Airolo
Encyclopedia
Airolo is a municipality
in the district of Leventina
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
tombs from the 2nd and 3rd Centuries AD were found. They belonged to a Vicus
, whose inhabitants probably collected crystal, which was processed in Locarno
into glass. The ruins of Stalvedro Castle are probably from a 13th Century Lombardy
noble family. Tradition and written sources confirm the existence of another castle, situated near the parish church tower. Near Madrano was a small castle which was rebuilt in the late 13th Century by the Anexia family. Archaeological excavations conducted in 1995 inside the parish church of SS Nazaro Celso (first mentioned with a parish
in 1224) discovered a construction history dating back the to 5th or 6th Centuries. The present building was given its form in 1879, though the church tower dates from the Roman era. At the train station there is the famous high-relief carving by Vincenzo Vela
, devoted to the construction workers who lost their lives digging the Gotthard Rail Tunnel
.
The modern municipality of Airolo is first mentioned in 1210 as Oriolo. In German it was known as Eriels and in Romansh as Iriel, though these names are no longer official.
The region of Airolo, which was politically tied to the fate of the Levantine valley, was divided into four Degagne; Madrano, Valle, Solario and Oro. In the 13th and 14th Century Airolo, which had always been the most populous village of the valley, supplied all the grain needed for the whole Levantine. Due to traffic on the Gotthard Pass, the village became wealthy from trade and housing travelers. There were four major hospices, of which two were on the pass.
During the Sonderbund war of 1847, Federal troops moved quickly to gain control of key alpine passes and prevent the Sonderbund from uniting. One of the key passes was the St. Gotthard, which led to the Battle of Airolo. Even before the diet
began its campaign, the men of Uri seized the St. Gotthard passes (3 November 1847). They marched themselves across the Levantina valley and surprised three thousand Ticinese encamped at Airolo. The Ticinese were quickly driven back as far as the Moesa
bridge. However, once the Uri soldiers arrived at this point, they found themselves face to face with Graubünden
and Ticino militia, superior to them in number, who stopped their progress. The expedition had no other result than holding back two thousand Federal troops from the places where decisive blows were to be struck.
Between 1871 and 1881, Airolo was home to many workers on the Gotthard rail tunnel. Construction was difficult due to financial, technical and geological issues, the latter leading to the death of around 200 workers (the exact number is not known) mainly due to water inrushes; many were also killed by the compressed air-driven trains
carrying excavated material out of the tunnel. A strike of the workers in 1875 was crushed by the Swiss Army, killing four and wounding 13.
Fires ravaged the village four times, the last times in 1736 and 1877. After the landslide of Sasso Rosso on 28 December 1898, which destroyed part of the village, killed three people and destroyed the village forest, the great defensive wall was erected above the houses. In the beginning of the 19th Century construction began on avalanche protection. Then, after the avalanches of 1923 and 1951 (ten deaths) construction resumed and continued into modern times. As early as 1890, Airolo had electric street lighting. The power plant was built in the municipality in 1922. Hydroelectric plants were built by both public and private agencies. In 1958, the settlements of Brugnasco and Albinasca were connected by roads to Airolo. In 1969 the first sewage treatment plant built in Canton, opened in Airolo. In 1986, the town council approved comprehensive building and zoning regulations.
Despite several natural disasters and the pollution and traffic from the Gotthard tunnel, Airolo has remained, since the beginning of the 20th Century, a popular holiday resort. Airolo was the first ski resort in Ticino and with the construction of the Pesciüm facility, remained the most important one in the canton. At the end of the 20th Century, Airolo is also a popular destination for hiking, with trails that include the Strada Alta and the Sentiero degli Alpi.
Although the population is falling, Airolo is a small commercial center. Service companies for rail and road transport (including the motorway service area at Stalvedro), military and tourism dominate the economy. In 1985 the service sector and construction industry offered two-thirds of jobs. The agricultural sector is modest. In the early 1990s, there were 775 households and 19 full-time and 13 part-time farmers, who were in some way involved with agriculture. The industrial sector is, despite the closure of a main construction company, the major employer. The only major factory in Airolo is the metal processing factory of Tenconi (which was established in 1871), which employs about 100 people.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.8%. Out of the forested land, 14.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.5% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 3.2% is used for growing crops. Of the water in the municipality, 1.5% is in lakes and 0.9% is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 20.2% is unproductive vegetation and 21.4% is too rocky for vegetation.
