Collina d'Oro ( en, Golden Hill) is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in the district of

Lugano Lugano (, , ; lmo, label= Ticinese, Lugan ) is a city and municipality in Switzerland, part of the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino. It is the largest city of both Ticino and the Italian-speaking southern Switzerland. Lugano has a populat ...

in the

canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ente ...

Ticino Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. It was formed from the 2004 union of the villages of

Agra Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra ...

, Gentilino, and Montagnola. On 1 April 2012, it incorporated the formerly independent municipality of Carabietta.Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz
published by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 24 May 2012

History

Gentilino is first mentioned in 1210 as ''Gentarino''. Montagnola is first mentioned in 1226 as ''Montegnola'.

Agra

The

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

of Bigogno, which is part of Agra, is first mentioned in 1270 in an inventory of the lands of the monastery of S. Abbondio in

Como Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label= Comasco , or ; lat, Novum Comum; rm, Com; french: Côme) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Its proximity to Lake Como and to the Alps ...

in the Valle di Lugano. The inventory of Como Cathedral (1298) mentions their

allodial title Allodial title constitutes ownership of real property (land, buildings, and fixtures) that is independent of any superior landlord. Allodial title is related to the concept of land held "in allodium", or land ownership by occupancy and defense ...

s and episcopal loans in Agra as well as possessions of the Disentis Abbey. The same document also mentions the church of S. Tommaso in Agra. The church initially belonged to the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

of S. Pietro in

Pambio Pambio is a village and former municipality in the District of Lugano, in the canton of Ticino in southern Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, whi ...

and then became an under-parish in 1591. The Chapel of S. Assunta in Bigogno was completed before 1609. In the statutes of Como from 1335, the ''Concilium'' or '' Vicinanza'' of Agra and Premona or Barbengo is first mentioned. In addition to agriculture, the village was once famous for training and sending artisans to Russia along with other European nations. In 1912 a regional

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

opened in the village. It was a residence to for many, especially German-speaking, notables and intellectuals. They published the monthly magazine ''Die Terrasse'' (The Terrace) from the sanatorium. It was closed in 1969 and fell into disrepair.

Gentilino

In the

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

Gentilino belonged to the royal court of Agnuzzo, which was donated in 818 by Emperor

Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqu ...

to the clergy of

. During the 11th Century it belonged to the monastery of S. Abbondio in Como. The union of the monastic estates in 1335 probably led to the creation of the ''Concilium Sancti Abundii'' which included Gentilino and Viglio as well as Montagnola and the surrounding villages. In the early 18th Century, the village wanted to buy the monastery's rights to the village. However, this triggered a long-running dispute, in which the Canton was eventually involved. It is believed that the church of S. Abbondio was the center of a medieval

, which became a sub-parish in the 11th Century. However, the first written record of the church dates from 1140. The current appearance is due to an enlargement in the 17th Century. In the past centuries, the population lived mainly from agriculture, but there were also a large exodus of builders (known as ''Maestranze''). Recently, it has grown into a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

for the nearby city of

Montagnola

The merger of several formerly separate properties of the monastery of S. Abbondio in Como in 1535, led to the establishment of the ''Concilium Sancti Abundii'' which covered not only Gentilino but the village of Montagnola with the hamlets of Vigilio, Orino, Arasio, Certenago, Poprino, Barca and Scairolo. An inventory of the monastery mentioned the presence of a fortress at Arasio. Montagnola belongs to the parish of S. Abbondio at Gentilino. The chapels in S. Silvestro in Arasio and SS Nazaro in Celso were first mentioned in 1270 and 1442 respectively. The local economy was based on agriculture as well as emigration of architects and builders from the Gilardi, Lucchini, Berra and Camuzzi families into various European countries, especially Russia. Several of these builders were able to create major works in these foreign cities and rise to great fame. The pleasant climate and attractive location of the village attracted many illustrious personalities from abroad, including the writer

Hermann Hesse Hermann Karl Hesse (; 2 July 1877 – 9 August 1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. His best-known works include '' Demian'', '' Steppenwolf'', '' Siddhartha'', and '' The Glass Bead Game'', each of which explores an individual ...

