Muralto
Encyclopedia
Muralto is a municipality
in the district of Locarno
, in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
settlement were discovered. However, all the items discovered in these early excavations are either lost or they are kept in museums in Locarno
, Bern and Zurich
. In 1936-37 and again in 1947, detailed excavations were carried out, which discovered a large necropolis
. Excavations at various sites then followed in 1977 and 1989. According to archaeological findings, the area was uninhabited until a Roman vicus
grew up. The vicus stretched along the lake shore and into the surrounding hills.
On the top terrace, there was a vast burial ground, in which about 300 tombs have been discovered. These tombs contained rich grave goods including; coins, terracotta figurines and glass objects from the 1st-2nd Century AD. Noteworthy is the hot decorated bird cup (20-50 AD). It is believed that there are still a number of undiscovered tombs in burial ground.
Below the necropolis was the business district. Both shops and a workshop from 1st Century have been discovered. In the 3rd Century, this area was renovated into a building complex which consisted of a factory and market hall with spas, blacksmiths, glass melting furnace, granaries and warehouses for quartz and steatite.
On the lowest terrace, there were residential buildings, a provisional army camp and Roman villas from the 1st Century AD. The remains of walls and channels show that the settlement was protected and had a steady water supply. The size of the vicus suggests that there existed, at that time, a deep trade relationship between the Alpine valleys and the Po Valley
through Lake Maggiore
to the Ticino and then the Po rivers.
of the parish
of Locarno and had authority over all of the Locarno region and until the early 15th Century, the Maggia valley as well. The present church of S. Vittore of Locarno, was built in 1090-1100 and is mentioned for the first time in 1152. It served until 1816 as the collegiate church
, after which the Church of S. Antonio in Locarno took over this authority. In the 13th to 15th Centuries there was at least a pastor
and eight canons
at the church. The earliest statues of the church are from 1487.
By the middle of the 12th Century, it was a three-nave
church with a significant series of romanesque
fresco
es. During the restoration of 1965-84, virtually all of the 19th Century repairs were removed. In the 14th and 15th Centuries gothic style
frescoes were added. The bell tower, with a bas-relief of St. Viktor's horse (1460–62) from Visconti Castle in Locarno, was built in 1524-27. It was repaired and expanded in 1932.
In 1745 the mortuary chapel (ossuary
) with a small porch was added. In 1857, Giacomo Antonio Pedrazzi and Giovanni Antonio Vanoni
painted the church.
and early modern period
, Muralto and Orselina
formed the Vicinanza
of Consiglio Mezzano, one of the largest in the Locarno area. The Vicinanza consisted, initially, of the settlement on the mountainside (the Squadra di Sopra, today Orselina) and the settlements on the lakeshore (the Squadra di Sotto and the Squadra Tues Basso, consisting of the settlements Consiglio Mezzano, Muralto and Burbaglio). During the Early Middle Ages
, there was a castle in Muralto. In 1190, the Bishop of Como
granted it to Beltramo and Gaffo de Muralto to hold as a fief. The Muralto family was eventually granted the title of Capitanei and became part of the Corporation of Nobles in Locarno. The castle was destroyed in 1380, and the few remains that were still exposed in late 19th Century, are probably of fortifications that were built in the 15th Century.
Muralto is first mentioned in 1235.
The Church of San Stefano was first mentioned in 1264. It stood next to the church of S. Vittore until 1905, when it was demolished to make way for a hotel park.
In the Middle Ages and into the modern era, the Vicinanza of Consiglio Mezzano owned property and rights in the Magadino valley to Contone
. Along the mountain sides, farming and grazing prevailed, while the settlements on the lake shore made their living from fishing and shipping. In the first half of the 19th Century, Locarno established itself as a regional power center, to the detriment of Orselina. The port of Muralto lost its importance as a result of competition from the newly built port (1825–26) in Locarno. Likewise, the salt refinery, which was on the stream Ramogna, was replaced when a salt storage plant was built in Locarno in 1829. In the second half of the 19th Century, industrial and tourism businesses grew up in the shoreline settlements, due to the construction of the railroad in 1874. The mountain settlements, however, remained dependent on traditional farming. Muralto experienced a real industrial expansion and became a leading industrial center in the area. In 1874 Birreria Nazionale built a factory in town. Between 1886-95 Bacilieri spinning was active in Muralto. Between the end of World War I
and the mid-20th Century a number of watch manufactures also set up factories in town. The first modern tourist institutions in the region originated in Muralto. Between 1874-76, the Grand Hôtel was built, followed in 1886 by the Hotel Reber, both of which were closed in 2006. Then, in 1894, the Park Hotel was built. It was replaced in 1986 by a nursing home.