Located in Leventina valley in the Lepontine Alps
, it is the town on the southern flank of the St. Gotthard Pass
and the St. Gotthard Tunnel, with the motorway tunnel forming part of the A2 motorway. It is the largest municipality in the Canton. It consists of the village of Airolo and the hamlets
of Valle, Madrano, Brugnasco, Nante and Fontana. The municipalities of Airolo and Quinto
are considering a merger some time in the future into a new municipality which will be known as Airolo-Quinto.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Azure on a base Vert a fir tree Argent issuant and a lion rampant Or.
Most of the population speaks Italian
(85.6%), with German
being second most common ( 3.6%) and Serbo-Croatian
being third ( 3.3%). Of the Swiss national languages , 57 speak German, 8 people speak French
, 1,363 people speak Italian, and 1 person speaks Romansh. The remainder (164 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.9% male and 50.1% female. The population was made up of 577 Swiss men (37.6% of the population), and 189 (12.3%) non-Swiss men. There were 641 Swiss women (41.8%), and 128 (8.3%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 6 live births to Swiss citizens and 6 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 20 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 14 while the foreign population increased by 6. There was 1 Swiss woman who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 2 non-Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country and 5 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was a decrease of 2 and the non-Swiss population change was a decrease of 28 people. This represents a population growth rate of -1.9%.
The age distribution, , in Airolo is; 114 children or 7.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 131 teenagers or 8.5% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 184 people or 12.0% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 198 people or 12.9% are between 30 and 39, 215 people or 14.0% are between 40 and 49, and 234 people or 15.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 221 people or 14.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 130 people or 8.5% are between 70 and 79, there are 108 people or 7.0% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.57 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 40.8% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 700 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. there were 503 single family homes (or 66.4% of the total) out of a total of 757 inhabited buildings. There were 88 two family buildings (11.6%) and 114 multi-family buildings (15.1%). There were also 52 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 3.31%. there were 1,325 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 393. There were 78 single room apartments and 314 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 698 apartments (52.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 585 apartments (44.2%) were seasonally occupied and 42 apartments (3.2%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0.6 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
. The entire town of Airolo and the village of Fontana are listed in the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
.
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 36.19% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(29.1%), the Ticino League
(16.16%) and the SP
(9.11%). In the federal election, a total of 676 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 64.3%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 1,109 registered voters in Airolo, of which 870 or 78.4% voted. 13 blank ballots and 2 null ballots were cast, leaving 855 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD+GenGiova which received 298 or 34.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT (with 243 or 28.4%), the SSI (with 119 or 13.9%) and the LEGA (with 88 or 10.3%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 9 blank ballots and 3 null ballots were cast, leaving 857 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD which received 290 or 33.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT (with 239 or 27.9%), the LEGA (with 140 or 16.3%) and the SSI (with 105 or 12.3%).
, there were 451 workers who commuted into the municipality and 161 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 2.8 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. Of the working population, 5.6% used public transportation to get to work, and 47.4% used a private car.
, there were 8 hotels in Airolo with a total of 137 rooms and 322 beds.
. There are 243 individuals (or about 15.25% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 29 individuals (or about 1.82% of the population) did not answer the question.
. The wettest month is October during which time Airolo receives an average of 193 mm (7.6 in) of rain or snow. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 9.3 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 13, but with only 184 mm (7.2 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year is January with an average of 88 mm (3.5 in) of precipitation over 9.3 days.
).
In Airolo there was a total of 218 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Airolo there were 35 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 67 students attended the standard primary schools and 0 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 52 students in the two year middle school and 1 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 11 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 19 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 31 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 were 2 students in the professional program.
, there were 14 students in Airolo who came from another municipality, while 31 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 Leventina
Leventina (district)
The district of Leventina is one of the eight districts of the largely Italian-speaking canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The capital of the district is Faido but the largest town is Airolo at the beginning or at the end of the valley....
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
In the settlement of Madrano, RomanSwitzerland in the Roman era
The history of Switzerland in the Roman era encompasses the roughly six centuries during which the territory of modern Switzerland was a part of the Roman Republic and Empire...
tombs from the 2nd and 3rd Centuries AD were found. They belonged to a Vicus
Vicus
Vicus may refer to:*Vicus , plural vici, a neighborhood or local administrative unit of ancient Rome**Vicus Tuscus in Rome**Vicus Jugarius, leading into the Roman Forum** Gensis in Moesia Superior...
