Piazzogna
Encyclopedia
Piazzogna is a former municipality
in the district of Locarno
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
On 25 April 2010, the former municipalities of Caviano
, Contone
, Gerra Gambarogno
, Indemini
, Magadino
, Piazzogna, San Nazzaro
, Sant'Abbondio and Vira Gambarogno
merged in the new municipality of Gambarogno
.
during arbitration. The arbitration dealt with the rights of neighboring villages to use alpine meadows. Piazzogna belonged first to the municipality and parish
of Vira, but by 1704 it had become an independent municipality. However, it didn't become an independent political municipality until 1803.
The original village church of S. Antonio Abate was probably built in the Middle Ages
in the romanesque
style. However it fell into ruin and collapsed between the 17th and 18th Centuries. The parish built a new church in 1752. In the wake of the village's independence from the parish of Vira in 1837, this church was expanded several times in the 19th Century.
The hamlet of Alabardia, once part of the parish of San Nazzaro, became widely known in 1783 as the center of Horace-Bénédict de Saussure
barometric experiments conducted around Lake Maggiore
.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 4.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.1%. Out of the forested land, 57.9% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 19.9% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 2.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 4.4% is used for growing crops and 4.4% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes. Of the unproductive areas, 5.9% is unproductive vegetation.
The village is located in the Locarno district, on a terrace above the Gambarogno valley.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Vert a tau cross patte couped argent and in base two fleurs-de-lis or.
Most of the population speaks Italian
(80.7%), with German
being second most common (16.3%) and French
being third (1.1%). Of the Swiss national languages , 59 speak German
, 4 people speak French
, 292 people speak Italian
. The remainder (7 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 47.7% male and 52.3% female. The population was made up of 156 Swiss men (39.8% of the population), and 31 (7.9%) non-Swiss men. There were 186 Swiss women (47.4%), and 19 (4.8%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 4 live births to Swiss citizens, 3 deaths of Swiss citizens and 2 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 1 while the foreign population decreased by 2. 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, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 12 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 8 people. This represents a population growth rate of 5.3%.
The age distribution, , in Piazzogna is; 35 children or 8.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 32 teenagers or 8.2% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 43 people or 11.0% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 55 people or 14.0% are between 30 and 39, 73 people or 18.6% are between 40 and 49, and 45 people or 11.5% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 48 people or 12.2% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 41 people or 10.5% are between 70 and 79, there are 20 people or 5.1% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.58 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 58.5% 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 160 private households in the village, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. there were 209 single family homes (or 70.6% of the total) out of a total of 296 inhabited buildings. There were 50 two family buildings (16.9%) and 19 multi-family buildings (6.4%). There were also 18 buildings in the village that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the village, , was 0%. there were 434 apartments in the village. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 141. There were 36 single room apartments and 59 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 159 apartments (36.6% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 273 apartments (62.9%) were seasonally occupied and 2 apartments (0.5%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 2.7 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
the most popular party was the FDP
which received 29.28% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(21.48%), the CVP
(19.63%) and the Ticino League
(16.92%). In the federal election, a total of 123 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 42.1%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 303 registered voters in Piazzogna, of which 197 or 65.0% voted. 5 blank ballots and 1 null ballot were cast, leaving 191 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT
which received 44 or 23.0% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS
(with 41 or 21.5%), the SSI (with 40 or 20.9%) and the LEGA
(with 29 or 15.2%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 1 null ballot was cast, leaving 198 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the LEGA which received 64 or 32.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 44 or 22.2%), the PLRT (with 33 or 16.7%) and the SSI (with 30 or 15.2%).
, there were 33 workers who commuted into the village and 98 workers who commuted away. The village is a net exporter of workers, with about 3.0 workers leaving the village for every one entering. About 30.3% of the workforce coming into Piazzogna are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 5.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 64.1% used a private car. , there was one hotel in Piazzogna.
. There are 41 individuals (or about 11.33% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 12 individuals (or about 3.31% of the population) did not answer the question.
