36% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(22.06%), the CVP
(18.55%) and the Ticino League
(12.52%). In the federal election, a total of 2,162 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 45.3%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 4,653 registered voters in Giubiasco, of which 3,131 or 67.3% voted. 50 blank ballots and 3 null ballots were cast, leaving 3,078 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT
which received 885 or 28.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the SSI (with 577 or 18.7%), the PS
(with 550 or 17.9%) and the PPD
+GenGiova (with 451 or 14.7%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, there were 34 blank ballots and 9 null ballots, which left 3,089 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 805 or 26.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 622 or 20.1%), the SSI (with 534 or 17.3%) and the PPD (with 492 or 15.9%).
There were 3,338 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 42.0% of the workforce. , there were 1,941 workers who commuted into the municipality and 2,297 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.2 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. About 6.0% of the workforce coming into Giubiasco are coming from outside Switzerland, while 0.1% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work. Of the working population, 10.5% used public transportation to get to work, and 58.9% used a private car.
, there were 3 hotels in Giubiasco with a total of 26 rooms and 58 beds.
. There are 991 individuals (or about 13.36% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 339 individuals (or about 4.57% of the population) did not answer the question.
).
In Giubiasco there are a total of 1,404 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Giubiasco there are 209 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 409 students attend the standard primary schools and 34 students attend 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 are 347 students in the two year middle school and 5 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 126 students are 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 are 84 vocational students who are attending school full-time and 169 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 are 21 students in the professional program.
, there were 476 students in Giubiasco who came from another municipality, while 343 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 Bellinzona
Bellinzona (district)
The district of Bellinzona is a district of Canton Ticino, Switzerland. It has a population of .-Geography:The district has an area, , of . Of this area, or 13.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 68.7% 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....
.
History
Due to its location at the center of numerous routes through the AlpsSwiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
, Giubiasco has been important since ancient times. The roads over the Monte Ceneri to the south, the Passo di San Jorio from the east, over the San Bernardino Pass
San Bernardino Pass
San Bernardino Pass is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting the Hinterrhein and the Mesolcina valleys between Thusis and Bellinzona . Located in the far eastern side of the Western Alps it is not to be confused with the Great St. Bernard Pass and the Little St. Bernard Pass...
and the Gotthard Pass from the north and the route along Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest of Italy and largest of southern Switzerland. Lake Maggiore is the most westerly of the three great prealpine lakes of Italy, it extends for about 70 km between Locarno and Arona.The climate is mild...
from the west all meet at Giubiasco.
Prehistoric necropolis
The discovery of the great cemetery of Giubiasco in 1900, led to uncontrolled treasure hunting and the loss of many objects. It was not until 1905 that the Swiss National MuseumSwiss National Museum
The Swiss National Museum — part of the Musée Suisse Group, itself affiliated with the Federal Office of Culture — is one of the most important art museums of cultural history in Europe and the world...
organized an excavation, which made it possible to save a certain number of graves and document the discoveries scientifically. Further, limited archaeological digs were organized in 1958 and 1971 to explore the edges of the graveyard. A large part of the collection is kept in the National Museum in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, while other items have been given to various foreign and Swiss museums. The latest discoveries are in the Conservation Office in Bellinzona
Bellinzona
Bellinzona is the administrative capital of the canton Ticino in Switzerland. The city is famous for its three castles that have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2000....
.
The large necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
, which was not far from the modern train station, has 565 graves. It is one of the rare examples of a site that was in continuous use for a particularly long period, stretching from the late Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
(11th century BC) to the Roman period
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...
(2nd century AD). However, only the massive graveyard has been discovered, to date no associated settlement has been located. The cemetery has several different types of graves. The few Late Bronze Age graves are all cremation
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
urn burials. The ashes of the deceased were buried in clay urns in simple trenches in the bare earth, the offerings are modest and consist almost exclusively of fragmented traditional ceramics.
In the early Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
the Sopraceneri peoples burials gradually transformed from cremation to a full body burial. The graves were rectangular, bounded by dry stone trenches. From the mid-6th Century the distribution of grave goods reflect the Golasecca culture
Golasecca culture
The Golasecca culture was a Celtic culture in northern Italy , whose type-site has been excavated at Golasecca in the province of Varese, Lombardy.-Archeological sources:...