, whose inhabitants probably collected crystal, which was processed in 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...
into glass. The ruins of Stalvedro Castle are probably from a 13th Century Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
noble family. Tradition and written sources confirm the existence of another castle, situated near the parish church tower. Near Madrano was a small castle which was rebuilt in the late 13th Century by the Anexia family. Archaeological excavations conducted in 1995 inside the parish church of SS Nazaro Celso (first mentioned with a 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 1224) discovered a construction history dating back the to 5th or 6th Centuries. The present building was given its form in 1879, though the church tower dates from the Roman era. At the train station there is the famous high-relief carving by Vincenzo Vela
Vincenzo Vela
Vincenzo Vela was a Swiss sculptor, active mainly in northern Italy.-Biography:Having started work as a stonecutter when still very young, Vela received his initial training at Viggiù and then moved to Milan, where he worked on the Cathedral and enrolled at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in 1832...
, devoted to the construction workers who lost their lives digging the Gotthard Rail Tunnel
Gotthard Rail Tunnel
The Gotthard Rail Tunnel, is a 15-kilometre long railway tunnel and forms the summit of the Gotthard Railway in Switzerland. It connects Göschenen with Airolo and was the first tunnel through the Gotthard massif...
.
The modern municipality of Airolo is first mentioned in 1210 as Oriolo. In German it was known as Eriels and in Romansh as Iriel, though these names are no longer official.
The region of Airolo, which was politically tied to the fate of the Levantine valley, was divided into four Degagne; Madrano, Valle, Solario and Oro. In the 13th and 14th Century Airolo, which had always been the most populous village of the valley, supplied all the grain needed for the whole Levantine. Due to traffic on the Gotthard Pass, the village became wealthy from trade and housing travelers. There were four major hospices, of which two were on the pass.
During the Sonderbund war of 1847, Federal troops moved quickly to gain control of key alpine passes and prevent the Sonderbund from uniting. One of the key passes was the St. Gotthard, which led to the Battle of Airolo. Even before the diet
Tagsatzung
The Swiss Tagsatzung was the legislative and executive council of the Swiss confederacy from the beginnings until the formation of the Swiss federal state in 1848. It was a meeting of delegates of the individual cantons...
began its campaign, the men of Uri seized the St. Gotthard passes (3 November 1847). They marched themselves across the Levantina valley and surprised three thousand Ticinese encamped at Airolo. The Ticinese were quickly driven back as far as the Moesa
Moesa
The Moesa is a 47 km river, a tributary of the Ticino, which flows through the Swiss cantons of Graubünden and Ticino.It rises in Val Vignun near the San Bernardino Pass and descends, along with the A13 motorway, through the Val Mesolcina towards Roveredo, where it receives the rivers Calancasca...
bridge. However, once the Uri soldiers arrived at this point, they found themselves face to face with Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
and Ticino militia, superior to them in number, who stopped their progress. The expedition had no other result than holding back two thousand Federal troops from the places where decisive blows were to be struck.
Between 1871 and 1881, Airolo was home to many workers on the Gotthard rail tunnel. Construction was difficult due to financial, technical and geological issues, the latter leading to the death of around 200 workers (the exact number is not known) mainly due to water inrushes; many were also killed by the compressed air-driven trains
Compressed-air vehicle
A compressed-air vehicle is powered by an air engine, using compressed air, which is stored in a tank. Instead of mixing fuel with air and burning it in the engine to drive pistons with hot expanding gases, compressed-air vehicles use the expansion of compressed air to drive their pistons...
carrying excavated material out of the tunnel. A strike of the workers in 1875 was crushed by the Swiss Army, killing four and wounding 13.
Fires ravaged the village four times, the last times in 1736 and 1877. After the landslide of Sasso Rosso on 28 December 1898, which destroyed part of the village, killed three people and destroyed the village forest, the great defensive wall was erected above the houses. In the beginning of the 19th Century construction began on avalanche protection. Then, after the avalanches of 1923 and 1951 (ten deaths) construction resumed and continued into modern times. As early as 1890, Airolo had electric street lighting. The power plant was built in the municipality in 1922. Hydroelectric plants were built by both public and private agencies. In 1958, the settlements of Brugnasco and Albinasca were connected by roads to Airolo. In 1969 the first sewage treatment plant built in Canton, opened in Airolo. In 1986, the town council approved comprehensive building and zoning regulations.
