Intragna

Last updated
Intragna
Former municipality
Intragna.jpg
View from the surrounding mountains
Intragna-coat of arms.svg
Coat of arms
Location of Intragna
Intragna
Switzerland adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Intragna
Reliefkarte Tessin blank.png
Red pog.svg
Intragna
Coordinates: 46°11′N8°42′E / 46.183°N 8.700°E / 46.183; 8.700
Country Switzerland
Canton Ticino
District Locarno
Area
 • Total241 km2 (93 sq mi)
Elevation
366 m (1,201 ft)
Population
 (December 2004)
 • Total885
 • Density3.7/km2 (9.5/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+01:00 (Central European Time)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)
Postal code(s)
6655
SFOS number 5111
Surrounded by Ascona, Borgnone, Brissago, Cavigliano, Isorno, Losone, Mosogno, Palagnedra
Website
SFSO statistics

Intragna is a village and locality in the municipality of Centovalli [1] in the district of Locarno of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.

Contents

Intragna has good railway connection with Locarno, Switzerland and Domodossola, Italy, as well as bus connections that lead to various hiking routes – several interesting paths begin or end in Intragna itself.

Intragna is an old town with ancient-style buildings and small narrow streets. It has artist workshops selling handmade lacework and ceramics, as well as several hotels. The church tower of Intragna is claimed to be the highest tower in Ticino.

History

Bell tower of S. Nome di Maria, the tallest in Ticino Belfry-intragna-switzerland.jpg
Bell tower of S. Nome di Maria, the tallest in Ticino
Aerial view (1964) ETH-BIB-Intragna-LBS H1-025434.tif
Aerial view (1964)

In 1897, several pre-Roman graves were discovered, which show the colonization of the area before the 1st millennium BC. The modern village of Intragna is first mentioned in 1272 as Intranea'. [2]

During the Middle Ages the landlords over the village included both the Bishop of Como and the Capitanei (noble families) of Locarno. Together with Golino and Verdasio, Intragna was part of a Vicinanza . The first statutes of the Vicinanza were written in 1365 and were revised in 1469. They possessed the right to appoint one representative to the Council of the parish of Locarno. The mayor (or console) was alternately appointed during five years by Intragna, then by one provided by Golino and Verdasio. During the 16th to 18th centuries it was part of the bailiwick of Locarno. In 1531, the Swiss Confederation rejected an application from Intragna, Ascona, Onsernone and Centovalli to form a municipality that was independent of Locarno. Likewise, the conflict-ridden attempts of Golino to form an independent municipality failed in the 18th and 19th centuries. [2]

Originally, the religious center of the region was Golino with the Church of San Giorgio, which was built before 1297. In 1474, the chapel of S. Gottardo in Intragna was built. In 1653 it split from the parish of Golino (which had been created in the 16th century). The parish of Intragna was elevated to have a provost in 1747. The present church of S. Nome di Maria was built in 1722–38. In 1765–75 the bell tower was added, and with a height of 65 metres (213 ft) it is the highest in the canton of Ticino. The parish of Palagnedra was established in the 12th century, and in 1622 Verdasio split from it, followed in 1644 by Rasa. The latter has had a rector since 2000. The church of S. Anna in Rasa was completed in 1753, while the church in Verdasio (SS Giacomo e Cristoforo), was built around 1800. [2]

Traditionally, the major sources of income have always been farming and animal husbandry. But in the 1950s, these lost importance. Starting in the 16th century, the income from seasonal migration (especially chimney sweep in Lombardy and Piedmont) were added to the local economy. Between 1631 and 1847 the people of Rasa (along with Ronco, Losone and Terre di Pedemonte) possessed the monopoly for loading operations at the Custom House of Livorno. In the second half of the 19th century there was a strong emigration overseas (America, Australia). The local industrial production; watch factory, the quarry, the carpentry factory and the Peduli factory (cloth shoes with hemp soles from the early 20th century to 1962) came to a halt in the 1960s.

Intragna train station Centovalli Railway.jpg
Intragna train station

Between 1889 and 1893, the main road was built, followed in 1923 by a station on the Domodossola – Locarno railway line. Pila and Costa (1953) and Rasa (since 1958) are accessible only by cable car. In 1929, an old-age and nursing home opened in San Donato. Intragna is the seat of the Regional Museum for the Centovalli and Terre di Pedemonte, which opened in 1989. While the population in the higher settlements has declined sharply (Rasa: 200 inhabitants at the beginning of the 16th century, while only 11 in 1970), Intragna and Golino, due to their proximity to Locarno, have grown since 1970. In 2000, two-thirds of the employed worked in the services sector, and about the same numbers commuted out of the municipality for work. [2]

Intragna was formerly a municipality. On 25 October 2009 Intragna merged with the municipalities of Borgnone and Palagnedra to re-form the municipality of Centovalli. [3]

Location

The former municipality is in the Locarno district. The hamlet on a promontory at the confluence of the Isorno and Melezza rivers. Golino, Verdasio, Pila, Vosa, Cremaso, Calezzo, Costa, Corcapolo and Rasa are frazione s of Intragna. While Intragna and Golino are geographically and economically part of the Pedemonte (Tegna, Verscio, Cavigliano), the largest part of the township lies in the mountains and the alpine pastures of Centovalli.

Historic population

The historical population is given in the following table:

YearPopulation
Intragna [2]
1653604
1764over 1,000
1801936
18501,428
19001,240
1950957
1970841
2000915

Related Research Articles

The Regional Bus and Rail Company of Ticino is a limited company in the Swiss southern canton of Ticino, which provides the urban and suburban bus network in and around Locarno in Switzerland. It operates the cable cars between Verdasio and Rasa, Ticino, and between Intragna – Pila – Costa on behalf of the owning companies. Together with the Italian company Società Subalpina Imprese Ferroviarie (SSIF) they operate the railway through the Swiss Centovalli and the Italian Valle Vigezzo, which connects the Gotthard trans-Alpine rail route at Locarno railway station with the Simplon trans-Alpine route at Domodossola in Italy. There are 10 stations on the Swiss side of the frontier and 12 stations on the Italian side, the complete rail journey takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

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References

  1. ↑ statistica, Ufficio federale di. "Official List of Municipalities of Switzerland". www.bfs.admin.ch (in Italian). Retrieved 2019-02-09.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Intragna in German , French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland .
  3. ↑ Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz, Mutationsmeldungen 2009 / Répertoire officiel des communes de Suisse, Mutations 2009 / Elenco ufficiale dei Comuni della Svizzera, Mutazione 2009 (PDF) (Report). Federal Statistical Office. 2009. 2771. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 November 2010. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
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