Bondo, Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Bondo is a former municipality
in the district of Maloja
in the Swiss
canton
of Graubünden
. It's now part of the municipality of Bregaglia
.
in the Val Bregaglia
(known as Bergell in German). It is located in the Bergell sub-district of the Maloja district. The valley floor is so deep that parts of the village do not receive any sunlight in winter. The Val Bondasca leads up from here to Piz Badile
and Pizzo Cengalo, peaks of the Bregaglia Range
.
The municipality of Bondo also includes the smaller village of Promontogno and, above that on a rocky outcrop, the ruins of Castelmur
fort. Additionally there are several abandoned settlements.
Bondo has an area, , of 28.2 km² (10.9 sq mi). Of this area, 2.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 37.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (59.3%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).
On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of Bondo, Castasegna
, Soglio
, Stampa
, and Vicosoprano
merged into the new municipality of Bregaglia
.
in 1250. During the High Middle Ages
Bondo was part of a several villages that were collectively known as di là dell'acqua (‘across the water’), which were part of the district of Unterporta. In 1367 Bondo, together with the rest of Unterporta, joined the League of God's House
(German: Gotteshausbund). In 1380 it was first mentioned under the name of Bondo. In German it was also known as Bundth while in Romansh it was known as Buond.
In 1552 the Protestant Reformation
entered the village. During the 16th century some of the population left Bondo to Italy, and later to eastern Europe (either as bakers or soldiers). This trend has continued into the 20th century, except many now leave for northern Graubünden or the rest of Switzerland.
During the 30 Year's War the Three Leagues
were rocked by the Bündner Wirren or Confusion of the Leagues as the decentralized leagues fought each other over religion and politics. In 1621, during the Confusion, Spanish troops burned the entire town to the ground, destroying about 248 structures. The town was rebuilt along new, central streets.
, the gender distribution of the population was 48.7% male and 51.3% female. The age distribution, , in Bondo is; 17 children or 9.4% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 8 teenagers or 4.4% are 10 to 14, and 4 teenagers or 2.2% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 16 people or 8.8% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 24 people or 13.3% are 30 to 39, 18 people or 9.9% are 40 to 49, and 29 people or 16.0% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 19 people or 10.5% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 30 people or 16.6% are 70 to 79, there are 13 people or 7.2% who are 80 to 89, and there are 3 people or 1.7% who are 90 to 99.<
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SP
which received 37% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
(32.4%), the FDP
(20.2%) and the CVP
(10.5%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Bondo about 63.8% of the population (between age 25–64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
).
Bondo has an unemployment rate of 0.61%. , there were 16 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 5 businesses involved in this sector. 22 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 3 businesses in this sector. 36 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 8 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
The church of S. Maria in Castelmur was largely rebuilt in the nineteenth century, but still has its Romanesque
campanile. S. Maria in Bondo also has a Romanesque bell tower. This church was restored in the seventeenth century but retains an important late-fifteenth-century fresco cycle. The remains of the painter Varlin
are interred in the nearby cemetery. Further notable buildings include the Casa Molinari, the Palazzo Scartazzini of 1690, the Palazzo Scartazzini am Platz (formerly Cortini) of 1763 and the Palazzo Salis; this last was begun by Jerome de Salis-Soglio
in 1765 for his wife Mary and completed by their son in 1774. There is also a group of crotti towards Promontagno.
.
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 Maloja
Maloja (district)
Maloja District is an administrative district in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has an area of and has a population of . It is trilingual, with official languages used by municipalities inside the district being, in order of dominance, German, Italian, and Romansh.It consists of two...
in the Swiss
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....
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 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...
. It's now part of the municipality of Bregaglia
Bregaglia
Bregaglia is a municipality in the district of Maloggia in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is a merger of the municipalities of Bondo, Castasegna, Soglio, Stampa and Vicosoprano, all located in the Val Bregaglia.-External links:...
.
Geography
The municipality is located near the Swiss–Italian border south of the Mera RiverMera River
The Mera is a river in Switzerland and Italy. Its source is near the Maloja Pass, in Graubünden, Switzerland. It flows west through the Val Bregaglia and crosses the Italian border near Soglio...
in the Val Bregaglia
Val Bregaglia
The Val Bregaglia or Bergell Tal is an alpine valley of Switzerland and Italy at the base of which runs the river Mera River...
(known as Bergell in German). It is located in the Bergell sub-district of the Maloja district. The valley floor is so deep that parts of the village do not receive any sunlight in winter. The Val Bondasca leads up from here to Piz Badile
Piz Badile
Piz Badile is a mountain in the Bregaglia range in the Swiss canton of Graubünden and Italy, the border between the two countries running along the summit ridge. Its northeast face is considered one of the six great north faces of the Alps....
and Pizzo Cengalo, peaks of the Bregaglia Range
Bregaglia Range
The Bregaglia Range is a small group of mostly granite mountains in Graubünden, Switzerland and the Province of Sondrio, northern Italy. It derives its name from the partly Swiss, partly Italian valley, the Val Bregaglia, and is known as Bergell in German...
.
The municipality of Bondo also includes the smaller village of Promontogno and, above that on a rocky outcrop, the ruins of Castelmur
Ruine Castelmur
The ruins of Castelmur Castle is a large ruined castle located above the village of Bondo in the municipality of Bregaglia in Graubünden, Switzerland....
fort. Additionally there are several abandoned settlements.
Bondo has an area, , of 28.2 km² (10.9 sq mi). Of this area, 2.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 37.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (59.3%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).
On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of Bondo, Castasegna
Castasegna
Castasegna is a former municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden, right at the Italian border. It's now part of the municipality of Bregaglia. The town is situated in the Bergell valley, above the river Mera.-Geography:...