In 1893, Muralto was the first municipality in the region to have public, electric lighting. In 1902 the Esperia cinema opened. The strong population growth between 1888-1910 is due an influx of German-speaking Swiss. In 1891, therefore, a Swiss-German school (open until 1994) and in 1901 a Swiss Reformed
church were built. In 1925 the Reformed parish became independent and had their own pastor.
Starting in the middle of the 20th Century, Muralto developed into a tourist destination and residential community with a multi-purpose conference center of regional importance. The development between 1950–70, replaced the late 19th Century villas and parks, with modern buildings. In 2000, a fifth of the population was German and almost three quarters of all workers came from abroad. In 2005, approximately 95% of jobs in the municipality were in the services sector.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 68.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 18.3%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 6.7%. Out of the forested land, 1.7% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.7% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 1.7% is used for growing crops, while 1.7% is used for orchards or vine crops and 68.3% is used for alpine pastures.
The municipality is located in the Locarno district, in the agglomeration
of Locarno. It lies along Lake Maggiore and is bordered by the Ramogna and Rabissale streams. It was created in 1881, when it separated from Orselina.
Most of the population speaks Italian
(68.4%), with German
being second most common (19.9%) and Macedonian
being third (2.8%). Of the Swiss national languages , 533 speak German, 55 people speak French
, 1,830 people speak Italian, and 6 people speak Romansh. The remainder (252 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 45.8% male and 54.2% female. The population was made up of 903 Swiss men (32.3% of the population), and 378 (13.5%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,171 Swiss women (41.8%), and 347 (12.4%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 12 live births to Swiss citizens and 8 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 36 deaths of Swiss citizens and 10 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 24 while the foreign population decreased by 2. There were 2 Swiss men and 4 Swiss women who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 24 non-Swiss men and 20 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was a decrease of 4 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 25 people. This represents a population growth rate of 0.7%.
The age distribution, , in Muralto is; 177 children or 6.3% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 185 teenagers or 6.6% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 289 people or 10.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 332 people or 11.9% are between 30 and 39, 395 people or 14.1% are between 40 and 49, and 375 people or 13.4% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 406 people or 14.5% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 312 people or 11.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 328 people or 11.7% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.55 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 21.3% 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 1,448 private households in the municipality, and an average of 1.8 persons per household. there were 92 single family homes (or 22.9% of the total) out of a total of 402 inhabited buildings. There were 49 two family buildings (12.2%) and 167 multi-family buildings (41.5%). There were also 94 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.37%. there were 2,106 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 659. There were 247 single room apartments and 221 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 1,435 apartments (68.1% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 612 apartments (29.1%) were seasonally occupied and 59 apartments (2.8%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 4.3 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
.
is located within the Muralto municipality.
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 30.17% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(26.92%), the SP
(14.75%) and the SVP
(11.98%). In the federal election, a total of 834 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 45.0%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 1,897 registered voters in Muralto, of which 998 or 52.6% voted. 22 blank ballots and 4 null ballots were cast, leaving 972 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD
+GenGiova which received 291 or 29.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT
(with 183 or 18.8%), the SSI (with 176 or 18.1%) and the PS
(with 119 or 12.2%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 15 blank ballots and 7 null ballots were cast, leaving 976 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD which received 280 or 28.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA (with 165 or 16.9%), the PLRT (with 160 or 16.4%) and the SSI (with 159 or 16.3%).
, there were 1,162 workers who commuted into the municipality and 738 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.6 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 5.3% of the workforce coming into Muralto are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 12.5% used public transportation to get to work, and 42.2% used a private car.
, there were 18 hotels in Muralto with a total of 463 rooms and 824 beds.
).
In Muralto there were a total of 314 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Muralto there were 39 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the village, 104 students attended the standard primary schools and 5 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 79 students in the two year middle school and 2 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 40 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 15 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 25 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 5 students in the professional program.
, there were 5 students in Muralto who came from another municipality, while 219 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 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....
.
Roman settlement
In the second half of the 19th Century, the ruins of a RomanSwitzerland in the Roman era
The history of Switzerland in the Roman era encompasses the roughly six centuries during which the territory of modern Switzerland was a part of the Roman Republic and Empire...
settlement were discovered. However, all the items discovered in these early excavations are either lost or they are kept in museums in 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...
