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Prato Leventina
Coat of arms of Prato Leventina
Coat of arms
Country Switzerland
Canton Ticino
District Leventina
Area
 • Total 16.82 km2 (6.49 sq mi)
Elevation
1,043 m (3,422 ft)
Population
 (Dec 2020 )
 • Total 388
 • Density 23.07/km2 (59.75/sq mi)
Postal code
6773
Surrounded by Dalpe, Lavizzara, Osco, Quinto

Prato Leventina (Prato) is a municipality of the district Leventina in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.

History

Lake Tremorgio
Lake Tremorgio

Prato (Leventina) is first mentioned in 1211 as de Prato. In German it used to be known as Pratt, though this name is no longer used. Between 1902 and 1939 it was known as Prato-Fiesso. The village may have grown up around a Sust (an alpine warehouse and administrative center) along the Gotthard road. The village was the center of a Vicinanza which consisted of the Degagne of Prato, Fiesso and until 1866, Dalpe. The villages played an important part in the organization of the mule traders that traveled over the passes. They retained a leading role until 1820, when the first cantonal road was built over the pass. In 1561, the Dazio Grande was built in Rodi. It was used until 1834 used as a customs house and also as a Sust. The same foundation of the building was used in 1999 for a cultural center.

The parish church of San Giorgio is first mentioned in 1210. The church has a romanesque tower and stucco from the 17th Century. It was renovated in the 1950s.

Traditionally, the local economy relied grazing. However, in the past century, the village has become a popular summer and winter tourist destination. In the hamlet of Rodi is the Tremorgio power plant (1918–26), and a cable car, built in 1928, that connects the valley with Lago Tremorgio. In 2005 two thirds of jobs in the municipality were in industry and a quarter were in the services sectors. In 2000, over half the labor force commutes.

Geography

2007 0606 125GOT SBB 00102
Train between Faido and Airolo just before entering the Prato (Leventina) Spiral Tunnel

Prato (Leventina) has an area, as of 1997, of 16.85 square kilometers (6.51 sq mi). Of this area, 1.06 km2 (0.41 sq mi) or 6.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 7.9 km2 (3.1 sq mi) or 46.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.49 km2 (0.19 sq mi) or 2.9% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.53 km2 (0.20 sq mi) or 3.1% is either rivers or lakes and 4.91 km2 (1.90 sq mi) or 29.1% is unproductive land.

Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.9% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.1%. Out of the forested land, 34.2% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 10.4% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 2.3% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 5.3% is used for growing crops. Of the water in the municipality, 2.4% is in lakes and 0.8% is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 15.0% is unproductive vegetation and 14.2% is too rocky for vegetation.

The municipality is located in the Leventina district, in a depression in the mountains at an elevation of 1,046 m (3,432 ft) near the Monte Piottino gorge. It consists of the village of Prato and the hamlets of Fiesso, Mascengo, Rodi and Morasco.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Prato (Tesino) para niños

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