Valendas
Encyclopedia
Valendas is a municipality
in the district of Surselva
in the canton
of Graubünden
in Switzerland
.
The municipality is located in the Ilanz sub-district of the Surselva district. It is located above the right side of the Vorderrhein
canyon. It consists of the haufendorf village (an irregular, unplanned and quite closely packed village, built around a central square) of Valendas and the hamlets
of Carrera, Brün, Dutjen and Turisch.
, the gender distribution of the population was 51.3% male and 48.7% female. The age distribution, , in Valendas is; 40 children or 13.6% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 38 teenagers or 12.9% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 23 people or 7.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 41 people or 13.9% are between 30 and 39, 43 people or 14.6% are between 40 and 49, and 40 people or 13.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 32 people or 10.9% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 18 people or 6.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 16 people or 5.4% who are between 80 and 89 there are 3 people or 1.0% who are between 90 and 99.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 68.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(13.3%), the SP
(11%) and the CVP
(5%).
In Valendas about 68.1% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Valendas has an unemployment rate of 0.11%. , there were 66 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 25 businesses involved in this sector. 21 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 4 businesses in this sector. 29 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 10 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
.
The Türelihus (Türeli House) is located in the center of Valendas and is one of the most historically valuable houses in the village. The interior contains many of the original furnishings from the Renaissance
and Baroque
eras. The original building was constructed in 1485. In 1554 it was expanded, this expansion was known as the Renaissance phase, with a spiral staircase within a tower and a stable
was added to the north side. In 1775 it was renovated in the baroque
style. The four-story building was abandoned for many years and had began to decay. In 1994, the first attempt to renovate this building ended with only the addition of a temporary roof.
The oldest part of the Haus Joos may date to about 1300. The attached barn has a date of 1572 carved into it. However, the building is currently in poor condition and has not been used for a number of years.
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 Surselva
Surselva (district)
Surselva District is an administrative district in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has an area of and has a population of ....
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 Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
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....
.
Geography
Valendas has an area, , of 22.8 km² (8.8 sq mi). Of this area, 21.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 48.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (27.9%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).The municipality is located in the Ilanz sub-district of the Surselva district. It is located above the right side of the Vorderrhein
Vorderrhein
The Vorderrhein is one of the two sources of the Rhine. Its catchment area of is located predominantly in the Canton of Graubünden . The Vorderrhein is about long, thus more than 5% longer than the Hinterrhein...
canyon. It consists of the haufendorf village (an irregular, unplanned and quite closely packed village, built around a central square) of Valendas and the hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Carrera, Brün, Dutjen and Turisch.
Demographics
Valendas has a population (as of ) of . , 6.8% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -2.3%. Most of the population speaks German (96.9%), with Romansh being second most common ( 1.7%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 1.0%)., the gender distribution of the population was 51.3% male and 48.7% female. The age distribution, , in Valendas is; 40 children or 13.6% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 38 teenagers or 12.9% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 23 people or 7.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 41 people or 13.9% are between 30 and 39, 43 people or 14.6% are between 40 and 49, and 40 people or 13.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 32 people or 10.9% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 18 people or 6.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 16 people or 5.4% who are between 80 and 89 there are 3 people or 1.0% who are between 90 and 99.
In the 2007 federal election
Swiss 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 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...
which received 68.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(13.3%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(11%) 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...
(5%).
In Valendas about 68.1% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
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...
).
Valendas has an unemployment rate of 0.11%. , there were 66 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 25 businesses involved in this sector. 21 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 4 businesses in this sector. 29 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 10 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1803 | 463 |
| 1850 | 555 |
| 1900 | 499 |
| 1950 | 441 |
| 2000 | 294 |
Heritage sites of national significance
The Türelihus and the Haus Joos and attached barn are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significanceSwiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
.
The Türelihus (Türeli House) is located in the center of Valendas and is one of the most historically valuable houses in the village. The interior contains many of the original furnishings from the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
and Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
eras. The original building was constructed in 1485. In 1554 it was expanded, this expansion was known as the Renaissance phase, with a spiral staircase within a tower and a stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
was added to the north side. In 1775 it was renovated in the baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
style. The four-story building was abandoned for many years and had began to decay. In 1994, the first attempt to renovate this building ended with only the addition of a temporary roof.
The oldest part of the Haus Joos may date to about 1300. The attached barn has a date of 1572 carved into it. However, the building is currently in poor condition and has not been used for a number of years.