Sorengo
Encyclopedia
Sorengo is a municipality
in the district of Lugano
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
acquired the right to collect tithes.
In the Late Middle Ages
a number of groups owned land or rights in Sorengo including; the monastery of S. Abbondio in Como
(from 1265), Como Cathedral
(mentioned in 1298), and various important family, including the Torriani and Rusca. Sorengo was first mentioned as an independent municipality in 1298, and the settlement of Cortivallo had partial independence into the 18th Century. Sorengeo alternated with Lugano and Loreto as the meeting place of the General Council of the city and valley of Lugano. It was used by the Council in the 16th Century, in 1687 and again in 1696.
The inhabitants of Sorengo were part of the parish
of Lugano, until 1776 when they became a separate parish. The church of S. Maria Assunta dates back to about the end of the 11th Century back, but is not mentioned until 1298. It was expanded in 1566-1593, then rebuilt several times, and renovated in 1975-76 and 1980-81. In 1565 some monks from Bigorio founded a Capuchin
monastery by the church, which moved in 1653 to Lugano and is now known as SS. Trinità Monastery.
Since the 1950s, Sorengo has transformed from a rural village into a commuter town
for the agglomeration
of Lugano. Several organizations have settled in Sorengo including; the children's charity Opera per l'assistenza alla ticinese fanciullezza (since 1920), the S. Anna Hospital (since 1934) and the American private university, Franklin College Switzerland
(since 1986). In 2005, 96% of jobs in the municipality were in the services sector.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 40.0% and transportation infrastructure made up 14.1%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 2.4% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.4%. Out of the forested land, 9.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 5.9% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 24.7% is used for growing crops, while 1.2% is used for orchards or vine crops and 40.0% is used for alpine pastures.
The municipality is located in the Lugano district, on the heights between Lake Lugano
and Lago di Muzzano
. It consists of the village of Sorengo with the village sections of Cortivallo and Cremignone. Lago di Muzzano is shared with the neighboring municipalities.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Vert a chestnut tree eradicated or surrounded with four robins proper reguardant towards it.
Most of the population speaks Italian
(83.5%), with German
being second most common (7.8%) and French
being third (3.1%). Of the Swiss national languages , 122 speak German, 48 people speak French, 1,300 people speak Italian, and 1 person speaks Romansh. The remainder (86 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 45.5% male and 54.5% female. The population was made up of 522 Swiss men (29.8% of the population), and 276 (15.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 650 Swiss women (37.1%), and 304 (17.4%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 17 live births to Swiss citizens and 2 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 12 deaths of Swiss citizens and 4 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 5 while the foreign population decreased by 2. There were 5 Swiss men and 4 Swiss women who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 40 non-Swiss men and 40 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 an increase of 5 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 60 people. This represents a population growth rate of 3.8%.
The age distribution, , in Sorengo is; 151 children or 8.6% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 252 teenagers or 14.4% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 268 people or 15.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 197 people or 11.2% are between 30 and 39, 266 people or 15.2% are between 40 and 49, and 216 people or 12.3% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 204 people or 11.6% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 125 people or 7.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 73 people or 4.2% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.59 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 36.8% 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 618 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. there were 163 single family homes (or 52.4% of the total) out of a total of 311 inhabited buildings. There were 62 two family buildings (19.9%) and 63 multi-family buildings (20.3%). There were also 23 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.26%. there were 708 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 5 room apartment of which there were 228. There were 42 single room apartments and 228 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 614 apartments (86.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 46 apartments (6.5%) were seasonally occupied and 48 apartments (6.8%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 18.2 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
the most popular party was the FDP
which received 30.75% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
(28.68%), the SP
(16.19%) and the SVP
(9.25%). In the federal election, a total of 553 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 56.6%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 964 registered voters in Sorengo, of which 668 or 69.3% voted. 13 blank ballots and 3 null ballots were cast, leaving 652 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD
+GenGiova which received 167 or 25.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT
(with 146 or 22.4%), the PS
(with 107 or 16.4%) and the LEGA
(with 80 or 12.3%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 6 blank ballots and 2 null ballots were cast, leaving 660 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD which received 164 or 24.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT (with 141 or 21.4%), the PS (with 133 or 20.2%) and the LEGA (with 109 or 16.5%).