Despite several natural disasters and the pollution and traffic from the Gotthard tunnel, Airolo has remained, since the beginning of the 20th Century, a popular holiday resort. Airolo was the first ski resort in Ticino and with the construction of the Pesciüm facility, remained the most important one in the canton. At the end of the 20th Century, Airolo is also a popular destination for hiking, with trails that include the Strada Alta and the Sentiero degli Alpi.
Although the population is falling, Airolo is a small commercial center. Service companies for rail and road transport (including the motorway service area at Stalvedro), military and tourism dominate the economy. In 1985 the service sector and construction industry offered two-thirds of jobs. The agricultural sector is modest. In the early 1990s, there were 775 households and 19 full-time and 13 part-time farmers, who were in some way involved with agriculture. The industrial sector is, despite the closure of a main construction company, the major employer. The only major factory in Airolo is the metal processing factory of Tenconi (which was established in 1871), which employs about 100 people.
Geography
Airolo has an area, , of 94.37 square kilometres (36.4 sq mi). Of this area, 3.64 km² (1.4 sq mi) or 3.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 20.48 km² (7.9 sq mi) or 21.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.7 km² (1 sq mi) or 2.9% is settled (buildings or roads), 2.3 km² (0.888034964762831 sq mi) or 2.4% is either rivers or lakes and 39.3 km² (15.2 sq mi) or 41.6% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.8%. Out of the forested land, 14.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.5% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 3.2% is used for growing crops. Of the water in the municipality, 1.5% is in lakes and 0.9% is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 20.2% is unproductive vegetation and 21.4% is too rocky for vegetation.
Located in Leventina valley in the Lepontine Alps
Lepontine Alps
The Lepontine Alps are a mountain range in the central part of the Alps. They are located in Switzerland and Italy .On the north the upper Rhône valley separate them from the Bernese Alps and the Furka Pass and the upper Reuss valley separates them from the Urner Alps; on the west the Simplon Pass...
, it is the town on the southern flank of the St. Gotthard Pass
St. Gotthard Pass
The Gotthard Pass or St. Gotthard Pass is a high mountain pass in Switzerland between Airolo in the canton of Ticino, and Göschenen in the canton of Uri, connecting the northern German-speaking part of Switzerland with the Italian-speaking part, along the route onwards to Milan.Though the pass...
and the St. Gotthard Tunnel, with the motorway tunnel forming part of the A2 motorway. It is the largest municipality in the Canton. It consists of the village of Airolo and 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 Valle, Madrano, Brugnasco, Nante and Fontana. The municipalities of Airolo and Quinto
Quinto
Quinto may refer to:*Quinto , a barrio in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico*Quinto, Switzerland, a municipality in the canton of Ticino*Quinto, Spain, a municipality in the province of Zaragoza*Quinto, Italy:...
are considering a merger some time in the future into a new municipality which will be known as Airolo-Quinto.
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 on a base Vert a fir tree Argent issuant and a lion rampant Or.
Demographics
Airolo has a population of . , 21.5% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of -14.6%.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...
(85.6%), 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 ( 3.6%) 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 ( 3.3%). Of the Swiss national languages , 57 speak German, 8 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...
, 1,363 people speak Italian, and 1 person speaks Romansh. The remainder (164 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.9% male and 50.1% female. The population was made up of 577 Swiss men (37.6% of the population), and 189 (12.3%) non-Swiss men. There were 641 Swiss women (41.8%), and 128 (8.3%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 6 live births to Swiss citizens and 6 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 20 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 14 while the foreign population increased by 6. There was 1 Swiss woman who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 2 non-Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country and 5 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was a decrease of 2 and the non-Swiss population change was a decrease of 28 people. This represents a population growth rate of -1.9%.
