Cugnasco-Gerra facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cugnasco-Gerra
Cugnasco
Coat of arms
Cugnasco-Gerra Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Cugnasco-Gerra Location in Canton of Ticino Show map of Canton of Ticino
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Ticino
District	Locarno
Area
• Total	35.82 km2 (13.83 sq mi)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	2,780
• Density	77.61/km2 (201.0/sq mi)
Postal code	6516
Localities	Cugnasco, Bosco, Boscioredo, Massarescio, Medoscio, Moncucco, Pianrestello, Sciarana, La Monda, Gerra Piano
Surrounded by	Brione (Verzasca), Cadenazzo, Frasco, Gordola, Gudo, Lavertezzo, Locarno, Monte Carasso, Preonzo, Sementina, Sonogno, Vogorno

Cugnasco-Gerra is a town in the Ticino area of Switzerland. It was created on January 1, 2009. This happened when two smaller towns, Cugnasco and Gerra, joined together.

Where is Cugnasco-Gerra?

Aerial view of Cugnasco from 600 meters up (1919)

Cugnasco-Gerra covers an area of about 35.72 square kilometers (13.79 square miles).

The Cugnasco part of the town is located near the Magadino Plain. This area includes smaller villages like Boscioredo, Bosco, and Cugnasco itself.

The Gerra part of the town is a bit different. It has two separate areas, called exclaves, in the Magadino Plain. The main part of Gerra is found in the Verzasca Valley, which is a beautiful mountain valley.

A Look Back: History

Cugnasco was first mentioned in old writings in 1374. Gerra (Verzasca) appeared in records a bit later, in 1387.

History of Cugnasco

An old hut for herders in the Alps, high up at 1,873 meters (6,145 feet)

The oldest settlements in the Cugnasco area were high up in the mountains. These were places like Ditto and Curogna. Over time, people started moving down to the Ticino river floodplain. This area was marshy, but it was better for living in winter.

Many herders brought their cattle down to the Magadino valley for the colder months. In the 13th and 14th centuries, many people from the Verzasca valley moved here. Cugnasco then grew into an important center for the nearby villages.

A Servite monastery, a type of religious house, was built in Cugnasco. It closed in 1653. However, a special chapel, the Chapel of the Beata Vergine delle Grazie, continued to be used. Before this chapel, people had to travel far to Tenero for church services. This small church, built in the 15th century, is now a very important historical site. It has beautiful old frescoes (wall paintings) from the 16th and 17th centuries. Many pilgrims (people who travel for religious reasons) used to visit it.

In the 1600s, the St. Joseph Church was built. It became a main church for the area. Cugnasco was also important because it was at a crossroads. Two major trade routes passed through it. One went from Locarno to Bellinzona, and another crossed the Ticino river.

For a long time, Cugnasco's economy was mostly about farming and raising animals. But by the year 2000, less than 15% of people worked in agriculture. Most people now travel to other towns for work.

History of Gerra

Gerra in the Verzasca valley

Until 1852, Gerra was part of another town called Brione. The separate parts of Gerra (the exclaves) were added in 1920. This happened when land owned by other towns in the plains was separated.

In 1742, Gerra got its own church area, called a parish. The church of San Giovanni Evangelista was very old, from the 15th century. But it was destroyed twice, once by a landslide and once by a flood. The church you see today was built in 1819. Another church, the Church of Sacro Cuore, was built in Gerra Piano in 1930. In Gerra Valle, there's an old mill from the 16th century and a house from 1470.

People in Gerra also lived by farming and raising animals. Since the 14th century, they would move their cattle to the high mountain pastures in summer. This is called transhumance. They spent winters in the Magadino or Sottoceneri valleys. Because there wasn't much farmland, many people left Gerra starting in the 17th century. Between 1860 and 1874, about a quarter of the population moved away.

However, in recent times, the population of Gerra Piano has grown. This is because it has become an important local center. But in the valley part of Gerra, the population has gone down.

Who Lives in Cugnasco-Gerra?

Cugnasco-Gerra has a population of about 2,678 people. In 2008, about 49.6% of the people were male and 50.4% were female. Most people living here are Swiss citizens.

The age groups in Cugnasco-Gerra (as of 2009) are:

• Children (0-9 years old): 11.9%
• Teenagers (10-19 years old): 11.2%
• Young adults (20-29 years old): 8.5%
• Adults (30-59 years old): 46.8%
• Seniors (60 years and older): 21.6%

Learning in Cugnasco-Gerra

In 2009, there were 582 students in Cugnasco-Gerra. The education system in Ticino offers different levels of schooling:

• Kindergarten: This is for young children and is not required. In Cugnasco-Gerra, 101 children attended kindergarten.
• Primary School: This lasts for five years. There were 180 students in regular primary schools and 8 in special schools.
• Lower Secondary School: After primary school, students go to middle school. Some programs last two years, preparing students for apprenticeships. Others are four-year programs that get them ready for higher education. There were 164 students in the two-year program and 54 in the four-year program.
• Upper Secondary School: This level prepares students for a job or for university. Students can learn a trade while working (vocational training) or study full-time. There were 22 full-time and 52 part-time vocational students.
• Professional Programs: These programs last three years and prepare students for jobs in fields like engineering or nursing. In 2009, there was 1 student in a professional program.

Economy

As of 2009, Cugnasco-Gerra had 4 hotels. This shows that tourism plays a small part in the local economy.

Important Historical Sites

Two places in Cugnasco-Gerra are listed as very important Swiss heritage sites. These are the Oratory of SS. Anna e Cristoforo a Curogna and the Oratory of S. Martino a Ditto. An oratory is a small chapel or a place for prayer.

Population Over Time

Here's how the population of Cugnasco and Gerra changed over many years:

See also

In Spanish: Cugnasco-Gerra para niños