Avegno Gordevio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Avegno Gordevio
Avegno village
Coat of arms
Avegno Gordevio Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Avegno Gordevio Location in Canton of Ticino Show map of Canton of Ticino
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Ticino
District	Vallemaggia
Area
• Total	27.32 km2 (10.55 sq mi)
Elevation	293 m (961 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	1,516
• Density	55.490/km2 (143.72/sq mi)
Postal code	6670
Localities	Avegno, Gordevio
Surrounded by	Brione sopra Minusio, Brione (Verzasca), Corippo, Lavertezzo, Locarno, Maggia, Mergoscia, Minusio, Orselina, Tegna, Verscio

Avegno Gordevio is a municipality in Switzerland. It is located in the Vallemaggia district within the canton of Ticino. This town was formed on April 20, 2008, when the two smaller towns, Avegno and Gordevio, joined together.

History of Avegno Gordevio

Aerial view of Gordevio in 1962

The town of Avegno was first mentioned in historical records in 1189. It was known as Vegno back then. Gordevio first appeared in records in 1200, and by 1335, it was called de Gordavio.

Avegno's Story

In the 1300s, Avegno shared a chaplain (a type of priest) with Gordevio. In 1645, they became separate parishes, meaning each village got its own church and religious leader. They no longer depended on the main church in Maggia.

The main church in Avegno, called SS Luca e Abbondio, was built in 1313. It was made bigger in the 1600s. Fancy stucco decorations were added to its interior.

Farming used to be the main job for people in Avegno. Today, very few people work in agriculture. Some people found work in making things like baskets and pottery, or cutting stone. This helped slow down people moving away from the village. In recent years, more people have moved to Avegno because it is close to the city of Locarno. Some businesses have opened in the valley, and new sports facilities and campsites have been built. In 1982, Avegno won the Wakker Prize. This award recognized their efforts to keep the village's old, historic look.

Gordevio's Story

The main church in Gordevio, SS Giacomo e Filippo, was first mentioned in the 1200s. The building you see today was built in the 1600s. It stands on the remains of an older church from the 1300s. Inside, you can find paintings by Giovanni Antonio Vanoni from the 1800s. There are also frescoes (wall paintings) in the nearby ossuary (a building for bones) that were made in 1753.

In the village of Brièè, a small chapel called S. Antonio Abate was built in 1666. Like Avegno, Gordevio had its own chaplain in the 1300s. Both villages separated from the main church in Maggia around 1645.

The center of Gordevio has some houses that are over 100 years old. Because there wasn't much farming land, many people left the village in the past. They moved to places like Rome, and later, many went overseas. This caused the number of people living there to go down. However, in the last few decades, the population has grown again. This is mainly because Gordevio is close to the bigger city of Locarno. Just like in Avegno, farming jobs have mostly disappeared from Gordevio.

Coat of Arms

The current coat of arms for Avegno Gordevio was chosen in 2008. It replaced the separate coats of arms of the two original towns. It shows a castle-like gateway with two towers. At the bottom, you can see the letters "A" and "G" for Avegno and Gordevio.

Population and People

A house in Gordevio

Avegno Gordevio has a population of about 1,379 people (as of December 2007). All of these people are Swiss citizens.

In 2008, the population was made up of 47.5% men and 52.5% women. Most people were Swiss citizens. There were 608 Swiss men and 62 non-Swiss men. There were 678 Swiss women and 64 non-Swiss women.

The age groups in Avegno Gordevio (as of 2009) are:

• 10.1% of the population are children aged 0 to 9 years old.
• 13.5% are teenagers aged 10 to 19.
• 8.6% are young adults aged 20 to 29.
• 11.8% are between 30 and 39 years old.
• 16.3% are between 40 and 49.
• 14.3% are between 50 and 59.
• 12.0% are seniors aged 60 to 69.
• 7.2% are between 70 and 79.
• 6.2% are over 80 years old.

Historic Population

This chart shows how the population of Avegno and Gordevio changed over time:

Places to See

The villages of Avegno Chiesa e di dentro and Avegno di fuori are special. They are recognized as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites. This means they are important historical places that are protected.

Economy and Jobs

In 2008, there were 370 full-time jobs in Avegno Gordevio.

• About 36 jobs were in the primary sector. This includes farming (16 jobs) and forestry or cutting wood (20 jobs).
• The secondary sector had 157 jobs. Most of these (129 jobs) were in manufacturing, like making products. About 21 jobs were in construction.
• The tertiary sector had 177 jobs. This includes many different types of work:
  • 20 jobs were in sales, like shops or car repair.
  • 4 jobs were in moving and storing goods.
  • 50 jobs were in hotels or restaurants.
  • 6 jobs were for technical experts or scientists.
  • 4 jobs were in education.
  • 56 jobs were in health care.

As of 2009, Avegno Gordevio had 3 hotels. They offered a total of 15 rooms and 33 beds for visitors.

Education

In 2009, Avegno Gordevio had 298 students. The education system in Ticino, Switzerland, works like this:

• Kindergarten: Children can attend up to three years of kindergarten, which is not required. In Avegno Gordevio, 43 children were in kindergarten.
• Primary School: This program lasts for five years. There were 88 students in the standard primary schools.
• Lower Secondary School: After primary school, students have a few choices:
  • They can go to a two-year middle school. After this, they might do a two-year pre-apprenticeship to learn a trade. There were 88 students in this middle school.
  • Or, they can join a four-year program to prepare for higher education, like university. 32 students were in this advanced program.
• Upper Secondary School: This level prepares students for a job or for college.
  • Some students go to school while also doing an internship or apprenticeship. This takes three or four years. 13 students were full-time vocational students, and 27 were part-time.
• Professional Program: This program lasts three years. It prepares students for jobs in fields like engineering, nursing, computer science, business, or tourism. There were 7 students in this program.

See also

In Spanish: Avegno-Gordevio para niños