Cavagnago facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cavagnago
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Cavagnago Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Cavagnago Location in Canton of Ticino Show map of Canton of Ticino
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Ticino
District	Leventina
Area
• Total	6.68 km2 (2.58 sq mi)
Elevation	1,020 m (3,350 ft)
Population  (December 2004)
• Total	91
• Density	13.62/km2 (35.28/sq mi)
Postal code	6749
Surrounded by	Acquarossa, Anzonico, Giornico, Sobrio

Cavagnago was once a small town, or municipality, in the Leventina area of Ticino, a canton in Switzerland. On April 1, 2012, it became part of the larger town of Faido. Other nearby towns like Anzonico, Calpiogna, Campello, Chironico, Mairengo, and Osco also joined Faido at that time.

History of Cavagnago

Cavagnago was first mentioned in records way back in 1270. In the early 1600s, a few small villages, called hamlets, came together to form Cavagnago. These hamlets were Segno, Mascengo, and Codaghengo. Cavagnago was part of a larger community called the Vicinanza of Giornico.

Early Churches and Parishes

During the Middle Ages, people from Cavagnago and Sobrio went to the Chapel of St. Ambrose in Segno. This chapel was built in the 1200s. It had a big, old-fashioned clock tower and beautiful paintings on its walls, called frescoes, from the 1400s and 1500s.

Cavagnago was part of the Giornico church area, known as a parish. But in 1585, Cavagnago and Sobrio decided to form their own independent parish. Then, in 1611, Sobrio left to form its own parish too.

The main church in Cavagnago, the Parish Church of St. Anna, was first mentioned in 1567. It was updated in 1934. Inside, it has a special main altar made of colorful marble. This altar and other decorations were made in the 1600s.

Farming Life in Cavagnago

In the 1800s, many people left Cavagnago to find work elsewhere. But even with people moving away, it was still a busy farming village. By the end of the 1900s, a few farms were still active. These farms used the good land and many mountain pastures for their animals. The mountain pastures were also popular for summer holidays.

Geography of Cavagnago

Aerial view of the Leventina Valley (1954)

Cavagnago covers an area of about 6.68 square kilometers (2.58 square miles). A small part, about 7%, is used for farming. A much larger part, about 74.4%, is covered by forests. Buildings and roads take up about 1.8% of the land. The rest, about 9.1%, is land that can't be used for farming or building, like rocky areas.

Most of the forested land is dense forest. A small part has orchards or groups of trees. For farming, some land is used for crops, and some for mountain pastures. The unproductive areas are either covered in plants that aren't useful or are too rocky.

Cavagnago is located in the Leventina district. It sits at an elevation of 1,020 meters (3,346 feet) above sea level. It's on the left side of the lower Leventina valley. It is also on a special old road called the Strada Alta, in an area known as the Traversa.

Cavagnago's Coat of Arms

The official design of Cavagnago's town symbol, or coat of arms, is blue. At the bottom, there are silver mountains. Above the mountains, a flying eagle holds a red basket in its claws. The basket represents the village's location, which is like a hollow or a dip in the land.

People of Cavagnago

In 2008, about 7.1% of the people living in Cavagnago were from other countries. Over ten years, from 1997 to 2007, the number of people living there went down by about 7.4%.

Most people in Cavagnago speak Italian, about 71.1%. The second most common language is German, spoken by 20.5% of the people. About 7.2% of the population speaks Portuguese.

In 2008, there were slightly more women (50.6%) than men (49.4%) living in Cavagnago.

Population Changes and Ages

In 2008, there were no births and two deaths among Swiss citizens in Cavagnago. One Swiss woman moved back to Switzerland. Overall, the Swiss population decreased by three people that year. The number of people from other countries stayed the same.

In 2009, there were no children under 9 years old. Five teenagers, or 5.9% of the population, were between 10 and 19 years old. Adults between 20 and 59 made up about 43.5% of the population. Older adults, aged 60 and above, made up about 50.5% of the population.

Homes and Households

In 2000, there were 44 private households in Cavagnago. On average, there were 1.8 people living in each home. Most of the homes, about 93%, were single-family houses. About 68.2% of the homes were owned by the people living in them.

In 2000, there were 174 apartments in Cavagnago. Most of these apartments, about 73.6%, were used only during certain seasons, like for holidays. Only about 25.3% were lived in all year round.

Economy of Cavagnago

In 2007, the unemployment rate in Cavagnago was 3.43%. This means that about 3.43% of people who wanted to work could not find a job.

In 2005, most jobs in Cavagnago were in the primary economic sector. This includes jobs like farming and forestry. There were 17 people working in this area. Only one person worked in the secondary sector, which includes manufacturing. Eight people worked in the tertiary sector, which includes services like shops and tourism.

Overall, 34 people living in Cavagnago had jobs. About 35.3% of these workers were women.

Most people who lived in Cavagnago traveled outside the town for work. In 2000, 13 people left Cavagnago for work, while only 7 people came into Cavagnago to work. About 50% of workers used a private car to get to work.

Religion in Cavagnago

Based on the 2000 census, most people in Cavagnago, about 78.3%, were Roman Catholic. A smaller group, about 4.8%, belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Some people belonged to other churches, and a few did not state their religion.

Education in Cavagnago

In Cavagnago, about 48.8% of adults aged 25 to 64 had finished high school or gone on to higher education, like a university.

In 2009, there were 8 students in Cavagnago. The education system in Ticino offers up to three years of optional kindergarten. In Cavagnago, there were children in kindergarten.

School Levels

• Primary school: This program lasts for five years. In Cavagnago, 1 student attended primary school.
• Lower secondary school: After primary school, students can choose different paths. Some go to a two-year middle school. Then they might do a two-year program to prepare for a job. Others go to a four-year program to get ready for higher education. In Cavagnago, 3 students were in middle school and 2 were in the job preparation program.
• Upper secondary school: This level prepares students for trades or university. Students can go to school while doing an internship or apprenticeship. In Cavagnago, 2 students were attending vocational school full-time.

In 2000, 5 students from Cavagnago went to schools outside the town.

See also

In Spanish: Cavagnago para niños