. A museum to the writer opened in 1997. Between 1923-27 it was the seat of the prestigious '' Officina Bodoni'', the printing shop of Hans (later Giovanni) Mardersteig. Since 1956, Montagnola is home to an international school,

The American School In Switzerland TASIS or TASIS Switzerland, formally known as The American School In Switzerland, is a private American international boarding and day school in Switzerland. It is the oldest of the four TASIS Schools. TASIS is the oldest American college-prepa ...

. Due to its proximity to Lugano, Montagnola is now a kind of residential suburb of the city.

Carabietta

Carabietta is first mentioned in 1335 as ''Carabio''. In 1375 it was mentioned as ''La Carabieta''. At the end of the 14th Century it belonged to the

Pieve In the Middle Ages, a pieve (, ; la, plebe, link=no; plural ''pievi'') was a rural church with a baptistery, upon which other churches without baptisteries depended. The Italian word ''pieve'' is descended from Latin ''plebs'' which, after t ...

of Agno, and in the 15th-16th Centuries to the Pieve of

. It eventually became a dependent of the

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

Morcote Morcote is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Ticino situated about 10 kilometres from Lugano in the district of Lugano on the shore of Lake Lugano. History Morcote is first mentioned historically in 926 as ''Murcau'', which comes from the ...

. Between 1803-16, Carabietta belonged to the political municipality of Morcote. During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

(documented first in 1355) and under the Swiss Confederation (reconfirmed in 1664 and 1784), the village was granted the status as an imperial ''cassina'' or a village that was exempt from taxes. The church of San Bernardo was built in 1634, and stands on the foundations of a late-medieval church. The residents of the village supplemented their income from agriculture through money sent back by emigrants. Carabietta was one of the smallest municipalities of Ticino. It was developing gradually into a small

commuter town A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many ...

Geography

Collina d'Oro has an area, , of . Of this area, 11.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 51.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, or 36.2% is settled (buildings or roads) and or 0.5% is unproductive land.Swiss Federal Statistical Office
accessed 28-December-2010

Lago di Muzzano __NOTOC__ Lago di Muzzano is a lake in Ticino, Switzerland. It is bordered by the municipalities of Sorengo, Muzzano and Collina d'Oro Collina d'Oro ( en, Golden Hill) is a municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Swi ...

is shared with the neighboring municipalities. The village of Agra is located at an elevation of at the foot of Monte Crocione. Until the merger, the village of Gentilino included the north side of the Collina d'Oro valley, and the settlement of Viglio. The former municipality of Montagnola stretched over the central portion of the Collina d'Oro valley from the Bay of Agno to Pian Scairolo, and included a number of villages. Carabietta was located in the Lugano district, on the Agno arm of Lake Lugano.

Demographics

Collina d'Oro has a population () of . , 28.5% of the population are resident foreign nationals.Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Superweb database - Gemeinde Statistics 1981-2008
accessed 19 June 2010 Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 21.1%. Most of the population () speaks Italian (74.9%), with

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

being second most common (10.6%) and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

being third (5.0%). , the gender distribution of the population was 47.9% male and 52.1% female. The population was made up of 1,457 Swiss men (32.5% of the population), and 694 (15.5%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,677 Swiss women (37.4%), and 658 (14.7%) non-Swiss women. In there were 29 live births to Swiss citizens and 8 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 26 deaths of Swiss citizens and 3 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 3 while the foreign population increased by 5. There were 3 Swiss men who immigrated back to Switzerland and 1 Swiss woman who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 31 non-Swiss men and 31 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 10 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 26 people. This represents a population growth rate of 0.8%. The age distribution, , in Collina d'Oro is; 429 children or 9.6% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 714 teenagers or 15.9% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 368 people or 8.2% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 564 people or 12.6% are between 30 and 39, 714 people or 15.9% are between 40 and 49, and 613 people or 13.7% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 519 people or 11.6% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 341 people or 7.6% are between 70 and 79, there are 224 people or 5.0% who are over 80.01.02.03 Popolazione residente permanente
accessed 23 November 2010

