Contone facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Contone
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Contone Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Contone Location in Canton of Ticino Show map of Canton of Ticino
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Ticino
District	Locarno
Municipality	Gambarogno
Area
• Total	2.3 km2 (0.9 sq mi)
Elevation	206 m (676 ft)
Population
• Total	750
• Density	326/km2 (845/sq mi)
Postal code	6594
Surrounded by	Cadenazzo, Locarno, Magadino, Rivera

Contone was once a small town, called a municipality, in the Locarno area of Ticino in Switzerland.

On April 25, 2010, Contone joined with several other nearby towns. These included Caviano, Gerra Gambarogno, Indemini, Magadino, Piazzogna, San Nazzaro, Sant'Abbondio, and Vira Gambarogno. Together, they formed a new, larger municipality called Gambarogno.

History of Contone

Luserte, a new area near Magadino and Contone.

Contone was first written about in 1152. It was called Gondono back then. But we know people lived there much earlier! Three old tombs found in Contone show that people were there even before the Early Middle Ages. These tombs are from when the alpine mountain passes were opening up again.

Early Buildings and Churches

Before 1219, a special hospital was built in Contone. It was run by the Knights Hospitaller, a group of knights who helped sick and poor people. We don't know the exact year or where it was. Later, this hospital became a Commandry for the Order of Malta. This means it was a local center for their work. In the 1500s, the hospital's lands went to a hospital in Lugano. Then, in 1811, they were taken over by the Antognini family from Bellinzona.

In 1104, a nobleman named Wido Samarate built or rebuilt a church. He gave it to a monastery called S. Giorgio in Quartino. This church was for St. Nicholas. In 1152, it became part of the main church area of Locarno. The church closed in 1769 and eventually fell apart. The current main church, S. Giovanni Battista, was built in the 1500s. It stands where the old hospital church used to be.

How People Lived and Worked

For a long time, people in Contone were mostly farmers and herders. They lived on the lower part of Mount Ceneri. After 1850, things changed. The port in Magadino became less important, and new railways were built. Many people from Contone moved to other countries to find work. They often became painters, plasterers, or stove-makers.

Later, more people moved into Contone, especially from Italy. This helped the population grow. By the end of the 1900s, most jobs were in the services sector. This means jobs like shops, offices, or tourism. Also, the Ticino river was changed, and the land around it became less marshy. This allowed many businesses and factories to be built there.

Contone's Geography

Aerial view of Contone in 1964.

Contone covers an area of about 2.32 square kilometers (0.9 square miles). A large part of this land, about 60.8%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 26.3% of the area. Buildings and roads take up about 17.7% of the land. A small part, less than 1%, is rivers or lakes. Another tiny part is land that can't be used for anything.

Most of the built-up areas are homes and other buildings (9.1%). Roads and other transport areas make up 5.6%. Industrial buildings are about 2.2%. In the forests, about 23.3% is thick forest. Another 3.0% has orchards or small groups of trees. For farming, 43.5% is used for growing crops. About 8.2% is for orchards or vineyards. And 9.1% is used for mountain pastures. All the water in Contone is flowing water, like rivers.

Contone is located in the Locarno area. It's in the Magadino valley, on the eastern side of the Gambarogno region.

Contone's Coat of Arms

A coat of arms is like a special symbol or flag for a town or family. Contone's coat of arms has two main colors: blue and red. On top of these colors, there is a white cross with eight points.

This cross is important because the Order of Malta (which used to be the Knights Hospitaller) had a hospital and a center in Contone as early as 1367. In 1932, Contone was allowed to use the cross of the Order of Malta on its shield. Even today, the main pastor in Contone is connected to the Order of Malta.

People of Contone (Demographics)

In 2004, Contone had about 750 people living there. By 2008, about 25% of the people were not Swiss citizens. Over ten years (from 1997 to 2007), the population grew by about 20.9%.

Languages Spoken

Most people in Contone speak Italian, about 86.9% of the population. German is the second most common language, spoken by about 9.0% of people. A smaller number, about 1.6%, speak Portuguese.