The age distribution, , in Airolo is; 114 children or 7.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 131 teenagers or 8.5% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 184 people or 12.0% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 198 people or 12.9% are between 30 and 39, 215 people or 14.0% are between 40 and 49, and 234 people or 15.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 221 people or 14.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 130 people or 8.5% are between 70 and 79, there are 108 people or 7.0% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.57 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 40.8% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 700 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. there were 503 single family homes (or 66.4% of the total) out of a total of 757 inhabited buildings. There were 88 two family buildings (11.6%) and 114 multi-family buildings (15.1%). There were also 52 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 3.31%. there were 1,325 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 393. There were 78 single room apartments and 314 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 698 apartments (52.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 585 apartments (44.2%) were seasonally occupied and 42 apartments (3.2%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0.6 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1574 | 597 |
| 1682 | 1,000 |
| 1785 | 1,237 |
| 1850 | 1,624 |
| 1880 | 3,678 |
| 1900 | 1,628 |
| 1950 | 1,848 |
| 2000 | 1,593 |
- Population during construction of the St. Gotthard Tunnel
Heritage sites of national significance
The Hospice Complex on the St. Gotthard Pass with old station, house and barn, the Forte Airolo and Forte Foppa, the prehistoric settlement and Roman era necropolis of Madrano and the prehistoric settlement on the St. Gotthard Pass (known as Alpe di Rodont) are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significanceSwiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
. The entire town of Airolo and the village of Fontana are listed in the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
Inventory 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:...
.
Church
In 1877 a fire destroyed almost all of the town, including most of the church dedicated to Santi Nazario e Celso, which had been built in the 12th century and is first documented in 1224. The tower, crowned by a double row of twin arches has survived from the Romenesque building. In 1879 the church was rebuilt, under the auspices of an Uri lawyer based in Airolo, Carl Alois (Luigi) Müller, who was married to Genovefa Lombardi, the daughter of Felice Lombardi, Director of the St Gotthard hospice. There is a marble plaque in the church recording his efforts to get the church rebuilt.Memorial for the Victims of the building of the St Gotthard Tunnel
This is a bronze bas-relief by the Ticinese sculptor Vincenzo Vela (1820–1891) commemorating the labourers who died building the tunnel in the 1880s.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 36.19% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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....
(29.1%), 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...
(16.16%) and the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(9.11%). In the federal election, a total of 676 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 64.3%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 1,109 registered voters in Airolo, of which 870 or 78.4% voted. 13 blank ballots and 2 null ballots were cast, leaving 855 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD+GenGiova which received 298 or 34.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT (with 243 or 28.4%), the SSI (with 119 or 13.9%) and the LEGA (with 88 or 10.3%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 9 blank ballots and 3 null ballots were cast, leaving 857 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD which received 290 or 33.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT (with 239 or 27.9%), the LEGA (with 140 or 16.3%) and the SSI (with 105 or 12.3%).
Economy
, Airolo had an unemployment rate of 2.58%. , there were 65 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 24 businesses involved in this sector. 356 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 20 businesses in this sector. 596 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 74 businesses in this sector. There were 774 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 34.5% of the workforce., there were 451 workers who commuted into the municipality and 161 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 2.8 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. Of the working population, 5.6% used public transportation to get to work, and 47.4% used a private car.
, there were 8 hotels in Airolo with a total of 137 rooms and 322 beds.
Ski facilities
Airolo is also home to a small ski-resort with 30 km (19 mi) of prepared slopes.Religion
From the , 1,287 or 80.8% were Roman Catholic, while 34 or 2.1% 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 243 individuals (or about 15.25% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 29 individuals (or about 1.82% of the population) did not answer the question.
Weather
Airolo has an average of 121.4 days of rain or snow per year and on average receives 1662 mm (65.4 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 October during which time Airolo receives an average of 193 mm (7.6 in) of rain or snow. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 9.3 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 13, but with only 184 mm (7.2 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year is January with an average of 88 mm (3.5 in) of precipitation over 9.3 days.
Education
In Airolo about 61.3% 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 Airolo there was a total of 218 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 Airolo there were 35 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 67 students attended the standard primary schools and 0 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 52 students in the two year middle school and 1 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 11 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 19 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 31 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 were 2 students in the professional program.
, there were 14 students in Airolo who came from another municipality, while 31 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Noted local individuals
- Giuseppe MottaGiuseppe MottaGiuseppe Motta was a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss Federal Council and President of the League of Nations .-Commemoration:...
, former Swiss Confederation President - Adolfo Müller-UryAdolfo Müller-UryAdolfo Muller-Ury was a Swiss-born American portrait painter and impressionistic painter of roses and still life.-Heritage and early life in Switzerland:...
, American portrait painter, was born in Airolo, the son of Alois and Genovefa Müller-Lombardi. Müller-Ury painted Motta in the late 1930s. - Mauro Pini, Ski trainer of the Swiss National Team, also worked for Spain and New Zealand.