Moleno
Encyclopedia
Moleno is a municipality
in the district of Bellinzona
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
, the water running from the Moleno valley formed the southern boundary of the Levantine valley. In 1335, it became part of the County of Bellinzona. In 1396, its territory was combined with Preonzo
, to form a single village community. In 1403-22 it was part of the Uri
and Obwalden
dominated Levantine district. This situation lasted until Bellinzona moved against the Confederates
. During these years, the confederation officers recognized, the rights and customary law of Moleno and Preonzo.
The parish church
of S. Vittore was built in the 13th Century. In the 15th Century it was rebuilt and in 1542, it broke away from the church at Biasca
. Moleno, Gnosca
and Preonzo were the three municipalities in the district of Bellinzona where the Ambrosian Rite
was followed in the churches.
In the past, the economy was dominated by farming and alpine herding. However, in 2000, two thirds of the workforce commuted (especially to Biasca and Bellinzona).
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.9% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.0%. Out of the forested land, 70.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 5.9% is used for growing crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 4.7% is unproductive vegetation and 2.9% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Bellinzona district, on the northern border of the district.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Azure in chief a maize cob fesswise Or and in base a Millstone Argent with Fer-de-Moline of the first. The millstone alludes to the name of the municipality (mill = mulino in Italian)."
Most of the population speaks Italian
(90.5%), with German
being second most common ( 6.7%) and French
being third ( 1.9%). Of the Swiss national languages , 7 speak German, 2 people speak French, 95 people speak Italian. The remainder (1 person) speaks another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 52.6% male and 47.4% female. The population was made up of 48 Swiss men (41.4% of the population), and 13 (11.2%) non-Swiss men. There were 49 Swiss women (42.2%), and 6 (5.2%) non-Swiss women. In the total Swiss population change (from all sources) was a decrease of 0 and the non-Swiss population change was a decrease of 2 people. This represents a population growth rate of -1.8%.
The age distribution, , in Moleno is; 4 children or 3.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 14 teenagers or 12.1% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 15 people or 12.9% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 13 people or 11.2% are between 30 and 39, 22 people or 19.0% are between 40 and 49, and 20 people or 17.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 11 people or 9.5% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 8 people or 6.9% are between 70 and 79, there are 9 people or 7.8% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.56 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 68.3% 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 41 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.6 persons per household. there were 52 single family homes (or 85.2% of the total) out of a total of 61 inhabited buildings. There were 6 two family buildings (9.8%) and 1 multi-family buildings (1.6%). There were also 2 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 69 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 5 room apartment of which there were 23. There were 7 single room apartments and 23 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 41 apartments (59.4% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 28 apartments (40.6%) were seasonally occupied. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
the most popular party was the SP
which received 41.82% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(35.22%), the Green Party
(8.81%) and the CVP
(6.92%). In the federal election, a total of 45 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 57.7%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 73 registered voters in Moleno, of which 54 or 74.0% voted. The most popular party was the PS
which received 19 or 35.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT
(with 11 or 20.4%), the SSI (with 10 or 18.5%) and the LEGA
(with 4 or 7.4%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, there were 54 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PS which received 21 or 38.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT (with 9 or 16.7%), the LEGA (with 8 or 14.8%) and the SSI (with 7 or 13.0%).
There were 41 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 34.1% of the workforce. , there were 5 workers who commuted into the municipality and 29 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 5.8 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 7.3% used public transportation to get to work, and 70.7% used a private car.
. There are 5 individuals (or about 4.76% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 3 individuals (or about 2.86% of the population) did not answer the question.
).
In Moleno there are a total of 17 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Moleno there are 2 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 5 students attend the standard primary schools. 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 are 5 students in the two year middle school, 0 in their pre-apprenticeship, and 0 students who are 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 are 2 vocational students who are attending school full-time and 3 who attend part-time.
, 17 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 Bellinzona
Bellinzona (district)
The district of Bellinzona is a district of Canton Ticino, Switzerland. It has a population of .-Geography:The district has an area, , of . Of this area, or 13.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 68.7% is forested...
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
Moleno is first mentioned in 1213, though this comes from a copy from 1588. In 1256 it was mentioned as a Rivo de Moline. During the Middle AgesMiddle 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 water running from the Moleno valley formed the southern boundary of the Levantine valley. In 1335, it became part of the County of Bellinzona. In 1396, its territory was combined with Preonzo
Preonzo
Preonzo is a municipality in the district of Bellinzona in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Preonzo is first mentioned in 1335 as Prevonzo. In the 14th Century, Moleno and Preonzo formed a settlement. In 1335 it became a municipality in the County of Bellinzona. During the first...
