Sonogno
Encyclopedia
Sonogno is a municipality
in the district of Locarno
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
. It is located in Valle Verzasca
.
, Sonogno was part of the Vicinanza
of Verzasca and shared the fate of the valley. From 1395 to 1843, it formed a single community with Frasco
.
It was part of the parish
of Vogorno
until 1519, when it formed a parish with Frasco. It formed an independent parish in 1734. The parish church
of St. Maria Loreto, is first documented in 1519. It was rebuilt in 1854 and decorated with paintings by Cherubino Patà.
The local economy was based mostly on grazing. During the summer, the cattle grazed in the high alpine pastures, in the winter the cows were moved to their winter pastures
in the Magadino. Due to limited jobs, many of the residents emigrated and after about 1850, many went overseas. Decedents of residents of Sonogno can be found in nearly 40 different countries. The more recent exodus to urban centers, combined with emigration have caused a steady decline of population since the mid-nineteenth century. The Museum of Verzasca was built in Sonogno in 1974. In 2005 the agricultural sector still offered 47% of jobs in the municipality.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.0%. Out of the forested land, 11.7% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 12.2% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 3.5% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.8% is used for growing crops. Of the water in the municipality, 0.2% is in lakes and 1.8% is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 24.6% is unproductive vegetation and 27.9% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Locarno district, Sonogno is the last village on the paved road through the Valley Verzasca. All motor vehicles are required to park at the entrance to the village. It is located at an elevation of 918 m (3,011.8 ft) about 30 km (18.6 mi) from Locarno.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Argent a chamois sable stantant and in base three mullets azure, two and one.
The village has its own language which is a mixture of Latin and Celtic. The language of Sonogno is a dying language. Roughly 100 persons are known to speak it. Villagers also speak Italian which is an official Swiss language.
Most of the population speaks Italian
(93.0%), with German
being second most common (2.3%) and French
being third (2.3%). Of the Swiss national languages , 2 speak German, 2 people speak French, 80 people speak Italian. The remainder (2 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.4% male and 50.6% female. The population was made up of 43 Swiss men (48.3% of the population), and 1 (1.1%) non-Swiss men. There were 41 Swiss women (46.1%), and 4 (4.5%) non-Swiss women.
In there was 1 live birth to Swiss citizens and 1 birth to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 2 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 1 while the foreign population increased by 1. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was a decrease of 2 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 2 people. This represents a population growth rate of 0.0%.
The age distribution, , in Sonogno is; 7 children or 7.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 5 teenagers or 5.6% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 3 people or 3.4% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 11 people or 12.4% are between 30 and 39, 19 people or 21.3% are between 40 and 49, and 13 people or 14.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 16 people or 18.0% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 10 people or 11.2% are between 70 and 79, there are 5 people or 5.6% 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 78.9% 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 38 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. there were 127 single family homes (or 86.4% of the total) out of a total of 147 inhabited buildings. There were 10 two family buildings (6.8%) and 3 multi-family buildings (2.0%). There were also 7 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 159 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 53. There were 18 single room apartments and 25 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 38 apartments (23.9% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 120 apartments (75.5%) were seasonally occupied and 1 apartments (0.6%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 28.16% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(26.21%), the FDP
(16.99%) and the Ticino League
(11.65%). In the federal election, a total of 26 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 28.9%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 89 registered voters in Sonogno, of which 51 or 57.3% voted. 2 blank ballots were cast, leaving 49 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the SSI which received 14 or 28.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PPD
+GenGiova (with 12 or 24.5%), the LEGA
(with 10 or 20.4%) and the PS
(with 6 or 12.2%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, The most popular party was the PS which received 13 or 25.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PPD (with 12 or 23.5%), the LEGA (with 10 or 19.6%) and the LEGA (with 10 or 19.6%).
, there were 11 workers who commuted into the municipality and 16 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.5 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 4.3% used public transportation to get to work, and 47.8% used a private car.
, there was one hotel in Sonogno.
. There are 6 individuals (or about 6.98% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 5 individuals (or about 5.81% of the population) did not answer the question.
. The wettest month is September during which time Sonogno receives an average of 249 mm (9.8 in) of rain or snow. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 8.3 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 13.2, but with only 230 mm (9.1 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year is December with an average of 78 mm (3.1 in) of precipitation over 6.4 days.
).
In Sonogno there were a total of 8 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Sonogno there were 2 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years. In the village, 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 4 students in the two year middle school, while 1 students were in the four year advanced program.
The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college. In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student). There was 1 vocational student who was attending school full-time and 0 who attend part-time.
, there were 1 students from Sonogno 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....
. It is located in Valle Verzasca
Valle Verzasca
The Valle Verzasca is a valley in the Locarno district of the Canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It comprises the municipalities of Mergoscia, Vogorno, Corippo, Lavertezzo, Brione, Gerra, Frasco and Sonogno with a total population of 3,200 . Mergoscia is at the geographical center of the Ticino, and...
.
History
Sonogno is first mentioned in 1200 as Sornono. In 1417 it was mentioned as Senognio. During the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Sonogno was part of the Vicinanza
Bürgergemeinde
The Bürgergemeinde is a statutory corporation in public law in Switzerland...
of Verzasca and shared the fate of the valley. From 1395 to 1843, it formed a single community with Frasco
Frasco
Frasco is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Frasco is first mentioned in 1235 as Felasco. During the Middle Ages, Frasco was part of the greater Vicinanza of Verzasca. In 1395, it and Sonogno formed a single political municipality, which...