, Soglio
Soglio, Switzerland
Soglio is a former municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden close to the border with Italy. It's now part of the municipality of Bregaglia.-Geography:...
, Stampa
Stampa
Stampa is a former municipality in the Maloja district of the Swiss canton, Graubünden. It is now part of the municipality of Bregaglia.-Geography:Stampa has an area, , of . Of this area, 14.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 18.8% is forested...
, and Vicosoprano
Vicosoprano
Vicosoprano is a former municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and is the largest village in the Val Bregaglia. It's now part of the municipality of Bregaglia.-Geography:...
merged into the new municipality of Bregaglia
Bregaglia
Bregaglia is a municipality in the district of Maloggia in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is a merger of the municipalities of Bondo, Castasegna, Soglio, Stampa and Vicosoprano, all located in the Val Bregaglia.-External links:...
.
History
Under the Carolingian dynasty Bondo belonged to the Ministerium Bergallia, which was a dependant of the early Bishops of Chur, though after 960 it was owned directly by the Bishop. The valley church of S. Maria at Castelmur is first mentioned in 988, while the village church for Bondo, S. Martino, was consecratedConsecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
in 1250. During the High Middle Ages
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....
Bondo was part of a several villages that were collectively known as di là dell'acqua (‘across the water’), which were part of the district of Unterporta. In 1367 Bondo, together with the rest of Unterporta, joined the League of God's House
League of God's House
The League of God's House was formed in what is now Switzerland on January 29, 1367 to resist the rising power of the Bishopric of Chur and the House of Habsburg. The League allied with the Grey League and the League of the Ten Jurisdictions in 1471 to form the Three Leagues...
(German: Gotteshausbund). In 1380 it was first mentioned under the name of Bondo. In German it was also known as Bundth while in Romansh it was known as Buond.
In 1552 the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
entered the village. During the 16th century some of the population left Bondo to Italy, and later to eastern Europe (either as bakers or soldiers). This trend has continued into the 20th century, except many now leave for northern Graubünden or the rest of Switzerland.
During the 30 Year's War the Three Leagues
Three Leagues
The Three Leagues was the alliance of 1471 of the League of God's House, the League of the Ten Jurisdictions and the Grey League, leading eventually to the formation of the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Most of the lands of Graubünden were part of the Roman province Raetia in 15 BC...
were rocked by the Bündner Wirren or Confusion of the Leagues as the decentralized leagues fought each other over religion and politics. In 1621, during the Confusion, Spanish troops burned the entire town to the ground, destroying about 248 structures. The town was rebuilt along new, central streets.
Demographics
Bondo has a population of 204, of which 10.3% are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of −0.5%., the gender distribution of the population was 48.7% male and 51.3% female. The age distribution, , in Bondo is; 17 children or 9.4% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 8 teenagers or 4.4% are 10 to 14, and 4 teenagers or 2.2% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 16 people or 8.8% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 24 people or 13.3% are 30 to 39, 18 people or 9.9% are 40 to 49, and 29 people or 16.0% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 19 people or 10.5% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 30 people or 16.6% are 70 to 79, there are 13 people or 7.2% who are 80 to 89, and there are 3 people or 1.7% who are 90 to 99.<
In the 2007 federal election
Swiss 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 SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
which received 37% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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...
(32.4%), the FDP
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(20.2%) and 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...
(10.5%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Bondo about 63.8% of the population (between age 25–64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
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...
).
Bondo has an unemployment rate of 0.61%. , there were 16 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 5 businesses involved in this sector. 22 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 3 businesses in this sector. 36 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 8 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1803 | 235 |
| 1850 | 230 |
| 1900 | 304 |
| 1950 | 239 |
| 1960 | 254 |
| 2000 | 181 |
Languages
Most of the population speaks Italian (77.3%), with German being second most common (19.3%) and Romansh being third ( 1.7%). In 1900, 92.76% of the population spoke Italian and in 1970 it was 95.65%. It wasn't until 1980 that there was a significant German-speaking minority.| Languages in Bondo GR | ||||||
| Languages | Census 1980 | Census 1990 | Census 2000 | |||
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| German | 25 | 13.59 % | 26 | 16.15 % | 35 | 19.34 % |
| Romansh | 1 | 0.54 % | 0 | 0.00 % | 3 | 1.66 % |
| Italian | 155 | 84.24 % | 133 | 82.61 % | 140 | 77.35 % |
| Population | 184 | 100 % | 161 | 100 % | 181 | 100 % |
Architecture
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
campanile. S. Maria in Bondo also has a Romanesque bell tower. This church was restored in the seventeenth century but retains an important late-fifteenth-century fresco cycle. The remains of the painter Varlin
Varlin
Varlin was a Jewish Swiss painter.His position in Swiss art history of the 20th century is exceptional: Varlin wasn’t influenced by avantgardist and abstract movements of his time, he coined his stand-alone own figurative work, that was about the fragility of every day life.Varlin was friends with...
are interred in the nearby cemetery. Further notable buildings include the Casa Molinari, the Palazzo Scartazzini of 1690, the Palazzo Scartazzini am Platz (formerly Cortini) of 1763 and the Palazzo Salis; this last was begun by Jerome de Salis-Soglio
Jerome, 2nd Count de Salis
Jérôme de Salis, 2nd Count de Salis-Soglio was a Fellow of the Royal Society, and sometime British Resident in the Grisons...
in 1765 for his wife Mary and completed by their son in 1774. There is also a group of crotti towards Promontagno.
Heritage sites of national significance
The Castelmur medieval fortifications, the church of S. Maria and the Palazzo Salis are listed as Swiss heritage sites 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...
.