Avegno, Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Avegno was a municipality
in the district of Vallemaggia
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
. On 20 April 2008, Avegno and Gordevio
merged to form Avegno Gordevio
.
In 1982, the Swiss Heritage Society
awarded the Wakker Prize
to Avegno for the preservation of its architectural heritage.
In the 14th Century, Avegno shared a chaplain
with Gordevio. In 1645, they separated from the mother church
in Maggia, and became separate parish
es. The parish church
of SS Luca e Abbondio was built in 1313. In the 17th Century it was expanded and the rich stucco
work was added.
Agriculture, formerly the main occupation of the inhabitants, is today almost non-existent. Handicrafts (making baskets and pottery) and stone cutting were able to slow the exodus somewhat. The strong population growth in recent decades is due to the proximity to Locarno
. Some companies have settled in the valley and various sports facilities and campsites have been created. In 1982, the Wakker Prize was awarded to Avegno in recognition of the efforts to preserve the village's historic appearance.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Per fess azure and gules overall a tower with a banner argent surrounded with three doves volant two and one.
(429 or 87.0%), with German
being second most common (47 or 9.5%) and French
being third (4 or 0.8%).
Of the population in the village 175 or about 35.5% were born in Avegno and lived there in 2000. There were 170 or 34.5% who were born in the same canton, while 64 or 13.0% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 73 or 14.8% were born outside of Switzerland. , there were 200 people who were single and never married in the village. There were 240 married individuals, 32 widows or widowers and 21 individuals who are divorced.
There were 47 households that consist of only one person and 14 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 193 households that answered this question, 24.4% were households made up of just one person and 4 were adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 42 married couples without children, 78 married couples with children There were 16 single parents with a child or children. There were 4 households that were made up unrelated people and 2 households that were made some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 244 single family homes (or 89.7% of the total) out of a total of 272 inhabited buildings. There were 23 multi-family buildings (8.5%), along with 1 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (0.4%) and 4 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (1.5%). Of the single family homes 11 were built before 1919, while 19 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (102) were built between 1919 and 1945.
there were 305 apartments in the village. The most common apartment size was 4 rooms of which there were 104. There were 13 single room apartments and 84 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 190 apartments (62.3% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 114 apartments (37.4%) were seasonally occupied and 1 apartments (0.3%) were empty.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
the most popular party was the FDP
which received 31.59% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
(29.53%), the SP
(16.85%) and the SVP
(6.99%). In the federal election, a total of 209 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 52.5%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 402 registered voters in Avegno, of which 296 or 73.6% voted. 7 blank ballots were cast, leaving 289 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD
+GenGiova which received 63 or 21.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT
(with 58 or 20.1%), the PS
(with 54 or 18.7%) and the PS
(with 54 or 18.7%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 4 blank ballots and 1 null ballot were cast, leaving 291 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PS which received 67 or 23.0% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PPD (with 65 or 22.3%), the PLRT (with 54 or 18.6%) and the SSI (with 52 or 17.9%).
. Of the rest of the population, there was 1 member of an Orthodox church
who belonged, and there were 7 individuals (or about 1.42% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 2 (or about 0.41% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There were 1 individuals who were Buddhist
. 43 (or about 8.72% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 21 individuals (or about 4.26% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 64 who completed tertiary schooling, 60.9% were Swiss men, 32.8% were Swiss women.
, there were 1 students in Avegno who came from another village, while 75 residents attended schools outside the village.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the district of Vallemaggia
Vallemaggia (district)
The district of Vallemaggia is a district of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It has a population of . The capital of the district is Cevio.-Geography:...
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Ticino
Ticino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. On 20 April 2008, Avegno and Gordevio
Gordevio
Gordevio was a municipality in the district of Vallemaggia in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 20 April 2008, Avegno and Gordevio merged to form Avegno Gordevio.-History:...
merged to form Avegno Gordevio
Avegno Gordevio
Avegno Gordevio is a municipality in the district of Vallemaggia in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It was formed on 20 April 2008 when Avegno and Gordevio were merged.-History:...
.