, there were 1,046 workers who commuted into the municipality and 575 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.8 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 19.2% of the workforce coming into Sorengo are coming from outside Switzerland, while 0.2% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work. Of the working population, 10.8% used public transportation to get to work, and 55.1% used a private car.
. There are 186 individuals (or about 11.95% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 77 individuals (or about 4.95% of the population) did not answer the question.
).
In Sorengo there were a total of 215 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Sorengo there were 48 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 63 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 57 students in the two year middle school, while 22 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 8 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 4 students in the professional program.
, there were 331 students in Sorengo who came from another municipality, while 165 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 Lugano
Lugano (district)
The district of Lugano is a district of Canton Ticino, Switzerland. It has a population of .-Geography:The Lugano District has an area, , of . Of this area, or 15.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 66.5% 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
Sorengo is first mentioned in 1189 as Sourengo when the S. Lorenzo Cathedral in LuganoLugano Cathedral
thumb|260px|Side view of the cathedral.The Cathedral of Lugano is a Roman Catholic church in Lugano, Ticino, Switzerland, founded in the High Middle Ages but rebuilt in the late 15th century, with the façade completed in 1517.-History:...
acquired the right to collect tithes.
In 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 ....
a number of groups owned land or rights in Sorengo including; the monastery of S. Abbondio in Como
Como
Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como....
(from 1265), Como Cathedral
Como Cathedral
Como Cathedral is the Roman Catholic cathedral of the city of Como, Lombardy, Italy, and the seat of the Bishop of Como. It is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The cathedral, located near Lake Como, is one of the most important buildings in the region...
(mentioned in 1298), and various important family, including the Torriani and Rusca. Sorengo was first mentioned as an independent municipality in 1298, and the settlement of Cortivallo had partial independence into the 18th Century. Sorengeo alternated with Lugano and Loreto as the meeting place of the General Council of the city and valley of Lugano. It was used by the Council in the 16th Century, in 1687 and again in 1696.
The inhabitants of Sorengo were part 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 Lugano, until 1776 when they became a separate parish. The church of S. Maria Assunta dates back to about the end of the 11th Century back, but is not mentioned until 1298. It was expanded in 1566-1593, then rebuilt several times, and renovated in 1975-76 and 1980-81. In 1565 some monks from Bigorio founded a Capuchin
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
monastery by the church, which moved in 1653 to Lugano and is now known as SS. Trinità Monastery.
Since the 1950s, Sorengo has transformed from a rural village into a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
for 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 Lugano. Several organizations have settled in Sorengo including; the children's charity Opera per l'assistenza alla ticinese fanciullezza (since 1920), the S. Anna Hospital (since 1934) and the American private university, Franklin College Switzerland
Franklin College Switzerland
Franklin College Switzerland is a private, independent, liberal arts college in Switzerland with an enrollment of approximately 450 students. Located in the Italian speaking city of Lugano, Franklin offers Bachelor of Arts degrees that are accredited by both the Commission on Higher Education of...
(since 1986). In 2005, 96% of jobs in the municipality were in the services sector.
Geography
Sorengo has an area, , of 0.85 square kilometre (0.328186834803655 sq mi). Of this area, 0.56 km² (0.21621720881182 sq mi) or 65.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.13 km² (0.0501932806170296 sq mi) or 15.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.5 km² (0.193051079296268 sq mi) or 58.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and 0.02 km² (4.9 acre) or 2.4% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 40.0% and transportation infrastructure made up 14.1%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 2.4% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.4%. Out of the forested land, 9.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 5.9% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 24.7% is used for growing crops, while 1.2% is used for orchards or vine crops and 40.0% is used for alpine pastures.
