Mesocco facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mesocco
Coat of arms
Mesocco Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Mesocco Location in Canton of Graubünden Show map of Canton of Graubünden
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Graubünden
District	Moesa
Area
• Total	164.77 km2 (63.62 sq mi)
Elevation	769 m (2,523 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	1,323
• Density	8.029/km2 (20.796/sq mi)
Postal code	6563
Localities	San Bernardino
Surrounded by	Campodolcino (IT-SO), Hinterrhein, Madesimo (IT-SO), Malvaglia (TI), Nufenen, Rossa, San Giacomo Filippo (IT-SO), Soazza, Splügen

Mesocco (which is called Mesòch in a local language called Lombard) is a small town, also known as a municipality, located in the Moesa Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It's a beautiful place with a long history and interesting sights.

History of Mesocco

Early Settlements and Ancient Times

People have lived in the Mesocco area for a very long time! The first signs of humans here date back to around 6000 BC, during the Mesolithic era (Middle Stone Age). Scientists have found stone tools from this period. Later, during the Neolithic era (New Stone Age) around 5000 BC, people built fire pits and made pottery.

The first permanent villages appeared during the Bronze Age (about 1400-1200 BC) and the time before the Romans arrived, known as the Iron Age. On a hill called Gorda, near the village, archaeologists found an ancient burial ground from the early Iron Age (around 600-500 BC). They also found traces of a Roman settlement and even a grave from the early Middle Ages (around 6th century AD).

Medieval Times and Later

The famous Mesocco Castle was built in the 12th century and was first mentioned in official records in 1219. The village of Mesocco itself was first written about in 1203 as Mesoco. Later, in 1383, it was called Misogg.

In 1480, Mesocco and a nearby town called Soazza decided to join the Gray League. This was a group of communities that came together for protection and to govern themselves.

For many years, between 1907 and 1978, Mesocco was connected to Bellinzona and the important Gotthard railway by a special train line called the Bellinzona–Mesocco railway.

Geography of Mesocco

Village street in Mesocco

Aerial view (1953)

Mesocco is quite a large municipality, covering about 164.8 square kilometers (about 63.6 square miles). A good part of this land, about 20.1%, is used for farming, and another 20.1% is covered by forests. Only a small part, 1.3%, has buildings or roads. The rest, a large 58.6%, is made up of natural features like rivers, glaciers, and mountains.

Mesocco is the northernmost municipality in the Misox valley and is one of the biggest in the canton of Graubünden. It's an important center for the area, with a secondary school, local courts, and many government offices. The municipality includes the main village of Mesocco and eleven smaller sections, including the lovely mountain village of San Bernardino.

People of Mesocco

Mesocco has a population of 1,323 people (as of 31 December 2020). About 13.5% of the people living here are from other countries. Over the last ten years, the population has slightly decreased.

Most people in Mesocco speak Italian, which is about 89.1% of the population. German is the second most common language, spoken by 6.2% of the people, and Albanian is third, spoken by 1.4%.

In terms of education, many adults in Mesocco (about 70.3% of those aged 25-64) have completed higher education, either at a university or a specialized college.

The unemployment rate in Mesocco is about 4.26%. Many people work in different types of jobs:

• Primary sector: About 52 people work in farming and related businesses.
• Secondary sector: Around 138 people work in manufacturing and construction.
• Tertiary sector: The largest group, about 263 people, work in services like shops, hotels, and offices.

Most people in Mesocco are Roman Catholic (about 91.0%). A smaller number, about 3.1%, belong to the Swiss Reformed Church. There are also people who belong to the Orthodox Church, Islamic faith, or no church at all.

The population of Mesocco has changed over the years:

Climate in Mesocco

Mesocco experiences a good amount of rain and snow throughout the year. Between 1991 and 2020, it had an average of 123.9 days with rain each year, receiving about 1637 millimeters (64.4 inches) of precipitation. The wettest month is usually August, with an average of 187 millimeters (7.4 inches) of rain over about 12.7 days. The driest month is February, with about 60 millimeters (2.4 inches) of precipitation over 6.5 days.

Sights to See in Mesocco

Important Heritage Sites

Mesocco is home to some very important historical places! The Castello di Mesocco (Mesocco Castle) and the Church of S. Maria al Castello are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance. This means they are very special and protected.

Mesocco Castle

The ruins of Mesocco Castle are among the largest in the canton. This castle was once the home of the noble von Sax family. From the 12th century until 1480, it was controlled by the Freiherr (a type of lord) of Misox. After that, from 1480 until 1549, the Trivulzio family owned it.

Church of S. Maria al Castello

At the bottom of the castle hill, you'll find the Church of Santa Maria al Castello. This church was first mentioned in 1219, making it very old! Inside, it has beautiful frescoes (wall paintings) created by artists from the Seregnesi workshop in the mid-15th century.

• 

  Aerial view of the castle

• 

  Castle plan

• 

  Castle walls

• 

  Main tower and bell tower

• 

  View from the castle toward Mesocco and the Church of S. Maria

• 

  S. Maria al Castello

• 

  Fresco from the church, representing the month of March

• 

  Fresco of St. Christopher

Other Churches in Mesocco

The church of SS. Pietro e Paolo

The church of S. Rocco

Church of SS. Pietro e Paolo

The main parish church of SS. Pietro e Paolo was also first mentioned in 1219. It was updated in the 17th century and then restored again in 1959.

Church of S. Rocco

The church of S. Rocco was built with a special building next to it called a hospice, which was a place for travelers or the sick. Since 1668, Capuchin friars (a type of monk) have worked there. The church area also has several smaller chapels, including the chapel of S. Giacomo, which was first mentioned in 1419.

Other Churches

During the time of the Protestant Reformation, the church of S. Giuseppe in Andergia was used for Protestant church services.

Sadly, the church of S. Giovanni Nepomuceno in Cebbia was destroyed by a flood in 1978 and had to be rebuilt.

Other Interesting Buildings

The House a Marca is an old and interesting building that was built in 1565 and later made bigger. Besides this historic house, there are several other grand houses from the 19th century that show the rich history of Mesocco.

See also

In Spanish: Mesocco para niños