In 1982, the Swiss Heritage Society
Swiss Heritage Society
The Swiss Heritage Society is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the advancement of Switzerland’s architectural heritage. Its focus is on the preservation of important landmarks, the development of the structural environment, and the promotion of good architectural design.The SHS was founded...
awarded the Wakker Prize
Wakker Prize
The Wakker Prize is awarded annually by the Swiss Heritage Society to a Municipality of Switzerland for the development and preservation of its architectural heritage....
to Avegno for the preservation of its architectural heritage.
History
Avegno is first mentioned in 1189 as Vegno.In the 14th Century, Avegno shared a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
with Gordevio. In 1645, they separated from the mother church
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
in Maggia, and became separate 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...
es. 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 Luca e Abbondio was built in 1313. In the 17th Century it was expanded and the rich stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
work was added.
Agriculture, formerly the main occupation of the inhabitants, is today almost non-existent. Handicrafts (making baskets and pottery) and stone cutting were able to slow the exodus somewhat. The strong population growth in recent decades is due to the proximity to 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...
. Some companies have settled in the valley and various sports facilities and campsites have been created. In 1982, the Wakker Prize was awarded to Avegno in recognition of the efforts to preserve the village's historic appearance.
Geography
The village is located in the Vallemaggia district. It is located at the bottom of the valley, on the left side of the Maggia river. The former municiplaity consists of three separate village sections, that have grown into a single village.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 fess azure and gules overall a tower with a banner argent surrounded with three doves volant two and one.
Demographics
Avegno has a population of 540. Most of the population speaks Italian languageItalian 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...
(429 or 87.0%), 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 (47 or 9.5%) 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 (4 or 0.8%).
Of the population in the village 175 or about 35.5% were born in Avegno and lived there in 2000. There were 170 or 34.5% who were born in the same canton, while 64 or 13.0% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 73 or 14.8% were born outside of Switzerland. , there were 200 people who were single and never married in the village. There were 240 married individuals, 32 widows or widowers and 21 individuals who are divorced.
There were 47 households that consist of only one person and 14 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 193 households that answered this question, 24.4% were households made up of just one person and 4 were adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 42 married couples without children, 78 married couples with children There were 16 single parents with a child or children. There were 4 households that were made up unrelated people and 2 households that were made some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 244 single family homes (or 89.7% of the total) out of a total of 272 inhabited buildings. There were 23 multi-family buildings (8.5%), along with 1 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (0.4%) and 4 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (1.5%). Of the single family homes 11 were built before 1919, while 19 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (102) were built between 1919 and 1945.
there were 305 apartments in the village. The most common apartment size was 4 rooms of which there were 104. There were 13 single room apartments and 84 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 190 apartments (62.3% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 114 apartments (37.4%) were seasonally occupied and 1 apartments (0.3%) were empty.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
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 31.59% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
(29.53%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(16.85%) and the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
(6.99%). In the federal election, a total of 209 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 52.5%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 402 registered voters in Avegno, of which 296 or 73.6% voted. 7 blank ballots were cast, leaving 289 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
+GenGiova which received 63 or 21.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
(with 58 or 20.1%), the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 54 or 18.7%) and the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 54 or 18.7%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 4 blank ballots and 1 null ballot were cast, leaving 291 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PS which received 67 or 23.0% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PPD (with 65 or 22.3%), the PLRT (with 54 or 18.6%) and the SSI (with 52 or 17.9%).
Economy
There were 211 residents of the village who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 33.2% of the workforce. , there were 176 workers who commuted into the village and 164 workers who commuted away. The village is a net importer of workers, with about 1.1 workers entering the village for every one leaving. About 22.2% of the workforce coming into Avegno are coming from outside Switzerland.Religion
From the , 386 or 78.3% were Roman Catholic, while 32 or 6.5% 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...
. Of the rest of the population, there was 1 member of an Orthodox church
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
who belonged, and there were 7 individuals (or about 1.42% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 2 (or about 0.41% of the population) who were Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There were 1 individuals who were Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. 43 (or about 8.72% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 21 individuals (or about 4.26% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Avegno about 202 or (41.0%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 64 or (13.0%) have completed 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...
). Of the 64 who completed tertiary schooling, 60.9% were Swiss men, 32.8% were Swiss women.
, there were 1 students in Avegno who came from another village, while 75 residents attended schools outside the village.