The municipality is located in the Lugano district, on the heights between Lake Lugano
Lake Lugano
Lake Lugano is a glacial lake in the south-east of Switzerland, at the border between Switzerland and Italy. The lake, named after the city of Lugano, is situated between Lake Como and Lago Maggiore...
and Lago di Muzzano
Lago di Muzzano
Lago di Muzzano is a lake in Ticino, Switzerland. It is bordered by the municipalities of Sorengo, Muzzano and Collina d'Oro. Its surface area is 0.23 km². It drains into Lake Lugano....
. It consists of the village of Sorengo with the village sections of Cortivallo and Cremignone. Lago di Muzzano is shared with the neighboring municipalities.
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 Vert a chestnut tree eradicated or surrounded with four robins proper reguardant towards it.
Demographics
Sorengo has a population of . , 33.5% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 15.3%.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...
(83.5%), 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 (7.8%) 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 (3.1%). Of the Swiss national languages , 122 speak German, 48 people speak French, 1,300 people speak Italian, and 1 person speaks Romansh. The remainder (86 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 45.5% male and 54.5% female. The population was made up of 522 Swiss men (29.8% of the population), and 276 (15.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 650 Swiss women (37.1%), and 304 (17.4%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 17 live births to Swiss citizens and 2 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 12 deaths of Swiss citizens and 4 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 5 while the foreign population decreased by 2. There were 5 Swiss men and 4 Swiss women who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 40 non-Swiss men and 40 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 an increase of 5 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 60 people. This represents a population growth rate of 3.8%.
The age distribution, , in Sorengo is; 151 children or 8.6% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 252 teenagers or 14.4% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 268 people or 15.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 197 people or 11.2% are between 30 and 39, 266 people or 15.2% are between 40 and 49, and 216 people or 12.3% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 204 people or 11.6% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 125 people or 7.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 73 people or 4.2% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.59 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 36.8% 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 618 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. there were 163 single family homes (or 52.4% of the total) out of a total of 311 inhabited buildings. There were 62 two family buildings (19.9%) and 63 multi-family buildings (20.3%). There were also 23 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.26%. there were 708 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 5 room apartment of which there were 228. There were 42 single room apartments and 228 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 614 apartments (86.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 46 apartments (6.5%) were seasonally occupied and 48 apartments (6.8%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 18.2 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
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 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....
which received 30.75% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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...
(28.68%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(16.19%) 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...
(9.25%). In the federal election, a total of 553 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 56.6%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 964 registered voters in Sorengo, of which 668 or 69.3% voted. 13 blank ballots and 3 null ballots were cast, leaving 652 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 167 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 146 or 22.4%), the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 107 or 16.4%) 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 80 or 12.3%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 6 blank ballots and 2 null ballots were cast, leaving 660 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD which received 164 or 24.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT (with 141 or 21.4%), the PS (with 133 or 20.2%) and the LEGA (with 109 or 16.5%).
Economy
, Sorengo had an unemployment rate of 3.41%. , there were 19 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 1 business involved in this sector. 25 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 4 businesses in this sector. 950 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 56 businesses in this sector. There were 742 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 43.0% of the workforce., there were 1,046 workers who commuted into the municipality and 575 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.8 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 19.2% of the workforce coming into Sorengo are coming from outside Switzerland, while 0.2% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work. Of the working population, 10.8% used public transportation to get to work, and 55.1% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 1,184 or 76.0% were Roman Catholic, while 110 or 7.1% 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 186 individuals (or about 11.95% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 77 individuals (or about 4.95% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Sorengo about 75.1% 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 Sorengo there were a total of 215 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 Sorengo there were 48 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 63 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 57 students in the two year middle school, while 22 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 8 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 4 students in the professional program.
, there were 331 students in Sorengo who came from another municipality, while 165 residents attended schools outside the municipality.