).
In Piazzogna there were a total of 50 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Piazzogna there were 8 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years. In the village, 17 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 12 students in the two year middle school, while 5 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 2 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 6 who attend part-time.
, there were 41 students from Piazzogna who attended schools outside the village.
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....
.
On 25 April 2010, the former municipalities of Caviano
Caviano
Caviano is a former municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.On 25 April 2010, the former municipalities of Caviano, Contone, Gerra Gambarogno, Indemini, Magadino, Piazzogna, San Nazzaro, Sant'Abbondio and Vira Gambarogno merged in the new municipality of...
, Contone
Contone
Contone is a former municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.On 25 April 2010, the former municipalities of Caviano, Contone, Gerra Gambarogno, Indemini, Magadino, Piazzogna, San Nazzaro, Sant'Abbondio and Vira Gambarogno merged in the new municipality of...
, Gerra Gambarogno
Gerra (Gambarogno)
Gerra is a former municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.On 25 April 2010, the former municipalities of Caviano, Contone, Gerra Gambarogno, Indemini, Magadino, Piazzogna, San Nazzaro, Sant'Abbondio and Vira Gambarogno merged in the new municipality of...
, Indemini
Indemini
Indemini is a former municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.On 25 April 2010, the former municipalities of Caviano, Contone, Gerra Gambarogno, Indemini, Magadino, Piazzogna, San Nazzaro, Sant'Abbondio and Vira Gambarogno merged in the new municipality of...
, Magadino
Magadino
Magadino is a former municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.On 25 April 2010, the former municipalities of Caviano, Contone, Gerra Gambarogno, Indemini, Magadino, Piazzogna, San Nazzaro, Sant'Abbondio and Vira Gambarogno merged in the new municipality of...
, Piazzogna, San Nazzaro
San Nazzaro, Switzerland
San Nazzaro is a former municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.On 25 April 2010, the former municipalities of Caviano, Contone, Gerra Gambarogno, Indemini, Magadino, Piazzogna, San Nazzaro, Sant'Abbondio and Vira Gambarogno merged in the new municipality of...
, Sant'Abbondio and Vira Gambarogno
Vira (Gambarogno)
Vira is a former municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.On 25 April 2010, the former municipalities of Caviano, Contone, Gerra Gambarogno, Indemini, Magadino, Piazzogna, San Nazzaro, Sant'Abbondio and Vira Gambarogno merged in the new municipality of...
merged in the new municipality of Gambarogno
Gambarogno
Gambarogno is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It was created on 25 April 2010 through the merger of the municipalities of Caviano, Contone, Gerra Gambarogno, Indemini, Magadino, Piazzogna, San Nazzaro, Sant'Abbondio and Vira...
.
History
Piazzogna is first mentioned in 1337 as Piazognia. It was mentioned again between 1542-46 as part of the award given by the local bailiffBailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
during arbitration. The arbitration dealt with the rights of neighboring villages to use alpine meadows. Piazzogna belonged first to the municipality and 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 Vira, but by 1704 it had become an independent municipality. However, it didn't become an independent political municipality until 1803.
The original village church of S. Antonio Abate was probably built in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
in the romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
style. However it fell into ruin and collapsed between the 17th and 18th Centuries. The parish built a new church in 1752. In the wake of the village's independence from the parish of Vira in 1837, this church was expanded several times in the 19th Century.
The hamlet of Alabardia, once part of the parish of San Nazzaro, became widely known in 1783 as the center of Horace-Bénédict de Saussure
Horace-Bénédict de Saussure
200px|thumb|Portrait of Horace-Bénédict de Saussure Horace-Bénédict de Saussure was a Genevan aristocrat, physicist and Alpine traveller, often considered the founder of alpinism, and considered to be the first person to build a successful solar oven.-Life and work:Saussure was born in Conches,...
barometric experiments conducted around 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...
.
