Lavertezzo
Encyclopedia
Lavertezzo is a municipality
in the district of Locarno
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
, Lavertezzo was a Squadra of the Vicinanza
of Verzasca. For centuries the people lived, in the summer months, in the Verzasca valley and migrated in the winter
, with their cattle, to the lower valleys. After the dissolution of Terricciole in 1920, a shared territory between Locarno
, Minusio
and Mergoscia
, the settlement of Riazzino was allocated to Lavertezzo.
The parish church
of Madonna degli Angeli was built in the 18th Century. Lavertezzo became an independent parish
in the 16th Century, when it separated from Vogorno
. It was granted a provost
in 1806.
The double arch stone bridge was built in 17th Century, and is one of the most distinctive sights in the village. The economy in the valley consisted mainly of farming and grazing. There was added income, from emigrants who went to Italy, especially Palermo
. In 1873, they began to systematically produce granite
from quarries in Lavertezzo. In the last decades of the 20th Century Riazzino developed into a shopping and recreation center. By 2000, the agricultural sector still provided a good one-tenth of the jobs in Lavertezzo.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.1%. Out of the forested land, 36.8% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 11.4% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 2.3% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.4% is used for growing crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 23.4% is unproductive vegetation and 15.9% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Locarno district. It consists of the village of Lavertezzo in the Verzasca valley (with the hamlets
of Aquino, Rancone and Sambugaro) and the exclave of Lavertezzo Piano in the Magadino valley (with the village sections of Riazzino, Montedato and Bugaro).
of the municipal coat of arms
is Azure a pelican in her piety argent voulned gules. The coat of arms comes from the arms of Bishop Aurelio Bacciardini."
Most of the population speaks Italian
(82.6%), with German
being second most common (9.2%) and Serbo-Croatian
being third (2.6%). Of the Swiss national languages , 101 speak German, 11 people speak French
, 907 people speak Italian. The remainder (79 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.7% male and 50.3% female. The population was made up of 439 Swiss men (35.8% of the population), and 170 (13.9%) non-Swiss men. There were 489 Swiss women (39.9%), and 128 (10.4%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 11 live births to Swiss citizens and 3 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 7 deaths of Swiss citizens and 1 non-Swiss citizen death. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 4 while the foreign population increased by 2. There were 3 Swiss men and 2 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 6 non-Swiss men and 4 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 15 and the non-Swiss population change was a decrease of 1 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.2%.
The age distribution, , in Lavertezzo is; 134 children or 10.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 127 teenagers or 10.4% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 146 people or 11.9% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 181 people or 14.8% are between 30 and 39, 231 people or 18.8% are between 40 and 49, and 149 people or 12.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 120 people or 9.8% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 90 people or 7.3% are between 70 and 79, there are 48 people or 3.9% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.66 which is more people per room than 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 45.6% 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 450 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.4 persons per household. there were 374 single family homes (or 82.0% of the total) out of a total of 456 inhabited buildings. There were 52 two family buildings (11.4%) and 14 multi-family buildings (3.1%). There were also 16 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.13%. there were 709 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 223. There were 39 single room apartments and 116 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 450 apartments (63.5% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 250 apartments (35.3%) were seasonally occupied and 9 apartments (1.3%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 7.4 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
the most popular party was the FDP
which received 26.19% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
(25.45%), the SP
(18.51%) and the Ticino League
(12.87%). In the federal election, a total of 266 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 36.3%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 713 registered voters in Lavertezzo, of which 401 or 56.2% voted. 2 blank ballots and 2 null ballots were cast, leaving 397 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD
+GenGiova which received 104 or 26.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT
(with 79 or 19.9%), the SSI (with 74 or 18.6%) and the PS
(with 58 or 14.6%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 2 blank ballots and 3 null ballots were cast, leaving 396 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD which received 97 or 24.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA (with 93 or 23.5%), the PLRT (with 69 or 17.4%) and the PS (with 62 or 15.7%).
, there were 579 workers who commuted into the municipality and 384 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.5 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 40.2% of the workforce coming into Lavertezzo are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 8.2% used public transportation to get to work, and 67.9% used a private car.
, there were 2 hotels in Lavertezzo.
. There are 96 individuals (or about 8.74% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 43 individuals (or about 3.92% of the population) did not answer the question.
).
In Lavertezzo there were a total of 221 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Lavertezzo there were 44 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the village, 74 students attended the standard primary schools and 3 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 50 students in the two year middle school, while 6 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 15 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 28 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 was 1 student in the professional program.
, there were 99 students from Lavertezzo 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
Lavertezzo is first mentioned in 1327 as Laverteze. In 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...
, Lavertezzo was a Squadra of the Vicinanza
Bürgergemeinde
The Bürgergemeinde is a statutory corporation in public law in Switzerland...
of Verzasca. For centuries the people lived, in the summer months, in the Verzasca valley and migrated in the winter
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 their cattle, to the lower valleys. After the dissolution of Terricciole in 1920, a shared territory between 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...
, Minusio
Minusio
Minusio is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:In the Ceresole section, a significant Iron Age necropolis was discovered. It held about 20 graves and rich grave goods. Nearby, several Roman graveyards from the 1st and 2nd Centuries AD, were...
and Mergoscia
Mergoscia
Mergoscia is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Mergoscia is first mentioned in 1061 as Mergossia, though this comes from a copy of the original from 1402. In 1300 it was mentioned as Mergosia. In 1313, Mergoscia split from the Vicinanza of...