.
It was part of the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Vogorno
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:...
until 1519, when it formed a parish with Frasco. It formed an independent parish in 1734. 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 St. Maria Loreto, is first documented in 1519. It was rebuilt in 1854 and decorated with paintings by Cherubino Patà.
The local economy was based mostly on grazing. During the summer, the cattle grazed in the high alpine pastures, in the winter the cows were moved to their winter pastures
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...
in the Magadino. Due to limited jobs, many of the residents emigrated and after about 1850, many went overseas. Decedents of residents of Sonogno can be found in nearly 40 different countries. The more recent exodus to urban centers, combined with emigration have caused a steady decline of population since the mid-nineteenth century. The Museum of Verzasca was built in Sonogno in 1974. In 2005 the agricultural sector still offered 47% of jobs in the municipality.
Geography
Sonogno has an area, , of 37.52 square kilometres (14.5 sq mi). Of this area, 0.42 km² (0.162162906608865 sq mi) or 1.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 10.29 km² (4 sq mi) or 27.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.13 km² (32.1 acre) or 0.3% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.74 km² (0.285715597358476 sq mi) or 2.0% is either rivers or lakes and 19.7 km² (7.6 sq mi) or 52.5% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.0%. Out of the forested land, 11.7% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 12.2% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 3.5% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.8% is used for growing crops. Of the water in the municipality, 0.2% is in lakes and 1.8% is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 24.6% is unproductive vegetation and 27.9% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Locarno district, Sonogno is the last village on the paved road through the Valley Verzasca. All motor vehicles are required to park at the entrance to the village. It is located at an elevation of 918 m (3,011.8 ft) about 30 km (18.6 mi) from Locarno.
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 Argent a chamois sable stantant and in base three mullets azure, two and one.
Demographics
Sonogno has a population of . , 4.7% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of -15%.The village has its own language which is a mixture of Latin and Celtic. The language of Sonogno is a dying language. Roughly 100 persons are known to speak it. Villagers also speak Italian which is an official Swiss language.
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...
(93.0%), with German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
being second most common (2.3%) 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 (2.3%). Of the Swiss national languages , 2 speak German, 2 people speak French, 80 people speak Italian. The remainder (2 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.4% male and 50.6% female. The population was made up of 43 Swiss men (48.3% of the population), and 1 (1.1%) non-Swiss men. There were 41 Swiss women (46.1%), and 4 (4.5%) non-Swiss women.
In there was 1 live birth to Swiss citizens and 1 birth to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 2 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 1 while the foreign population increased by 1. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was a decrease of 2 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 2 people. This represents a population growth rate of 0.0%.
The age distribution, , in Sonogno is; 7 children or 7.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 5 teenagers or 5.6% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 3 people or 3.4% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 11 people or 12.4% are between 30 and 39, 19 people or 21.3% are between 40 and 49, and 13 people or 14.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 16 people or 18.0% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 10 people or 11.2% are between 70 and 79, there are 5 people or 5.6% 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 78.9% 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 38 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. there were 127 single family homes (or 86.4% of the total) out of a total of 147 inhabited buildings. There were 10 two family buildings (6.8%) and 3 multi-family buildings (2.0%). There were also 7 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 159 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 53. There were 18 single room apartments and 25 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 38 apartments (23.9% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 120 apartments (75.5%) were seasonally occupied and 1 apartments (0.6%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1596 | c. 40 hearths |
| 1734 | c. 70 |
| 1850 | 334 |
| 1900 | 293 |
| 1950 | 151 |
| 2000 | 86 |
Sights
The entire village of Sonogno 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 CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
which received 28.16% 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....
(26.21%), 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....
(16.99%) 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...
(11.65%). In the federal election, a total of 26 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 28.9%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 89 registered voters in Sonogno, of which 51 or 57.3% voted. 2 blank ballots were cast, leaving 49 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the SSI which received 14 or 28.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PPD
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
+GenGiova (with 12 or 24.5%), 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 10 or 20.4%) and the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 6 or 12.2%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, The most popular party was the PS which received 13 or 25.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PPD (with 12 or 23.5%), the LEGA (with 10 or 19.6%) and the LEGA (with 10 or 19.6%).
Economy
, Sonogno had an unemployment rate of 1.22%. , there were 20 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 8 businesses involved in this sector. people were employed in the secondary sector and there were businesses in this sector. 20 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 7 businesses in this sector. There were 46 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 37.0% of the workforce., there were 11 workers who commuted into the municipality and 16 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.5 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 4.3% used public transportation to get to work, and 47.8% used a private car.
, there was one hotel in Sonogno.
Religion
From the , 74 or 86.0% were Roman Catholic, while 1 or 1.2% 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 6 individuals (or about 6.98% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 5 individuals (or about 5.81% of the population) did not answer the question.
Weather
Sonogno has an average of 108.6 days of rain or snow per year and on average receives 2110 mm (83.1 in) of precipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
. The wettest month is September during which time Sonogno receives an average of 249 mm (9.8 in) of rain or snow. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 8.3 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 13.2, but with only 230 mm (9.1 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year is December with an average of 78 mm (3.1 in) of precipitation over 6.4 days.
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Sonogno about 66.7% 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 Sonogno there were a total of 8 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 Sonogno there were 2 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years. In the village, 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 4 students in the two year middle school, while 1 students were in the four year advanced program.
The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college. In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student). There was 1 vocational student who was attending school full-time and 0 who attend part-time.
, there were 1 students from Sonogno who attended schools outside the municipality.