. They include a richer collection of items such as pottery (usually an urn, a bowl and a cup included) but only rarely any bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
containers. There were also clothing, accessories and jewelry; such as bronze or iron brooches, pendants, earrings, rings, belts, sheets and amber
Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
necklaces.
Most of the tombs in the necropolis date back to the Late Iron Age (4th-1st century BC) and are exclusively full body burials. From the beginning of the 3rd Century the influence of migration is visible in the graves. Celtic belt fittings, pendants and bronze bracelets are found in graves overlying ones from the Golasecca culture. Particularly interesting is the presence of weapons (spears and swords) and helmets of the early Iron Age, a period that is missing in other cemeteries (e.g. Solduno, which is now part of Locarno
Locarno
Locarno is the capital of the Locarno district, located on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore in the Swiss canton of Ticino, close to Ascona at the foot of the Alps. It has a population of about 15,000...
).
Three Castles of Bellinzona
The Three Castles of Bellinzona are a group of fortification located around the town of Bellinzona in canton Ticino, Switzerland. The group is composed of Castelgrande, castle Montebello, castle Sasso Corbaro and fortified walls...
at Bellinzona. Roman items include imported bronze vessels and a silver bowl with two handles in a Roman style. Roman era graves included vessels of clay, metal or glass containing typical Roman grave goods. Additionally, coins and small iron day to day use items have been discovered.
While the archeological discoveries at the necropolis end during the 2nd Century, it is likely that the graveyard remained in use for additional centuries. The nearby fortress of Castel Grande remained in use throughout the Roman era.
Medieval Giubiasco
During the Early Middle AgesEarly Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
, Giubiasco was probably the center of the land that the Abbey of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro
San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro
San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro is a Roman Catholic basilica of the Augustinians in Pavia, Italy, in the Lombardy region. Its name refers to the mosaics of gold leaf behind glass tesserae that formerly decorated the ceiling of the apse. The plain exterior is of brick, with sandstone quoins and window...
in Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
, held in Locarno and the upper reaches of Ticino. Presumably, the church of St. Mary of Primasca, which is mentioned in a document of King Hugo of Italy
Hugh of Italy
Hugh of Arles was King of Italy from 924 until his death. He was a Bosonid. During his reign, he empowered his relatives at the expense of the aristocracy and tried to establish a relationship with the Byzantine-Roman Empire...
from the 929 as the property of the monastery, was in the village. The village of Giubiasco is first mentioned in 1186 as apud Cibiascum. In 1195 it was mentioned as Zibiassco. By 1200, the Abbey had sold their ownership of the village and surrounding area to the noble Adam of Contone. At this time, the communities (vicinanze) of the valleys were able to partly buy limited self-rule with cash payments. In 1186, Frederick Barbarossa granted imperial immediacy to the region around Locarno.
After the battle of Arbedo
Battle of Arbedo
The Battle of Arbedo was fought on June 30, 1422 between the Duchy of Milan and the Swiss Confederation.In 1419, Uri and Unterwalden bought the Bellinzona stronghold from the Sacco barons, but were unable to defend it adequately...
in 1422, it fell under the power 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 ,...
. From Milan, it was ruled by the Visconti and then by the Sforza families. Finally, after the Italian campaigns of the Swiss Confederation
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
at the beginning of the 16th Century, it became part of the 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...
of Bellinzona, which was administratively shared between Uri
Canton of Uri
Uri is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and a founding member of the Swiss Confederation. It is located in Central Switzerland. The canton's territory covers the valley of the Reuss River between Lake Lucerne and the St. Gotthard Pass. German is the primary language spoken in Uri...
, Schwyz
Canton of Schwyz
Schwyz is a canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne in the east and Lake Zurich in the north, centered around and named after the town of Schwyz....
, and Nidwalden
Nidwalden
Nidwalden is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the centre of Switzerland. The population is 40,287 of which 4,046 are foreigners. The capital is Stans.-History:...
.
The Church of Santa Maria Assunta if first mentioned in 1387, but is probably from the 13th Century. In 1622 it was separated from Bellinzona and became a vice-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....