, Bern and Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
. In 1936-37 and again in 1947, detailed excavations were carried out, which discovered a large necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
. Excavations at various sites then followed in 1977 and 1989. According to archaeological findings, the area was uninhabited until a Roman vicus
Vicus (Rome)
In ancient Rome, the vicus was a neighborhood. During the Republican era, the four regiones of the city of Rome were subdivided into vici. In the 1st century BC, Augustus reorganized the city for administrative purposes into 14 regions, comprising 265 vici. Each vicus had its own board of...
grew up. The vicus stretched along the lake shore and into the surrounding hills.
On the top terrace, there was a vast burial ground, in which about 300 tombs have been discovered. These tombs contained rich grave goods including; coins, terracotta figurines and glass objects from the 1st-2nd Century AD. Noteworthy is the hot decorated bird cup (20-50 AD). It is believed that there are still a number of undiscovered tombs in burial ground.
Below the necropolis was the business district. Both shops and a workshop from 1st Century have been discovered. In the 3rd Century, this area was renovated into a building complex which consisted of a factory and market hall with spas, blacksmiths, glass melting furnace, granaries and warehouses for quartz and steatite.
On the lowest terrace, there were residential buildings, a provisional army camp and Roman villas from the 1st Century AD. The remains of walls and channels show that the settlement was protected and had a steady water supply. The size of the vicus suggests that there existed, at that time, a deep trade relationship between the Alpine valleys and the Po Valley
Po Valley
The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain is a major geographical feature of Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of 46,000 km² including its Venetic extension not actually related to the Po River basin; it runs from the Western Alps to the...
through Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest of Italy and largest of southern Switzerland. Lake Maggiore is the most westerly of the three great prealpine lakes of Italy, it extends for about 70 km between Locarno and Arona.The climate is mild...
to the Ticino and then the Po rivers.
Church of S. Vittore
By the Middle Ages, the Church of S. Vittore was the mother churchMother 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...
of 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 Locarno and had authority over all of the Locarno region and until the early 15th Century, the Maggia valley as well. The present church of S. Vittore of Locarno, was built in 1090-1100 and is mentioned for the first time in 1152. It served until 1816 as the collegiate church
Collegiate church
In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
, after which the Church of S. Antonio in Locarno took over this authority. In the 13th to 15th Centuries there was at least a pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
and eight canons
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
at the church. The earliest statues of the church are from 1487.
By the middle of the 12th Century, it was 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 with a significant series of romanesque
Romanesque art
Romanesque art refers to the art of Western Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century, or later, depending on region. The preceding period is increasingly known as the Pre-Romanesque...
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. During the restoration of 1965-84, virtually all of the 19th Century repairs were removed. In the 14th and 15th Centuries gothic style
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
frescoes were added. The bell tower, with a bas-relief of St. Viktor's horse (1460–62) from Visconti Castle in Locarno, was built in 1524-27. It was repaired and expanded in 1932.
In 1745 the mortuary chapel (ossuary
Ossuary
An ossuary is a chest, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. They are frequently used where burial space is scarce. A body is first buried in a temporary grave, then after some years the skeletal remains are removed and placed in an ossuary...
) with a small porch was added. In 1857, Giacomo Antonio Pedrazzi and Giovanni Antonio Vanoni
Giovanni Antonio Vanoni
Giovanni Antonio Vanoni was a Swiss painter.In 1857, Giovanni Antonio Vanoni and Giacomo Antonio Pedrazzi painted the Church of S. Vittore in Muralto.-References:*This article was initially translated from the German Wikipedia....
painted the church.
Medieval town
The former trading post and vicus were abandoned by the beginning of the 5th Century. However, the area around what is now the church of S. Vittore was settled around the same time. The church was built in the 5th or 6th Century on the ruins of a Roman villa from the 1st Century. In 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...
and early modern period
Early Modern Switzerland
The early modern history of the Old Swiss Confederacy , lasting from formal independence in 1648 to the French invasion of 1798 came to be referred as Ancien Régime retrospectively, in post-Napoleonic Switzerland.The early modern period was characterized by an increasingly...