Geography
Piazzogna has an area, , of 3.87 square kilometres (1.5 sq mi). Of this area, 0.38 km² (0.146718820265163 sq mi) or 9.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 3.11 km² (1.2 sq mi) or 80.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.26 km² (0.100386561234059 sq mi) or 6.7% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 0.3% is either rivers or lakes and 0.24 km² (0.0926645180622084 sq mi) or 6.2% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 4.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.1%. Out of the forested land, 57.9% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 19.9% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 2.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 4.4% is used for growing crops and 4.4% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes. Of the unproductive areas, 5.9% is unproductive vegetation.
The village is located in the Locarno district, on a terrace above the Gambarogno valley.
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 Vert a tau cross patte couped argent and in base two fleurs-de-lis or.
Demographics
Piazzogna has a population of . , 14.7% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 7.8%.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...
(80.7%), 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 (16.3%) 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 third (1.1%). Of the Swiss national languages , 59 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....
, 4 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...
, 292 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...
. The remainder (7 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 47.7% male and 52.3% female. The population was made up of 156 Swiss men (39.8% of the population), and 31 (7.9%) non-Swiss men. There were 186 Swiss women (47.4%), and 19 (4.8%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 4 live births to Swiss citizens, 3 deaths of Swiss citizens and 2 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 1 while the foreign population decreased by 2. 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, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 12 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 8 people. This represents a population growth rate of 5.3%.
The age distribution, , in Piazzogna is; 35 children or 8.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 32 teenagers or 8.2% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 43 people or 11.0% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 55 people or 14.0% are between 30 and 39, 73 people or 18.6% are between 40 and 49, and 45 people or 11.5% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 48 people or 12.2% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 41 people or 10.5% are between 70 and 79, there are 20 people or 5.1% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.58 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 58.5% 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 160 private households in the village, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. there were 209 single family homes (or 70.6% of the total) out of a total of 296 inhabited buildings. There were 50 two family buildings (16.9%) and 19 multi-family buildings (6.4%). There were also 18 buildings in the village that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the village, , was 0%. there were 434 apartments in the village. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 141. There were 36 single room apartments and 59 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 159 apartments (36.6% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 273 apartments (62.9%) were seasonally occupied and 2 apartments (0.5%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 2.7 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1669 | 20 Hearths |
| 1808 | 157 |
| 1850 | 221 |
| 1900 | 152 |
| 1950 | 185 |
| 1990 | 264 |
| 2000 | 362 |
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 29.28% 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....
(21.48%), 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...
(19.63%) 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...
(16.92%). In the federal election, a total of 123 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 42.1%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 303 registered voters in Piazzogna, of which 197 or 65.0% voted. 5 blank ballots and 1 null ballot were cast, leaving 191 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 44 or 23.0% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 41 or 21.5%), the SSI (with 40 or 20.9%) and 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...
(with 29 or 15.2%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 1 null ballot was cast, leaving 198 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the LEGA which received 64 or 32.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 44 or 22.2%), the PLRT (with 33 or 16.7%) and the SSI (with 30 or 15.2%).
Economy
, Piazzogna had an unemployment rate of 4.04%. , there were 3 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 2 businesses involved in this sector. 19 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 9 businesses in this sector. 72 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 12 businesses in this sector. There were 156 residents of the village who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 37.8% of the workforce., there were 33 workers who commuted into the village and 98 workers who commuted away. The village is a net exporter of workers, with about 3.0 workers leaving the village for every one entering. About 30.3% of the workforce coming into Piazzogna are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 5.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 64.1% used a private car. , there was one hotel in Piazzogna.
Religion
From the , 281 or 77.6% were Roman Catholic, while 28 or 7.7% 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 41 individuals (or about 11.33% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 12 individuals (or about 3.31% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Piazzogna about 71.9% 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 Piazzogna there were a total of 50 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 Piazzogna there were 8 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years. In the village, 17 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 12 students in the two year middle school, while 5 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 2 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 6 who attend part-time.
, there were 41 students from Piazzogna who attended schools outside the village.