Preonzo
Encyclopedia
Preonzo is a municipality
in the district of Bellinzona
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
and Preonzo formed a settlement. In 1335 it became a municipality in the County of Bellinzona
. During the first conquest of the Ticino in 1403-22, it was ruled by the cantons of Uri
and Obwalden
. They granted the villages its statutes and customary rights (Statuti, ordini), although, in contrast to Moleno, it was not incorporated in the Levantine.
The parish church
of SS Simone e Giuda was built in 1459. In the 17th century it was rebuilt and then renovated in 1963-66 and 1996-97. It broke away from the Church of S. Vittore in Moleno in 1545. Together with Gnosca
and Moleno it was one of the three churches that used the Ambrosian Rite
in the County of Bellinzona.
Traditionally, the village economy was based mostly on alpine pasturage and agriculture. However, by 2005, only 13% of jobs were in agriculture, while 56% were in manufacturing. More than three quarters of workers commuted to Biasca
and Bellinzona.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 1.0% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.5%. Out of the forested land, 44.8% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 15.1% is covered in small trees and shrubbery. Of the agricultural land, 5.7% is used for growing crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 12.8% is unproductive vegetation and 12.2% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Bellinzona district, on the right bank of the Ticino river between Bellinzona and Biasca
.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Per pale Gules in base a Mill Wheel Or and of the last in chief a Bar embowed of the first and overall a Bend wavy Argent.
Most of the population speaks Italian
(91.9%), with German
being second most common ( 5.2%) and French
being third ( 1.2%). Of the Swiss national languages , 25 speak German
, 6 people speak French
, 445 people speak Italian
, and 1 person speaks Romansh. The remainder (7 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.7% male and 50.3% female. The population was made up of 244 Swiss men (43.3% of the population), and 36 (6.4%) non-Swiss men. There were 259 Swiss women (46.0%), and 24 (4.3%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 3 live births to Swiss citizens and 2 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 5 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 2 while the foreign population increased by 2. There was 1 Swiss man who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there was 1 non-Swiss man who emigrated from Switzerland to another country and 1 non-Swiss woman who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was a decrease of 13 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 3 people. This represents a population growth rate of -1.7%.
The age distribution, , in Preonzo is; 51 children or 9.1% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 65 teenagers or 11.5% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 63 people or 11.2% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 85 people or 15.1% are between 30 and 39, 94 people or 16.7% are between 40 and 49, and 73 people or 13.0% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 68 people or 12.1% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 43 people or 7.6% are between 70 and 79, there are 21 people or 3.7% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.59 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 53.3% 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 195 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.5 persons per household. there were 163 single family homes (or 76.5% of the total) out of a total of 213 inhabited buildings. There were 36 two family buildings (16.9%) and 5 multi-family buildings (2.3%). There were also 9 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0%. there were 277 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 101. There were 14 single room apartments and 69 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 195 apartments (70.4% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 77 apartments (27.8%) were seasonally occupied and 5 apartments (1.8%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.5 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
the most popular party was the FDP
which received 47.61% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(18.76%), the CVP
(14.6%) and the Ticino League
(10.83%). In the federal election, a total of 229 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 53.8%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 420 registered voters in Preonzo, of which 298 or 71.0% voted. 5 blank ballots and 1 null ballots were cast, leaving 292 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT
which received 123 or 42.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS
(with 45 or 15.4%), the PS
(with 45 or 15.4%) and the PPD
+GenGiova (with 33 or 11.3%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, there were 5 blank ballots, which left 294 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 123 or 41.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 57 or 19.4%), the LEGA (with 41 or 13.9%) and the SSI (with 36 or 12.2%).
, there were 72 workers who commuted into the municipality and 175 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 2.4 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. About 5.6% of the workforce coming into Preonzo are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 11.6% used public transportation to get to work, and 73.5% used a private car.
. There are 53 individuals (or about 10.95% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 10 individuals (or about 2.07% of the population) did not answer the question.
).
In Preonzo there are a total of 107 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Preonzo there are 16 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 29 students attend the standard primary schools and 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 31 students in the two year middle school and in their pre-apprenticeship, while 7 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 8 vocational students who are attending school full-time and 15 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 20 students in Preonzo who came from another municipality, while 45 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
Preonzo is first mentioned in 1335 as Prevonzo. In the 14th Century, MolenoMoleno
Moleno is a municipality in the district of Bellinzona in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Moleno is first mentioned in 1213, though this comes from a copy from 1588. In 1256 it was mentioned as a Rivo de Moline. During the Middle Ages, the water running from the Moleno valley formed...
and Preonzo formed a settlement. In 1335 it became a municipality in the County of 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....
. During the first conquest of the Ticino in 1403-22, it was ruled by the cantons of 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...
and Obwalden
Obwalden
Obwalden is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the centre of Switzerland. The population is 33,997 of which 4,043 are foreigners. Its capital is Sarnen. The canton contains the geographical centre of Switzerland.-History:...
. They granted the villages its statutes and customary rights (Statuti, ordini), although, in contrast to Moleno, it was not incorporated in the Levantine.
