Giornico
Encyclopedia
Giornico is a municipality
in the district of Leventina
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
During the Middle Ages
, the large Vicinanza
of Giornico comprised 15-20 settlements or villages, which were distributed to several Degagne, the exact border of some are still unclear. This organizational structure remained until the formation of the Canton of Ticino in 1803. During the reign of the Milan Cathedral over the three valleys that followed the Ambrosian Rite
in their worship services, Giornico was a regional administrative center. A court day was held in Giornico for the Leventina valley, which was a supplement to the Placita, the main meetings in Bodio
.
The plague
struck Giornico several times including; 1484, 1566 and 1629 (265 victims).
In the Battle of Giornico
on 28 December 1478 a Swiss force of 600 defeated 10,000 Milan
ese troops.
By 1567, the local parish
was independent, but the date of separation from the church in Biasca
is not known. The Church of St. Nicholas, was built in the second decade of the 12th Century. With its remarkable capitals, it is the most important romanesque
church in the canton. Originally it was part of a 15th Century Benedictine
monastery.
The parish church
of S. Michele is first mentioned in 1210. During the Late Middle Ages
it was rebuilt as a three-nave
church. The three-nave church was replaced in 1787 by a one-nave church. The choir
is from 1644, the bell tower is from 1861.
The church of S. Maria del Castello, with fresco
es by an Seregneser master from 1448, was built in various stages at the site of a castle. The castle was probably built in the 12th Century by the da Giornico family and was destroyed in 1518 by the army of the Canton of Uri
. The castle wall remains and portions of the keep
have been preserved.
The church of S. Pellegrino at the old road to Chironico, was consecrated in 1345 and expanded in the 16th Century. It houses the largest collection of late Renaissance paintings in Ticino (Giovanni Battista and Domenico Tarilli Caresana, 1589). The Casa Stanga, an old inn from the 16th Century, is known for the facade
, which was decorated in 1589 with the coat of arms of famous guests. Since 1972, the building houses the Museum of the Levantine. In the center there is a medieval tower, which according to tradition, was built by Saint Atto of Vercelli
. The center of town is characterized by a row of houses from the 18th-19th Centuries.
The town was damaged in 1868 by a flood, and in 1978, 1993 and 2000 by landslides. New barriers were built to prevent further landslides.
The old road over the Ticino river, has two stone arch bridges, and led on the right side of the valley. It bypassed the Biaschina gorge and ran toward the church of San Pellegrino. Today, the ravine is spanned by railway tunnels and the longest and highest viaduct, on the A2 motorway. The construction of the railway line in the 19th Century brought a loss of importance for Giornico. Because of the steep slope of the line (27‰) the construction of a station suitable for trade and transport was not possible.
The favorable climate have made the cultivation of vineyards and chestnut possible. Originally a farming village that lived from the Gotthard road, the municipality has gradually changed to an industrial and residential town. Since the end of World War II, this trend has accelerated. The steel mills of the Monteforno company, which opened in 1946, closed at the end of 1994. The debate about the future of the abandoned area is still open. A revival of the industrial sector was experienced in 2002 when the maker of railway accessories, Tensol Rail AG from Piotta moved into the town. In 2002 its revenue was about 22.3 million francs.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 1.7% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 1.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.5%. Out of the forested land, 47.4% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 11.1% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 2.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 2.7% is used for growing crops and 1.6% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 11.2% is unproductive vegetation and 14.8% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Leventina district, at the foot of the Biaschina gorge and along the Ticino river. Its location along the Gotthard route, allowed the municipality to profit from travelers along the route. It grew into an important political and religious center in the lower Leventina valley.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Per fess Or and Gules overall three mullets, one and two, counterchanged.
Most of the population speaks Italian
(93.6%), with Portuguese
being second most common ( 2.3%) and German
being third ( 1.6%). Of the Swiss national languages , 14 speak German
, 2 people speak French
, 828 people speak Italian
, and 2 people speak Romansh. The remainder (39 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.2% male and 50.8% female. The population was made up of 315 Swiss men (36.4% of the population), and 111 (12.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 347 Swiss women (40.1%), and 92 (10.6%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 2 live births to Swiss citizens and 2 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 7 deaths of Swiss citizens and 1 non-Swiss citizen death. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 5 while the foreign population increased by 1. There were 2 non-Swiss men and 4 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was a decrease of 14 and the non-Swiss population change was a decrease of 10 people. This represents a population growth rate of -2.6%.
The age distribution, , in Giornico is; 56 children or 6.5% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 83 teenagers or 9.6% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 72 people or 8.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 112 people or 12.9% are between 30 and 39, 155 people or 17.9% are between 40 and 49, and 123 people or 14.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 115 people or 13.3% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 94 people or 10.9% are between 70 and 79, there are 55 people or 6.4% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.6 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 46.3% 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 380 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. there were 244 single family homes (or 71.3% of the total) out of a total of 342 inhabited buildings. There were 50 two family buildings (14.6%) and 31 multi-family buildings (9.1%). There were also 17 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 517 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 180. There were 16 single room apartments and 106 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 374 apartments (72.3% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 83 apartments (16.1%) were seasonally occupied and 60 apartments (11.6%) 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 entire village of Giornico is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
.