, Muralto and Orselina
Orselina
Orselina is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Orselina is first mentioned in 1182 as Concilio Meziano. In 1323 it was mentioned as Orsarina...
formed the Vicinanza
Bürgergemeinde
The Bürgergemeinde is a statutory corporation in public law in Switzerland...
of Consiglio Mezzano, one of the largest in the Locarno area. The Vicinanza consisted, initially, of the settlement on the mountainside (the Squadra di Sopra, today Orselina) and the settlements on the lakeshore (the Squadra di Sotto and the Squadra Tues Basso, consisting of the settlements Consiglio Mezzano, Muralto and Burbaglio). During the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
, there was a castle in Muralto. In 1190, the Bishop of Como
Roman Catholic Diocese of Como
The Catholic diocese of Como, in northern Italy, has existed since the fourth century. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Milan. The bishops' seat is in Como Cathedral....
granted it to Beltramo and Gaffo de Muralto to hold as a fief. The Muralto family was eventually granted the title of Capitanei and became part of the Corporation of Nobles in Locarno. The castle was destroyed in 1380, and the few remains that were still exposed in late 19th Century, are probably of fortifications that were built in the 15th Century.
Muralto is first mentioned in 1235.
The Church of San Stefano was first mentioned in 1264. It stood next to the church of S. Vittore until 1905, when it was demolished to make way for a hotel park.
Modern Muralto
In 1803, the municipality of Orselina was created with Muralto as a part of Orselina. In 1881, disagreements between the upper and the lower part of the municipality led to Muralto breaking away to form an independent municipality. In 1903 and 1908, two new the resident communities (Vicinanza) were created in the two municipalities. Until 1816, the church of S. Vittore in Muralto was also the church for the municipality of Orselina. In 1926 Muralto broke away from the parish of Locarno to become an independent parish.In the Middle Ages and into the modern era, the Vicinanza of Consiglio Mezzano owned property and rights in the Magadino valley to Contone
Contone
Contone is a former municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.On 25 April 2010, the former municipalities of Caviano, Contone, Gerra Gambarogno, Indemini, Magadino, Piazzogna, San Nazzaro, Sant'Abbondio and Vira Gambarogno merged in the new municipality of...
. Along the mountain sides, farming and grazing prevailed, while the settlements on the lake shore made their living from fishing and shipping. In the first half of the 19th Century, Locarno established itself as a regional power center, to the detriment of Orselina. The port of Muralto lost its importance as a result of competition from the newly built port (1825–26) in Locarno. Likewise, the salt refinery, which was on the stream Ramogna, was replaced when a salt storage plant was built in Locarno in 1829. In the second half of the 19th Century, industrial and tourism businesses grew up in the shoreline settlements, due to the construction of the railroad in 1874. The mountain settlements, however, remained dependent on traditional farming. Muralto experienced a real industrial expansion and became a leading industrial center in the area. In 1874 Birreria Nazionale built a factory in town. Between 1886-95 Bacilieri spinning was active in Muralto. Between the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the mid-20th Century a number of watch manufactures also set up factories in town. The first modern tourist institutions in the region originated in Muralto. Between 1874-76, the Grand Hôtel was built, followed in 1886 by the Hotel Reber, both of which were closed in 2006. Then, in 1894, the Park Hotel was built. It was replaced in 1986 by a nursing home.
In 1893, Muralto was the first municipality in the region to have public, electric lighting. In 1902 the Esperia cinema opened. The strong population growth between 1888-1910 is due an influx of German-speaking Swiss. In 1891, therefore, a Swiss-German school (open until 1994) and in 1901 a Swiss Reformed
Swiss 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...
church were built. In 1925 the Reformed parish became independent and had their own pastor.
Starting in the middle of the 20th Century, Muralto developed into a tourist destination and residential community with a multi-purpose conference center of regional importance. The development between 1950–70, replaced the late 19th Century villas and parks, with modern buildings. In 2000, a fifth of the population was German and almost three quarters of all workers came from abroad. In 2005, approximately 95% of jobs in the municipality were in the services sector.
Geography
Muralto has an area, , of 0.6 square kilometre (0.231661295155521 sq mi). Of this area, 0.43 km² (0.16602392819479 sq mi) or 71.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.02 km² (0.0077220431718507 sq mi) or 3.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.56 km² (0.21621720881182 sq mi) or 93.3% is settled (buildings or roads) and 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 1.7% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 68.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 18.3%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 6.7%. Out of the forested land, 1.7% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.7% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 1.7% is used for growing crops, while 1.7% is used for orchards or vine crops and 68.3% is used for alpine pastures.