Population Changes

In 2008, there were 7 babies born to Swiss citizens and 4 babies born to non-Swiss citizens. In the same year, 5 Swiss citizens passed away. This means the number of Swiss citizens grew by 2, and the number of non-Swiss people grew by 4, not counting people moving in or out. Overall, Contone's population grew by about 4.2% in 2008.

Age Groups

Looking at the age groups in 2009:

• About 8.5% of the population were children aged 0 to 9 years old.
• About 12.6% were teenagers aged 10 to 19.
• About 13.4% were young adults aged 20 to 29.
• About 14.7% were adults aged 30 to 39.
• About 21.3% were adults aged 40 to 49.
• About 10.8% were adults aged 50 to 59.
• About 9.0% were seniors aged 60 to 69.
• About 7.8% were seniors aged 70 to 79.
• About 2.0% were over 80 years old.

Homes and Households

In 2000, there were 307 private homes in Contone. On average, there were 2.3 people living in each home. About 44.8% of homes were owned by the people living in them.

Out of 204 inhabited buildings in 2000, 153 were single-family homes. There were also 15 two-family buildings and 19 multi-family buildings. Some buildings (17) were used for both living and business.

In 2000, there were 350 apartments in Contone. The most common size was a 4-room apartment. Most apartments (87.4%) were lived in all the time. Some (10.6%) were used only during certain seasons, and a few (2.0%) were empty.

Historical Population

Here's how Contone's population has changed over time:

Contone's Economy

In 2007, the unemployment rate in Contone was 3.02%. This means about 3 out of every 100 people looking for a job couldn't find one.

Jobs and Businesses

In 2005, jobs in Contone were divided into three main types:

• Primary sector: This includes jobs like farming and forestry. About 29 people worked in this area, with 6 businesses.
• Secondary sector: This includes jobs in manufacturing and construction. About 51 people worked here, with 13 businesses.
• Tertiary sector: This includes jobs in services, like shops, offices, and tourism. This was the largest sector, with 268 people working and 54 businesses.

Overall, 361 people living in Contone had jobs. About 40.4% of these workers were women.

Commuting and Travel

In 2000, many people traveled to Contone for work. About 408 workers came into the town, while 263 workers left Contone to work elsewhere. This means Contone had more people coming in for jobs than leaving. About 12.7% of the workers coming into Contone were from outside Switzerland.

When getting to work, about 3.9% of people used public transportation. A much larger number, 71.2%, used a private car. In 2009, there were 2 hotels in Contone.

Religion in Contone

Based on the 2000 census, most people in Contone, about 85.1%, were Roman Catholic. About 4.8% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. A small number of people belonged to other churches or did not state their religion.

Education in Contone

Contone has two schools: a local preschool and a local primary school. Switzerland generally has a well-educated population. In Contone, about 65.2% of adults (aged 25 to 64) have finished high school or gone on to higher education, like university.

School System

In 2009, there were 147 students in Contone. The education system in Ticino, where Contone is, offers up to three years of optional kindergarten. In Contone, 16 children were in kindergarten.

The primary school program lasts for five years. In Contone, 43 students attended these primary schools.

For middle school, students can choose different paths:

• A two-year middle school, followed by a two-year program to prepare for a job. There were 52 students in this two-year middle school.
• A four-year program that prepares students for higher education, like university. There were 11 students in this program.

High school (upper secondary) offers different ways to prepare for a job or university.

• Some students learn a trade while also going to school (this takes three or four years).
• Others go to school first, then do an internship or apprenticeship. In Contone, 7 students were full-time vocational students, and 15 were part-time.

There is also a professional program that lasts three years. It prepares students for jobs in fields like engineering, nursing, or business. In Contone, 3 students were in this program.

In 2000, 6 students came to Contone's schools from other towns. At the same time, 54 students from Contone went to schools outside the town.

See also

In Spanish: Contone para niños