Bignasco

Bignasco is a municipality in the Distretto di Vallemaggia of the canton Tessin.

Table of contents 1 geography 2 population 2,1 population trend 2,2 languages 2,3 religions - denominations 2,4 origin - nationality 3 politics 3,1 local council 4 economics 4,1 tourism 5 traffic 6 history 6,1 general history 6,2 fusion with neighbour municipalities 7 objects of interest 8 Web on the left of

geography

the municipality consists of two separated parts. On the one hand the village (443 m.ü. M.) at the confluence of the Maggia and the Bavona 28 km northwest from Locarno. On the other hand also the Weiler San Carlo (960 belongs m.ü. M.) in the Val Bavona to the municipality. From the entire municipality area of 8143 hectars 63.4% are unproductive surface (mountains and waters) and 29.1% of forest and wood cover. Only 7.1% of the Gemeindegebiets can be used agriculturally. The remaining 0.4% are settlement surface.

population

population trend

contrary to other municipalities of the Maggiatals could hold its total population to 1870 for Bignasco. Then followed up to the beginning of the 1. World war an emigration wave to Holland (temporary) and to California (continuously). The municipality lost comparatively little inhabitant nevertheless (1870-1910: - 17.3%). The 1910-er-Jahre was the only decade with mass emigration (1910-1920: - 23.1%) on a historical population lowest point. This changed itself in intermediate wartime hardly. After the end 2. World war began a strong population growth, which continued in the year 2000 (1941-2000: +106.8%). Reason were the better economic possibilities within the municipality. Since the year 2000 the number of inhabitants stagnates.

Population trend
year	inhabitant
1801	215
1860	228
1870	225
1910	186
1920	143
1941	148
1960	193
1980	248
2000	306
2004	306

languages

the population speaks its own Italian dialect. By the larger number of jobs a strong Zuwanderung took place, which becomes apparent in the language behavior also. While 1970 still 98.5% the inhabitant Italian as their host language indicated, were in the year 2000 only 80.39%. Together with the growth of the German language's group of (1970) 0.5 on (2000) 9.15% above all Portuguese and Serbo-Croatian added.

religions - in

earlier time the entire inhabitant shank of the Roman-catholic church belonged to denominations. By church withdrawals and Zuwanderung from other regions of Switzerland and the foreign country this changed. Today (conditions 2000) there is 85.29% Roman-catholic, 3.27% Evangelist-reformed and 1.96% orthodox Christians. Besides one finds 2.61% denomination lots and 1.31% Muslims (usually Bosniaken). 5.56% of the population did not give information over her Glaubensbekenntnis.

origin - nationality

of the 306 inhabitants end of 2004 were 236 (=77.12%) Swiss citizens. During the last census even only 72.55% Swiss citizen were - among them thirteen persons with double nationality. The largest groups of immigrants come made of Italy, Portugal, Serbia Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and made of Latin America.

politics

local council

the local council consist of five persons. These are:

• Bruno Donati (municipality president)
• Claudio Trombini (vice-president)
• Gian Michele Janner
• Michele Pera
• Giuliano Tonini

economics

after the economy for many centuries on agriculture, cattle breeding and cheese factory concentrated, brought the use of hydroelectric power infrastructure and jobs beginning into the 1960er - to years. A strong commuter activity began nevertheless. While 1970 still more than 77% of the located ones in the own municipality worked, were 1990 only 47.9% and in the year 2000 even only 41.3%. The majority of the way commuters works in other municipalities of the Maggiatals, 18 in Locarno and four in Losone. The number of the Zupendler was strongly reduced between 1990 and 2000 - from 92 to 46 persons. Thus the native ones occupy the majority of the jobs in Bignasco (55%) for the first time since long time again. Already over 50% of all employed persons from Bignasco earn their wages in Dienstleitsungsberufen. In former times industry (stone dismantling, hydro-electric power plants) and trades of the majority offered a getting along (today nevertheless still over 40%).

tourism

between 1890 and the beginning of the 1. World war came numerous foreigner to Bignasco. Reason was on the one hand the building hotel you of the Glâcier and above all the start-up of the Maggiatalbahn Locarno Bignasco. Today the tourism has only a smaller meaning than at that time.

traffic

Bignasco was the last stop of the 1965 shut down Maggiatalbahn, which Bignasco connected with Locarno.

Today it is attached by the line 10 the FART , Locarno Cavergno, to the net of public traffic. From Bignasco two post office autolines operate. One in the Val Bavona (Bignasco Foroglio San Carlo) and one in the Val Lavirazza (Bignasco Fusio).

history

general history

1230 was mentioned for the first time Bignasco under the name Bugnascho. Under the today's name the municipality in a document of 1364 appears . The municipality belonged in the Middle Ages to the area Roana superior. She took part with a larger contingent in driving the Walliser out in the year 1484 . Of early 16. Century until 1798 was it part of the Ennetbirgi Vogteien . Afterwards Bignasco belonged until 1803 to the canton Lugano . Since that time di Vallemaggia (district Maggiatal) is a part of the canton Tessin as part of the Distretto .

fusion with neighbour municipalities

in the autumn 2006 is to fuse Bignasco with Cavergno and Cevio to the municipality Cevio.

By 23. January 2005 planned fusion had to be reset, since still another complaint before Federal court was hängig. (Federal Office for statistics: Announced changes since the mutation message No. 81 to the official municipality listing of Switzerland, expenditure 20. January 2006)

In April 2006 the complaint of the municipality Bignasco was abgeschmettert against the obligation fusion by the Federal court. By spring 2006 the planned integration into the new municipality Cevio is legal thereby.

objects of interest

some buildings from past centuries are still present. So an old stone bridge, the village church, the chapels San Rocco (from the year 1597) and Santa Maria del Ponte (1512, with Fresken), as well as various buildings from that 19. Century.

The largest object of interest on sides of nature is the Wasserfall with the Weiler Foroglio.

Web on the left of

• articles Bignasco in the historical encyclopedia of Switzerland