The municipality is located in the Locarno district, in the agglomeration
Agglomeration
In the study of human settlements, an urban agglomeration is an extended city or town area comprising the built-up area of a central place and any suburbs linked by continuous urban area. In France, INSEE the French Statistical Institute, translate it as "Unité urbaine" which means continuous...
of Locarno. It lies along Lake Maggiore and is bordered by the Ramogna and Rabissale streams. It was created in 1881, when it separated from Orselina.
Demographics
Muralto has a population of . , 26.9% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of -1.1%.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...
(68.4%), 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 (19.9%) and Macedonian
Macedonian language
Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...
being third (2.8%). Of the Swiss national languages , 533 speak German, 55 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...
, 1,830 people speak Italian, and 6 people speak Romansh. The remainder (252 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 45.8% male and 54.2% female. The population was made up of 903 Swiss men (32.3% of the population), and 378 (13.5%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,171 Swiss women (41.8%), and 347 (12.4%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 12 live births to Swiss citizens and 8 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 36 deaths of Swiss citizens and 10 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 24 while the foreign population decreased by 2. There were 2 Swiss men and 4 Swiss women who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 24 non-Swiss men and 20 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was a decrease of 4 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 25 people. This represents a population growth rate of 0.7%.
The age distribution, , in Muralto is; 177 children or 6.3% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 185 teenagers or 6.6% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 289 people or 10.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 332 people or 11.9% are between 30 and 39, 395 people or 14.1% are between 40 and 49, and 375 people or 13.4% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 406 people or 14.5% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 312 people or 11.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 328 people or 11.7% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.55 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 21.3% 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 1,448 private households in the municipality, and an average of 1.8 persons per household. there were 92 single family homes (or 22.9% of the total) out of a total of 402 inhabited buildings. There were 49 two family buildings (12.2%) and 167 multi-family buildings (41.5%). There were also 94 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.37%. there were 2,106 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 659. There were 247 single room apartments and 221 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 1,435 apartments (68.1% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 612 apartments (29.1%) were seasonally occupied and 59 apartments (2.8%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 4.3 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1850 | 782 |
| 1888 | 1,019 |
| 1900 | 1,502 |
| 1910 | 1,950 |
| 1950 | 2,673 |
| 1970 | 3,090 |
| 2000 | 2,676 |
Heritage sites of national significance
The Collegiata Di S. Vittore, the Grand Hotel and the Vicus at via della Collegiata/via del Municipio 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...
.
Transportation
The Locarno railway stationLocarno railway station
Locarno railway station serves the city of Locarno, in the Canton of Ticino, Switzerland. However, the station is located within the adjacent municipality of Muralto, near the shore of Lake Maggiore...
is located within the Muralto municipality.
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 30.17% 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....
(26.92%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(14.75%) 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...
(11.98%). In the federal election, a total of 834 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 45.0%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 1,897 registered voters in Muralto, of which 998 or 52.6% voted. 22 blank ballots and 4 null ballots were cast, leaving 972 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 291 or 29.9% 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 183 or 18.8%), the SSI (with 176 or 18.1%) and the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 119 or 12.2%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 15 blank ballots and 7 null ballots were cast, leaving 976 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD which received 280 or 28.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA (with 165 or 16.9%), the PLRT (with 160 or 16.4%) and the SSI (with 159 or 16.3%).
Economy
, Muralto had an unemployment rate of 6.52%. , there were 2 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 1 business involved in this sector. 53 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 15 businesses in this sector. 1,199 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 215 businesses in this sector. There were 1,123 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 43.4% of the workforce., there were 1,162 workers who commuted into the municipality and 738 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.6 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 5.3% of the workforce coming into Muralto are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 12.5% used public transportation to get to work, and 42.2% used a private car.
, there were 18 hotels in Muralto with a total of 463 rooms and 824 beds.
Religion
From the , 1,713 or 64.0% were Roman Catholic, while 365 or 13.6% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. There are 464 individuals (or about 17.34% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 134 individuals (or about 5.01% of the population) did not answer the question.Education
In Muralto about 61.1% 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 Muralto there were a total of 314 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 Muralto there were 39 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the village, 104 students attended the standard primary schools and 5 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 79 students in the two year middle school and 2 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 40 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 15 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 25 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 5 students in the professional program.
, there were 5 students in Muralto who came from another municipality, while 219 residents attended schools outside the municipality.