. It was raised in 1804 to become the parish church. Between the 15th and 17th Centuries, the church was enlarged and modified several times.
Early Modern Giubiasco
Originally, Giubiasco and the rest of the Valle Morobbia formed a single vicinanze, which split in the first half of the 16th Century. In 1831 divided the municipality of Morobbia Valle split into Valle Morobbia in Piano, Pianezzo and S. Antonio. Then, in 1867 Valle Morobbia in Piano merged into Giubiasco to form a single community.The economy of the municipality was based around raising crops and livestock, trading and some industry (grist mills and hammer mills). Some of the residents found jobs in other countries, particularly in Spain. Due to its location, Italian and German-Swiss livestock dealers, held livestock markets in Giubiasco starting in the first decades of the 16th Century. The municipality's privileges to hold the fair in the fall led to a protracted dispute with Lugano, which broke out in 1513 and was not settled until the end of the 19th Century.
Modern Giubiasco
On 25 August 1814, the leaders of the liberal revolutionary people's movement in the Ticino met in Giubiasco, to resist the oligarchic cantonal constitution of 29 July. The so-called Revolt of Giubiasco, set up a temporary government but was soon crushed by Federal troops. The leaders were given heavy sentences. In 1853 the CamorinoCamorino
Camorino is a municipality in the district of Bellinzona in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:From time immemorial the inhabitants of Isone regularly crossed the Tiglio alpine pass to arrive in the Camorino area, where they owned vineyards and arable land. Over the centuries, many of...
-Giubiasco-Sementina
Sementina
Sementina is a municipality in the district of Bellinzona in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-Geography:Sementina has an area, , of . Of this area, or 19.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 67.4% is forested...
line was fortified, while the fortifications around Giubiasco were later dismantled, the Fortini della fame at Camorino is still visible. The 19th and 20th Century brought profound changes to the economy and society of the municipality. Due to its geographic location near Bellinzona, it became a station on the Gotthard railway. The connection to Locarno was completed in 1874, followed in 1882 by the Lugano and Luino
Luino
Luino is a small town and comune near the border with Switzerland on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, in the Province of Varese ....
route.
In 1905-06 two factories grew up next to the railway line; the linoleum works (later Forbo factory) and the Lenz engineering works (later Fischer e del San Gottardo Acciaierie Elettriche, closed 1925). In 1932, the Cattaneo AG ironworks opened. The ironworks still have a role in the regional economy.
Agriculture has remained virtually unchanged, cereals, fruit and vegetable are grown of the plains and vineyards are on the hillside. A wine cooperative opened in 1928 and a market hall in 1937. Warehouses, mills and silos for an agricultural cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
(Società cooperativa agricola ticinese, founded in 1941) supported other municipalities of the region.
The strong population growth in the 1970s and 80s, a consequence of the emergence of medium-sized industrial and small commercial businesses south of the main settlement, has slowed recently. The built-up area for housing and for commercial properties have extended from the old population centers at the foot of the mountain down into the valley floor. In 2000, about two-thirds of jobs were in the services sector, and about a fifth were in the manufacturing sector.
Geography
Giubiasco has an area, , of 6.23 square kilometres (2.4 sq mi). Of this area, 3.79 km² (1.5 sq mi) or 60.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.32 km² (0.509654849342146 sq mi) or 21.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.23 km² (0.861007813661353 sq mi) or 35.8% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.09 km² (22.2 acre) or 1.4% is either rivers or lakes and 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 0.2% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 5.8% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 19.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 6.7%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 2.1% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 1.8%. Out of the forested land, 18.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 36.0% is used for growing crops, while 5.5% is used for orchards or vine crops and 19.4% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality is located in the Bellinzona district, north of Bellinzona at the mouth of Valle Morobbia. It is part of the Agglomeration of Bellinzona. It consists of the villages of Giubiasco and Piano and the settlements of Lôro, Motti, Palasio, Pedevilla and Sasso Piatto. The municipality of Pianezzo
Pianezzo
Pianezzo is a municipality in the district of Bellinzona in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:In 1905, a major burial ground from the Iron Age came to light, which seems to be from the Golasecca culture. Objects found in the graves indicate that the settlement was also in contact with...
is considering a merger some time in the future into Giubiasco.