, the settlement of Riazzino was allocated to Lavertezzo.
The parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of Madonna degli Angeli was built in the 18th Century. Lavertezzo became an independent 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...
in the 16th Century, when it separated from Vogorno
Vogorno
Vogorno is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The village is located above Lago di Vogorno, a reservoir formed by the Verzasca Dam.-Geography:...
. It was granted a provost
Provost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
in 1806.
The double arch stone bridge was built in 17th Century, and is one of the most distinctive sights in the village. The economy in the valley consisted mainly of farming and grazing. There was added income, from emigrants who went to Italy, especially Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
. In 1873, they began to systematically produce granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
from quarries in Lavertezzo. In the last decades of the 20th Century Riazzino developed into a shopping and recreation center. By 2000, the agricultural sector still provided a good one-tenth of the jobs in Lavertezzo.
Geography
Lavertezzo has an area, , of 58.11 square kilometres (22.4 sq mi). Of this area, 0.7 km² (0.270271511014775 sq mi) or 1.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 29.34 km² (11.3 sq mi) or 50.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.52 km² (0.200773122468118 sq mi) or 0.9% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.96 km² (0.370658072248834 sq mi) or 1.7% is either rivers or lakes and 22.83 km² (8.8 sq mi) or 39.3% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.1%. Out of the forested land, 36.8% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 11.4% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 2.3% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.4% is used for growing crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 23.4% is unproductive vegetation and 15.9% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Locarno district. It consists of the village of Lavertezzo in the Verzasca valley (with the hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Aquino, Rancone and Sambugaro) and the exclave of Lavertezzo Piano in the Magadino valley (with the village sections of Riazzino, Montedato and Bugaro).
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 pelican in her piety argent voulned gules. The coat of arms comes from the arms of Bishop Aurelio Bacciardini."
Demographics
Lavertezzo has a population of . , 23.6% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 15.1%.Most of the population speaks Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
(82.6%), with German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
being second most common (9.2%) 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 (2.6%). Of the Swiss national languages , 101 speak German, 11 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...
, 907 people speak Italian. The remainder (79 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.7% male and 50.3% female. The population was made up of 439 Swiss men (35.8% of the population), and 170 (13.9%) non-Swiss men. There were 489 Swiss women (39.9%), and 128 (10.4%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 11 live births to Swiss citizens and 3 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 7 deaths of Swiss citizens and 1 non-Swiss citizen death. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 4 while the foreign population increased by 2. There were 3 Swiss men and 2 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 6 non-Swiss men and 4 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 15 and the non-Swiss population change was a decrease of 1 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.2%.
The age distribution, , in Lavertezzo is; 134 children or 10.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 127 teenagers or 10.4% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 146 people or 11.9% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 181 people or 14.8% are between 30 and 39, 231 people or 18.8% are between 40 and 49, and 149 people or 12.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 120 people or 9.8% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 90 people or 7.3% are between 70 and 79, there are 48 people or 3.9% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.66 which is more people per room than 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 45.6% 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 450 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.4 persons per household. there were 374 single family homes (or 82.0% of the total) out of a total of 456 inhabited buildings. There were 52 two family buildings (11.4%) and 14 multi-family buildings (3.1%). There were also 16 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.13%. there were 709 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 223. There were 39 single room apartments and 116 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 450 apartments (63.5% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 250 apartments (35.3%) were seasonally occupied and 9 apartments (1.3%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 7.4 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1596 | c. 400 |
| 1636 | 460 |
| 1850 | 464 |
| 1900 | 685 |
| 1950 | 358 |
| 2000 | 1,098 |
Sights
The entire village of Lavertezzo is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage SitesInventory 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 FDP
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
which received 26.19% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
(25.45%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(18.51%) 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...
(12.87%). In the federal election, a total of 266 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 36.3%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 713 registered voters in Lavertezzo, of which 401 or 56.2% voted. 2 blank ballots and 2 null ballots were cast, leaving 397 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 104 or 26.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; 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 79 or 19.9%), the SSI (with 74 or 18.6%) and the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 58 or 14.6%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 2 blank ballots and 3 null ballots were cast, leaving 396 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD which received 97 or 24.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA (with 93 or 23.5%), the PLRT (with 69 or 17.4%) and the PS (with 62 or 15.7%).
Economy
, Lavertezzo had an unemployment rate of 4.71%. , there were 27 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 13 businesses involved in this sector. 344 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 21 businesses in this sector. 228 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 59 businesses in this sector. There were 523 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 41.5% of the workforce., there were 579 workers who commuted into the municipality and 384 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.5 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 40.2% of the workforce coming into Lavertezzo are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 8.2% used public transportation to get to work, and 67.9% used a private car.
, there were 2 hotels in Lavertezzo.
Religion
From the , 840 or 76.5% were Roman Catholic, while 119 or 10.8% 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 96 individuals (or about 8.74% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 43 individuals (or about 3.92% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Lavertezzo about 61.7% 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 Lavertezzo there were a total of 221 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 Lavertezzo there were 44 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the village, 74 students attended the standard primary schools and 3 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 50 students in the two year middle school, while 6 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 15 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 28 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 was 1 student in the professional program.
, there were 99 students from Lavertezzo who attended schools outside the municipality.