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 SS Simone e Giuda was built in 1459. In the 17th century it was rebuilt and then renovated in 1963-66 and 1996-97. It broke away from the Church of S. Vittore in Moleno in 1545. Together with Gnosca
Gnosca
Gnosca is a municipality in the district of Bellinzona in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Gnosca is first mentioned in 1198 as Niosca in the records of Como and the cathedral of Milan. While it is likely that there were earlier settlements, nothing is known about them. An arbitration...
and Moleno it was one of the three churches that used the Ambrosian Rite
Ambrosian Rite
Ambrosian Rite, also called the Milanese Rite, is a Catholic liturgical Western Rite. The rite is named after Saint Ambrose, a bishop of Milan in the fourth century...
in the County of Bellinzona.
Traditionally, the village economy was based mostly on alpine pasturage and agriculture. However, by 2005, only 13% of jobs were in agriculture, while 56% were in manufacturing. More than three quarters of workers commuted to Biasca
Biasca
Biasca is a town of the district of Riviera in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Biasca is first mentioned in 830 as Aviasca in the Liber viventium of Pfäfers Abbey. In 1119 it was mentioned as Abiasca.-Early history:...
and Bellinzona.
Geography
Preonzo has an area, , of 16.44 square kilometres (6.3 sq mi). Of this area, 1.22 km² (0.471044633482893 sq mi) or 7.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 9.93 km² (3.8 sq mi) or 60.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.55 km² (0.212356187225894 sq mi) or 3.3% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.39 km² (0.150579841851089 sq mi) or 2.4% is either rivers or lakes and 4.11 km² (1.6 sq mi) or 25.0% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 1.0% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.5%. Out of the forested land, 44.8% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 15.1% is covered in small trees and shrubbery. Of the agricultural land, 5.7% is used for growing crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 12.8% is unproductive vegetation and 12.2% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Bellinzona district, on the right bank of the Ticino river between Bellinzona and Biasca
Biasca
Biasca is a town of the district of Riviera in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Biasca is first mentioned in 830 as Aviasca in the Liber viventium of Pfäfers Abbey. In 1119 it was mentioned as Abiasca.-Early history:...
.
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 Gules in base a Mill Wheel Or and of the last in chief a Bar embowed of the first and overall a Bend wavy Argent.
Demographics
Preonzo has a population of . , 11.9% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 20.8%.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...
(91.9%), 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 ( 5.2%) 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 ( 1.2%). Of the Swiss national languages , 25 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....
, 6 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...
, 445 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 1 person speaks Romansh. The remainder (7 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.7% male and 50.3% female. The population was made up of 244 Swiss men (43.3% of the population), and 36 (6.4%) non-Swiss men. There were 259 Swiss women (46.0%), and 24 (4.3%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 3 live births to Swiss citizens and 2 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 5 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 2 while the foreign population increased by 2. There was 1 Swiss man who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there was 1 non-Swiss man who emigrated from Switzerland to another country and 1 non-Swiss woman who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was a decrease of 13 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 3 people. This represents a population growth rate of -1.7%.
The age distribution, , in Preonzo is; 51 children or 9.1% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 65 teenagers or 11.5% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 63 people or 11.2% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 85 people or 15.1% are between 30 and 39, 94 people or 16.7% are between 40 and 49, and 73 people or 13.0% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 68 people or 12.1% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 43 people or 7.6% are between 70 and 79, there are 21 people or 3.7% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.59 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 53.3% 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 195 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.5 persons per household. there were 163 single family homes (or 76.5% of the total) out of a total of 213 inhabited buildings. There were 36 two family buildings (16.9%) and 5 multi-family buildings (2.3%). There were also 9 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0%. there were 277 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 101. There were 14 single room apartments and 69 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 195 apartments (70.4% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 77 apartments (27.8%) were seasonally occupied and 5 apartments (1.8%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.5 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1850 | 402 |
| 1900 | 315 |
| 1950 | 347 |
| 1980 | 405 |
| 1990 | 396 |
| 2000 | 484 |
Sights
The entire village of Preonzo 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 47.61% 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....
(18.76%), 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...
(14.6%) 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...
(10.83%). In the federal election, a total of 229 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 53.8%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 420 registered voters in Preonzo, of which 298 or 71.0% voted. 5 blank ballots and 1 null ballots were cast, leaving 292 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 123 or 42.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 45 or 15.4%), the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 45 or 15.4%) 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 33 or 11.3%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, there were 5 blank ballots, which left 294 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 123 or 41.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 57 or 19.4%), the LEGA (with 41 or 13.9%) and the SSI (with 36 or 12.2%).
Economy
, Preonzo had an unemployment rate of 3.25%. , there were 19 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 10 businesses involved in this sector. 82 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 9 businesses in this sector. 45 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 15 businesses in this sector. There were 215 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 37.7% of the workforce., there were 72 workers who commuted into the municipality and 175 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 2.4 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. About 5.6% of the workforce coming into Preonzo are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 11.6% used public transportation to get to work, and 73.5% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 396 or 81.8% were Roman Catholic, while 25 or 5.2% belonged to the Swiss Reformed ChurchSwiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
. There are 53 individuals (or about 10.95% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 10 individuals (or about 2.07% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Preonzo about 76.2% 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 Preonzo there are a total of 107 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 Preonzo there are 16 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 29 students attend the standard primary schools and 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 31 students in the two year middle school and in their pre-apprenticeship, while 7 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 8 vocational students who are attending school full-time and 15 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 20 students in Preonzo who came from another municipality, while 45 residents attended schools outside the municipality.