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 34.49% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(27.61%), the SP
(18.54%) and the Ticino League
(14.52%). In the federal election, a total of 277 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 47.5%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 585 registered voters in Giornico, of which 421 or 72.0% voted. 7 blank ballots were cast, leaving 414 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD
+GenGiova which received 106 or 25.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT
(with 97 or 23.4%), the PS
(with 72 or 17.4%) and the SSI (with 68 or 16.4%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 3 blank ballots were cast, leaving 419 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD which received 108 or 25.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT (with 98 or 23.4%), the PS (with 77 or 18.4%) and the LEGA (with 65 or 15.5%).
, there were 133 workers who commuted into the municipality and 258 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.9 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 6% used public transportation to get to work, and 65.7% used a private car.
. There are 70 individuals (or about 7.91% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 24 individuals (or about 2.71% of the population) did not answer the question.
).
In Giornico there were a total of 122 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Giornico there were 15 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 33 students attended the standard primary schools and 2 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 33 students in the two year middle school and 1 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 6 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 11 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 18 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 3 students in the professional program.
, there were 192 students in Giornico who came from another municipality, while 27 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
Giornico is first mentioned around 935-94 as de Iudicibus Giornicensis. In 1202 it was mentioned as Iornico, and around 1210-58 it was mentioned as Zurnigo. Formerly, it was known by the German names of Yrnis or Girnis.During the Middle Ages
Middle 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...
, the large Vicinanza
Bürgergemeinde
The Bürgergemeinde is a statutory corporation in public law in Switzerland...
of Giornico comprised 15-20 settlements or villages, which were distributed to several Degagne, the exact border of some are still unclear. This organizational structure remained until the formation of the Canton of Ticino in 1803. During the reign of the Milan Cathedral over the three valleys that followed the Ambrosian Rite
Ambrosian Rite
Ambrosian Rite, also called the Milanese Rite, is a Catholic liturgical Western Rite. The rite is named after Saint Ambrose, a bishop of Milan in the fourth century...
in their worship services, Giornico was a regional administrative center. A court day was held in Giornico for the Leventina valley, which was a supplement to the Placita, the main meetings in Bodio
Bodio
Bodio is a municipality in the district of Leventina in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Bodio is first mentioned in 1227 as Boidi. During the Middle Ages, Bodio and the now abandoned village of Simbra formed a Degagna in the Giornico area...
.
The plague
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
struck Giornico several times including; 1484, 1566 and 1629 (265 victims).
Battle of Giornico
In the Battle of Giornico a Swiss force of 600 defeated 10,000 Milanese troops.This victory against odds of one to twenty was possible because the Milanese army was confined in a narrow valley, struggling for foothold on the December snow and ice. The Swiss ambushed the army from above, creating...
on 28 December 1478 a Swiss force of 600 defeated 10,000 Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
ese troops.
By 1567, the local 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...
was independent, but the date of separation from the church in Biasca
Biasca
Biasca is a town of the district of Riviera in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Biasca is first mentioned in 830 as Aviasca in the Liber viventium of Pfäfers Abbey. In 1119 it was mentioned as Abiasca.-Early history:...
is not known. The Church of St. Nicholas, was built in the second decade of the 12th Century. With its remarkable capitals, it is the most important romanesque
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,...
church in the canton. Originally it was part of a 15th Century Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monastery.
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 S. Michele is first mentioned in 1210. During the Late Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
it was rebuilt as a three-nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
church. The three-nave church was replaced in 1787 by a one-nave church. The choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
is from 1644, the bell tower is from 1861.
The church of S. Maria del Castello, with fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es by an Seregneser master from 1448, was built in various stages at the site of a castle. The castle was probably built in the 12th Century by the da Giornico family and was destroyed in 1518 by the army of the Canton of Uri
Canton of Uri
Uri is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and a founding member of the Swiss Confederation. It is located in Central Switzerland. The canton's territory covers the valley of the Reuss River between Lake Lucerne and the St. Gotthard Pass. German is the primary language spoken in Uri...
. The castle wall remains and portions of the keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
have been preserved.
The church of S. Pellegrino at the old road to Chironico, was consecrated in 1345 and expanded in the 16th Century. It houses the largest collection of late Renaissance paintings in Ticino (Giovanni Battista and Domenico Tarilli Caresana, 1589). The Casa Stanga, an old inn from the 16th Century, is known for the facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
, which was decorated in 1589 with the coat of arms of famous guests. Since 1972, the building houses the Museum of the Levantine. In the center there is a medieval tower, which according to tradition, was built by Saint Atto of Vercelli
Atto of Vercelli
Atto was a Frankish monk and theologian who became Bishop of Vercelli , then in the Kingdom of Italy. Atto was the son of a certain viscount Aldegarius...
. The center of town is characterized by a row of houses from the 18th-19th Centuries.
The town was damaged in 1868 by a flood, and in 1978, 1993 and 2000 by landslides. New barriers were built to prevent further landslides.
