San Nazzaro, Switzerland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids San Nazzaro
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
San Nazzaro Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland San Nazzaro Location in Canton of Ticino Show map of Canton of Ticino
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Ticino
District	Locarno
Municipality	Gambarogno
Area
• Total	5.53 km2 (2.14 sq mi)
Elevation	201 m (659 ft)
Population
• Total	698
• Density	126.22/km2 (326.9/sq mi)
Postal code	6575
Surrounded by	Ascona, Brissago, Caviano, Gerra (Gambarogno), Indemini, Locarno, Muralto, Piazzogna, Pino sulla Sponda del Lago Maggiore (IT-VA), Ronco sopra Ascona, Sant'Abbondio

San Nazzaro was once a small town, or municipality, located in the Locarno area of the Ticino region in Switzerland. It was a beautiful place near Lake Maggiore.

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

San Nazzaro's Past: A Look at Its History

San Nazzaro was first mentioned in old documents way back in 1258. It was known as sancto Nazario then.

Ancient Discoveries in San Nazzaro

In a small village area called Vairano, archaeologists found special pots called cremation urns. These pots might be from the Bronze Age, a time when people would burn their dead. They also found pottery and coins from the Roman era. This shows that people lived here a very long time ago!

Another village area, Mossana, also had Roman graves. In Taverna, there was once a tall tower. It was probably given to the Orelli family by Frederick I Barbarossa in 1186. Later, rich families from Locarno owned the tower. They used it to control trade around the upper Lake Maggiore and the Gambarogno river.

San Nazzaro in the Middle Ages

Even in the Middle Ages, San Nazzaro was an important place in the Gambarogno valley. In the 1200s, local community meetings, called Vicinanza meetings, happened in the church square in Taverna.

In 1487, the Gambarogno area became independent from Locarno. San Nazzaro then became the main seat for the Podestà (a local leader) and the court.

Church History

San Nazzaro used to be part of the Vira church area. But in 1558, it became its own independent church area. The main church, SS Nazzaro e Celso, was first mentioned in 1258. It was rebuilt and made bigger in 1790 in a style called classicist style.

How People Lived and Worked

Most people in San Nazzaro made a living from farming and raising animals. In the 1400s, many people also left to work in Italy, especially as bricklayers and builders.

In the second half of the 1900s, the number of people living in San Nazzaro grew a lot. This was because the village became a popular place for tourists. It gained hotels and many people built second homes there. By 2000, about two-thirds of the people who worked in San Nazzaro traveled there from other places.

Exploring San Nazzaro's Geography

An aerial view of San Nazzaro in 1946.

San Nazzaro covers an area of about 5.53 square kilometers (2.14 square miles). A big part of this land, about 75.8%, is covered by forests. About 11.8% of the land is used for farming.

The rest of the land includes buildings and roads (12.1%), rivers or lakes (1.8%), and some unproductive land (4.3%). This unproductive land might be rocky or have plants that aren't useful for farming.

The village is located in the Locarno area, on the eastern side of Lake Maggiore. San Nazzaro includes a few smaller village areas, known as hamlets. These are Casenzano, Taverna, and Vairano.

San Nazzaro's Coat of Arms

The blazon (description) of San Nazzaro's coat of arms is: "A silver shield with a red tower rising from the bottom, and a pattern of red and silver squares." This design likely represents the old tower and the history of the area.

Who Lives in San Nazzaro? Demographics

In 2009, San Nazzaro had a population of 698 people. About 17.2% of the people living there were foreign nationals. Over ten years, from 1997 to 2007, the population grew by 18.4%.

Languages Spoken

Most people in San Nazzaro speak Italian, about 69.7% of the population. The second most common language is German, spoken by about 24.8% of the people. A small number, 1.4%, speak French.

Population Over Time

Here's how the population of San Nazzaro has changed throughout history:

Economy: How People Earned a Living

In 2007, the unemployment rate in San Nazzaro was 3.04%. This means a small percentage of people who wanted to work couldn't find jobs.

Types of Jobs

• Primary Sector: In 2005, 15 people worked in the primary economic sector. This includes jobs like farming, fishing, and forestry. There were about 3 businesses in this area.
• Secondary Sector: 68 people worked in the secondary sector. These jobs involve making things, like in factories or construction. There were 10 businesses in this sector.
• Tertiary Sector: The largest group, 156 people, worked in the tertiary sector. These are service jobs, like working in shops, hotels, or offices. There were 24 businesses in this sector.

Overall, 253 people living in San Nazzaro had jobs. About 43.9% of these workers were female.

Commuting and Tourism

In 2000, 256 workers traveled into San Nazzaro for their jobs, while 128 workers left the village to work elsewhere. This means more people came into San Nazzaro for work than left it. About 34% of the workers coming into San Nazzaro were from outside Switzerland.

Most people used private cars (59.3%) to get to work, while 4.3% used public transportation. In 2009, San Nazzaro had 3 hotels with a total of 81 rooms and 184 beds, showing its role in tourism.

Religion in San Nazzaro

According to the 2000 census, most people in San Nazzaro were Roman Catholic, making up about 67.1% of the population. About 14.5% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Another 14.51% belonged to other churches not listed, and 3.90% did not answer the question about their religion.

Education and Schools

Switzerland is known for its good education system. In San Nazzaro, about 74% of adults (aged 25-64) had completed either high school or gone on to higher education, like a university.

Local Schools

The Gambarogno area's preschool and primary school system has its main office in San Nazzaro. The town also has a primary school.

In 2009, there were 94 students in San Nazzaro.

• Kindergarten: 8 children were in kindergarten, which is not required but helps young children prepare for school.
• Primary School: This program lasts five years. 33 students attended the regular primary schools, and 1 student attended a special school.
• Lower Secondary School: After primary school, students go to lower secondary. They can either attend a two-year middle school (29 students) followed by a two-year program to prepare for a job, or a four-year program (9 students) to get ready for university.

Libraries and Learning

San Nazzaro is home to the Gambarogno municipal library, called Biblioteca comunale Gambarogno, which opened in 2014. There's also a toy library (called ludoteca), which opened in 1997. It's a place where kids can borrow toys and games!

See also

In Spanish: San Nazzaro (Tesino) para niños