Gerra (Verzasca)
Encyclopedia
Gerra is a part of the municipality
of Cugnasco-Gerra
in the district of Locarno
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
Gerra was an independent
municipality until January 1, 2009, when it merged with Cugnasco
to form Cugnasco-Gerra
.
, Minusio
and Mergoscia
in the Terricciole plains were separated from the cities. In 1742, the parish
of Gerra was created when it separated from Brione. The church of San Giovanni Evangelista already existed in the 15th Century but was destroyed twice: in the late 16th Century by a landslide and 1817 by a flood. The present church dates to 1819. The Church of Sacro Cuore in Gerra Piano was built in 1930. In Gerra Valle there is a mill dating from the 16th century, and a house from 1470.
The inhabitants lived on agriculture and livestock. Since the 14th Century, there have been annual summer cattle drives to the Alpine pastures
. They spent the winters in the Magadino or Sottoceneri valleys. Due to limited agricultural land, portions of the population has emigrated since the 17th Century. Between 1860 and 1874 about a quarter of the population emigrated. In the late 20th and early 21st Centuries the population rose due to the development of Gerra Piano to an important local center. However, in the valley the population has declined.
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...
of Cugnasco-Gerra
Cugnasco-Gerra
Cugnasco-Gerra is a municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It was formed on January 1, 2009, through the merger of Cugnasco and Gerra .-Location:Cugnasco-Gerra has an area, , of .Cugnasco is on the outskirts of the Magadino valley...
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....
.
Gerra was an independent
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
municipality until January 1, 2009, when it merged with Cugnasco
Cugnasco
Cugnasco is a village in the municipality Cugnasco-Gerra of the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.Cugnasco had a population of nearly 1300....
to form Cugnasco-Gerra
Cugnasco-Gerra
Cugnasco-Gerra is a municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It was formed on January 1, 2009, through the merger of Cugnasco and Gerra .-Location:Cugnasco-Gerra has an area, , of .Cugnasco is on the outskirts of the Magadino valley...
.
Location
It consisted of Gerra Piano and Agarone, exclaves in the Magadino Plain, and the main part (Gerra Valle) of the municipality in the Verzasca valley.History
Gerra is first mentioned in 1387 as Giera. Until 1852, it was part of Brione. The exclaves were assigned to Gerra in 1920, when the scattered landholdings of LocarnoLocarno
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...
, Minusio
Minusio
Minusio is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:In the Ceresole section, a significant Iron Age necropolis was discovered. It held about 20 graves and rich grave goods. Nearby, several Roman graveyards from the 1st and 2nd Centuries AD, were...
and Mergoscia
Mergoscia
Mergoscia is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Mergoscia is first mentioned in 1061 as Mergossia, though this comes from a copy of the original from 1402. In 1300 it was mentioned as Mergosia. In 1313, Mergoscia split from the Vicinanza of...
in the Terricciole plains were separated from the cities. In 1742, 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 Gerra was created when it separated from Brione. The church of San Giovanni Evangelista already existed in the 15th Century but was destroyed twice: in the late 16th Century by a landslide and 1817 by a flood. The present church dates to 1819. The Church of Sacro Cuore in Gerra Piano was built in 1930. In Gerra Valle there is a mill dating from the 16th century, and a house from 1470.
The inhabitants lived on agriculture and livestock. Since the 14th Century, there have been annual summer cattle drives to the Alpine 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...
. They spent the winters in the Magadino or Sottoceneri valleys. Due to limited agricultural land, portions of the population has emigrated since the 17th Century. Between 1860 and 1874 about a quarter of the population emigrated. In the late 20th and early 21st Centuries the population rose due to the development of Gerra Piano to an important local center. However, in the valley the population has declined.
Historic population
The historical population is given in the following table:| Year | Population Gerra (Verzasca) |
|---|---|
| 1801 | 304 |
| 1870 | 186 |
| 1900 | 413 |
| 1950 | 451 |
| 2000 | 1,098 |