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 Per pale Azure on a Base Vert beneath a Mountain of the same a house Argent roofed Gules and in Chief a Sun Or and Argent a Poplar eradicated proper.
Demographics
After LuganoLugano
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...
, Bellinzona and Locarno
Locarno
Locarno is the capital of the Locarno district, located on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore in the Swiss canton of Ticino, close to Ascona at the foot of the Alps. It has a population of about 15,000...
, Giubiasco has one of the largest populations in Ticino.
Giubiasco has a population of . , 27.3% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 8.9%. 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
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 ( 4.1%) 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 ( 1.8%).
Of the Swiss national languages , 302 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....
72 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...
, 6,516 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...
, and 8 people speak Romansh. The remainder (520 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 47.7% male and 52.3% female. The population was made up of 2,816 Swiss men (34.0% of the population), and 1,134 (13.7%) non-Swiss men. There were 3,270 Swiss women (39.5%), and 1,065 (12.9%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 60 live births to Swiss citizens and 19 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 69 deaths of Swiss citizens and 15 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 9 while the foreign population increased by 4. There were 7 Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 9 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 26 non-Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country and 15 non-Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was an increase of 52 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 48 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.2%.
The age distribution, , in Giubiasco is; 766 children or 9.2% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 888 teenagers or 10.7% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 934 people or 11.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 1,187 people or 14.3% are between 30 and 39, 1,436 people or 17.3% are between 40 and 49, and 1,008 people or 12.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 921 people or 11.1% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 684 people or 8.3% are between 70 and 79, there are 461 people or 5.6% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.62 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 33.8% 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 3,273 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. there were 906 single family homes (or 59.1% of the total) out of a total of 1,534 inhabited buildings. There were 253 two family buildings (16.5%) and 251 multi-family buildings (16.4%). There were also 124 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.56%. there were 3,628 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 1,222. There were 154 single room apartments and 623 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 3,264 apartments (90.0% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 277 apartments (7.6%) were seasonally occupied and 87 apartments (2.4%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 10.4 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1591 | ca. 1,000 |
| 1698 | 944 |
| 1801 | 950 |
| 1850 | 1,417 |
| 1900 | 1,722 |
| 1930 | 2,607 |
| 1950 | 3,311 |
| 1970 | 5,796 |
| 1990 | 6,897 |
| 1990 | 6,982 |
| 2000 | 7,418 |
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 32.36% 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....
(22.06%), 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...
(18.55%) 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...
(12.52%). In the federal election, a total of 2,162 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 45.3%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 4,653 registered voters in Giubiasco, of which 3,131 or 67.3% voted. 50 blank ballots and 3 null ballots were cast, leaving 3,078 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 885 or 28.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the SSI (with 577 or 18.7%), the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 550 or 17.9%) and 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 451 or 14.7%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, there were 34 blank ballots and 9 null ballots, which left 3,089 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 805 or 26.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 622 or 20.1%), the SSI (with 534 or 17.3%) and the PPD (with 492 or 15.9%).
Economy
, Giubiasco had an unemployment rate of 5.23%. , there were 78 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 20 businesses involved in this sector. 724 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 75 businesses in this sector. 1,628 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 277 businesses in this sector.There were 3,338 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 42.0% of the workforce. , there were 1,941 workers who commuted into the municipality and 2,297 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.2 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. About 6.0% of the workforce coming into Giubiasco are coming from outside Switzerland, while 0.1% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work. Of the working population, 10.5% used public transportation to get to work, and 58.9% used a private car.
, there were 3 hotels in Giubiasco with a total of 26 rooms and 58 beds.
Religion
From the , 5,765 or 77.7% were Roman Catholic, while 323 or 4.4% 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 991 individuals (or about 13.36% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 339 individuals (or about 4.57% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Giubiasco about 63% 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 Giubiasco there are a total of 1,404 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 Giubiasco there are 209 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 409 students attend the standard primary schools and 34 students attend 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 are 347 students in the two year middle school and 5 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 126 students are 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 are 84 vocational students who are attending school full-time and 169 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 are 21 students in the professional program.
, there were 476 students in Giubiasco who came from another municipality, while 343 residents attended schools outside the municipality.