, to form a single village community. In 1403-22 it was part of the 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...
and Obwalden
Obwalden
Obwalden is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the centre of Switzerland. The population is 33,997 of which 4,043 are foreigners. Its capital is Sarnen. The canton contains the geographical centre of Switzerland.-History:...
dominated Levantine district. This situation lasted until Bellinzona moved against the Confederates
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
. During these years, the confederation officers recognized, the rights and customary law of Moleno and Preonzo.
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. Vittore was built in the 13th Century. In the 15th Century it was rebuilt and in 1542, it broke away from the church at 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:...
. Moleno, Gnosca
Gnosca
Gnosca is a municipality in the district of Bellinzona in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Gnosca is first mentioned in 1198 as Niosca in the records of Como and the cathedral of Milan. While it is likely that there were earlier settlements, nothing is known about them. An arbitration...
and Preonzo were the three municipalities in the district of Bellinzona where 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...
was followed in the churches.
In the past, the economy was dominated by farming and alpine herding. However, in 2000, two thirds of the workforce commuted (especially to Biasca and Bellinzona).
Geography
Moleno has an area, , of 7.49 square kilometres (2.9 sq mi). Of this area, 0.53 km² (0.204634144054044 sq mi) or 7.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 5.94 km² (2.3 sq mi) or 79.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.25 km² (0.0965255396481338 sq mi) or 3.3% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.14 km² (34.6 acre) or 1.9% is either rivers or lakes and 0.57 km² (0.220078230397745 sq mi) or 7.6% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.9% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.0%. Out of the forested land, 70.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 5.9% is used for growing crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 4.7% is unproductive vegetation and 2.9% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Bellinzona district, on the northern border of the district.
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 in chief a maize cob fesswise Or and in base a Millstone Argent with Fer-de-Moline of the first. The millstone alludes to the name of the municipality (mill = mulino in Italian)."
Demographics
Moleno has a population of . , 17.0% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 10.7%.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...
(90.5%), 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 ( 6.7%) 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 ( 1.9%). Of the Swiss national languages , 7 speak German, 2 people speak French, 95 people speak Italian. The remainder (1 person) speaks another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 52.6% male and 47.4% female. The population was made up of 48 Swiss men (41.4% of the population), and 13 (11.2%) non-Swiss men. There were 49 Swiss women (42.2%), and 6 (5.2%) non-Swiss women. In the total Swiss population change (from all sources) was a decrease of 0 and the non-Swiss population change was a decrease of 2 people. This represents a population growth rate of -1.8%.
The age distribution, , in Moleno is; 4 children or 3.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 14 teenagers or 12.1% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 15 people or 12.9% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 13 people or 11.2% are between 30 and 39, 22 people or 19.0% are between 40 and 49, and 20 people or 17.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 11 people or 9.5% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 8 people or 6.9% are between 70 and 79, there are 9 people or 7.8% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.56 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 68.3% 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 41 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.6 persons per household. there were 52 single family homes (or 85.2% of the total) out of a total of 61 inhabited buildings. There were 6 two family buildings (9.8%) and 1 multi-family buildings (1.6%). There were also 2 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 69 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 5 room apartment of which there were 23. There were 7 single room apartments and 23 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 41 apartments (59.4% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 28 apartments (40.6%) were seasonally occupied. , 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 |
|---|---|
| 1850 | 145 |
| 1900 | 111 |
| 1950 | 78 |
| 1990 | 76 |
| 2000 | 105 |
Sights
The entire village of Moleno is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage SitesInventory 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 SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
which received 41.82% 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....
(35.22%), the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(8.81%) 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...
(6.92%). In the federal election, a total of 45 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 57.7%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 73 registered voters in Moleno, of which 54 or 74.0% voted. The most popular party was the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
which received 19 or 35.2% 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 11 or 20.4%), the SSI (with 10 or 18.5%) and the LEGA
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...
(with 4 or 7.4%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, there were 54 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PS which received 21 or 38.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT (with 9 or 16.7%), the LEGA (with 8 or 14.8%) and the SSI (with 7 or 13.0%).
Economy
, Moleno had an unemployment rate of 6.25%. , there is 1 person employed in the primary economic sector and about 1 business involved in this sector. 2 people are employed in the secondary sector and there is 1 business in this sector. 1 person is employed in the tertiary sector, with 1 business in this sector.There were 41 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 34.1% of the workforce. , there were 5 workers who commuted into the municipality and 29 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 5.8 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 7.3% used public transportation to get to work, and 70.7% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 90 or 85.7% were Roman Catholic, while 7 or 6.7% 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 5 individuals (or about 4.76% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 3 individuals (or about 2.86% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Moleno about 82.7% 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 Moleno there are a total of 17 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 Moleno there are 2 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 5 students attend the standard primary schools. 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 are 5 students in the two year middle school, 0 in their pre-apprenticeship, and 0 students who are 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 are 2 vocational students who are attending school full-time and 3 who attend part-time.
, 17 residents attended schools outside the municipality.