The old road over the Ticino river, has two stone arch bridges, and led on the right side of the valley. It bypassed the Biaschina gorge and ran toward the church of San Pellegrino. Today, the ravine is spanned by railway tunnels and the longest and highest viaduct, on the A2 motorway. The construction of the railway line in the 19th Century brought a loss of importance for Giornico. Because of the steep slope of the line (27‰) the construction of a station suitable for trade and transport was not possible.
The favorable climate have made the cultivation of vineyards and chestnut possible. Originally a farming village that lived from the Gotthard road, the municipality has gradually changed to an industrial and residential town. Since the end of World War II, this trend has accelerated. The steel mills of the Monteforno company, which opened in 1946, closed at the end of 1994. The debate about the future of the abandoned area is still open. A revival of the industrial sector was experienced in 2002 when the maker of railway accessories, Tensol Rail AG from Piotta moved into the town. In 2002 its revenue was about 22.3 million francs.
Geography
Giornico has an area, , of 19.48 square kilometres (7.5 sq mi). Of this area, 1.01 km² (0.38996318017846 sq mi) or 5.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 11.86 km² (4.6 sq mi) or 60.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.42 km² (0.5482650652014 sq mi) or 7.3% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.4 km² (0.154440863437014 sq mi) or 2.1% is either rivers or lakes and 5.08 km² (2 sq mi) or 26.1% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 1.7% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 1.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.5%. Out of the forested land, 47.4% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 11.1% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 2.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 2.7% is used for growing crops and 1.6% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 11.2% is unproductive vegetation and 14.8% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Leventina district, at the foot of the Biaschina gorge and along the Ticino river. Its location along the Gotthard route, allowed the municipality to profit from travelers along the route. It grew into an important political and religious center in the lower Leventina valley.
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 Or and Gules overall three mullets, one and two, counterchanged.
Demographics
Giornico has a population of . , 23.2% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of -11.5%.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...
(93.6%), with Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
being second most common ( 2.3%) and 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 third ( 1.6%). Of the Swiss national languages , 14 speak 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....
, 2 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...
, 828 people speak 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...
, and 2 people speak Romansh. The remainder (39 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.2% male and 50.8% female. The population was made up of 315 Swiss men (36.4% of the population), and 111 (12.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 347 Swiss women (40.1%), and 92 (10.6%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 2 live births to Swiss citizens and 2 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 7 deaths of Swiss citizens and 1 non-Swiss citizen death. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 5 while the foreign population increased by 1. There were 2 non-Swiss men and 4 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was a decrease of 14 and the non-Swiss population change was a decrease of 10 people. This represents a population growth rate of -2.6%.
The age distribution, , in Giornico is; 56 children or 6.5% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 83 teenagers or 9.6% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 72 people or 8.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 112 people or 12.9% are between 30 and 39, 155 people or 17.9% are between 40 and 49, and 123 people or 14.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 115 people or 13.3% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 94 people or 10.9% are between 70 and 79, there are 55 people or 6.4% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.6 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 46.3% 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 380 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. there were 244 single family homes (or 71.3% of the total) out of a total of 342 inhabited buildings. There were 50 two family buildings (14.6%) and 31 multi-family buildings (9.1%). There were also 17 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 517 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 180. There were 16 single room apartments and 106 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 374 apartments (72.3% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 83 apartments (16.1%) were seasonally occupied and 60 apartments (11.6%) 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 |
|---|---|
| 1567 | 115 Hearths |
| 1745 | 510 |
| 1850 | 707 |
| 1880 | 2,147 |
| 1900 | 768 |
| 1950 | 820 |
| 1970 | 1,389 |
| 2000 | 1,885 |
Heritage sites of national significance
The Caslasc ruins, the Churches of S. Maria del Castello, S. Nicolao, S. Pellegrino and the Torre di Attone 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 village of Giornico is part of 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:...
.
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 34.49% 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....
(27.61%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(18.54%) 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...
(14.52%). In the federal election, a total of 277 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 47.5%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 585 registered voters in Giornico, of which 421 or 72.0% voted. 7 blank ballots were cast, leaving 414 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 106 or 25.6% 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 97 or 23.4%), the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 72 or 17.4%) and the SSI (with 68 or 16.4%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 3 blank ballots were cast, leaving 419 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD which received 108 or 25.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT (with 98 or 23.4%), the PS (with 77 or 18.4%) and the LEGA (with 65 or 15.5%).
Economy
, Giornico had an unemployment rate of 4.41%. , there were 22 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 14 businesses involved in this sector. 204 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 11 businesses in this sector. 112 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 26 businesses in this sector. There were 382 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 35.9% of the workforce., there were 133 workers who commuted into the municipality and 258 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.9 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 6% used public transportation to get to work, and 65.7% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 778 or 87.9% were Roman Catholic, while 13 or 1.5% 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...
. There are 70 individuals (or about 7.91% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 24 individuals (or about 2.71% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Giornico about 59.5% 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 Giornico there were a total of 122 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 Giornico there were 15 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 33 students attended the standard primary schools and 2 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 33 students in the two year middle school and 1 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 6 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 11 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 18 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 3 students in the professional program.
, there were 192 students in Giornico who came from another municipality, while 27 residents attended schools outside the municipality.