Historic Population

The historical population is given in the following chart: Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8) ImageSize = width:600 height:360 PlotArea = height:300 left:100 bottom:50 right:100 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:4200 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:800 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:200 start:0 PlotData= bar:Year color:yellowgreen width:40 mark:(line,white) align:center bar:Year color:yellowgreen width:50 from:start till:1300 text:Agra bar:Year color:green width:50 from:1300 till:2600 text:Gentilino bar:Year color:blue width:50 from:2600 till:3900 text:Montagnola shift:( 5,0) bar:1591 color:yellowgreen from:start till:100 text:"ca. 100" shift:(12,-3) bar:1591 color:green from:100 till:570 text:"470" bar:1850 color:yellowgreen from:start till:164 text:"164" shift:(0,-3) bar:1850 color:green from:164 till:497 text:"333" bar:1850 color:blue from:497 till:1048 text:"551" bar:1900 color:yellowgreen from:start till:164 text:"164" shift:(0,-3) bar:1900 color:green from:164 till:591 text:"427" bar:1900 color:blue from:591 till:1269 text:"678" bar:1950 color:yellowgreen from:start till:389 text:"389" bar:1950 color:green from:389 till:947 text:"558" bar:1950 color:blue from:947 till:1877 text:"930" bar:2000 color:yellowgreen from:start till:401 text:"401" bar:2000 color:green from:401 till:1729 text:"1,328" bar:2000 color:blue from:1729 till:3821 text:"2,092" bar:2002 color:yellow from:start till:4065 text:"4,065" bar:2002 at:3000 fontsize:M text: "Collina d'Oro" shift:(12,5) mark:(line,yellow)

Politics

In the

2007 federal election This electoral calendar 2007 lists the national/federal direct elections held in 2007 in the de jure and de facto sovereign states and their dependent territories. Referendums are included, although they are not elections. By-elections are not ...

the most popular party was the FDP which received 37.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP (17.98%), the

Ticino League The Ticino League ( it, Lega dei Ticinesi) is a regionalist, national-conservative political party in Switzerland active in the canton of Ticino. The party was founded in 1991 by entrepreneur Giuliano Bignasca and journalist Flavio Maspoli. Af ...

(13.71%) and the SVP (12.98%). In the federal election, a total of 1,369 votes were cast, and the

voter turnout In political science, voter turnout is the participation rate (often defined as those who cast a ballot) of a given election. This can be the percentage of registered voters, eligible voters, or all voting-age people. According to Stanford Univ ...

was 51.3%. In the '' Gran Consiglio'' election, there were a total of 2,661 registered voters in Collina d'Oro, of which 1,727 or 64.9% voted. 23 blank ballots and 3 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,701 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 613 or 36.0% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA (with 276 or 16.2%), the SSI (with 258 or 15.2%) and the PPD+GenGiova (with 207 or 12.2%). Elezioni cantonali: Gran Consiglio, Consiglio di Stato
accessed 23 November 2010 In the ''Consiglio di Stato'' election, 12 blank ballots and 8 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,706 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 599 or 35.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA (with 370 or 21.7%), the SSI (with 221 or 13.0%) and the PS (with 214 or 12.5%).

Education

In Collina d'Oro about 81% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a ''

Fachhochschule A ''Fachhochschule'' (; plural ''Fachhochschulen''), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied art ...

''). In Collina d'Oro there were a total of 751 students (). The Ticino

education system The educational system generally refers to the structure of all institutions and the opportunities for obtaining education within a country. It includes all pre-school institutions, starting from family education, and/or early childhood education ...

provides up to three years of non-mandatory

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

and in Collina d'Oro there were 126 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 334 students attended the standard primary schools and 5 students attended the special school. In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two-year middle school followed by a two-year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four-year program to prepare for higher education. There were 143 students in the two-year middle school and 2 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 90 students were in the four-year advanced program. The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college. In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student). There were 21 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 26 who attend part-time. The professional program lasts three years and prepares a student for a job in engineering, nursing, computer science, business, tourism and similar fields. There were 4 students in the professional program.

Primary and secondary schools

The primary school is located in Montagnola, and there are pre-primary schools in both Montagnola and Gentilino.

is located in Montagnola.

Public libraries

The ''La Biblioteca comunale di Collina d'Oro'' is located in Montagnola, in proximity to the communal school. The library opened in 1990.

Economy

, Collina d'Oro had an unemployment rate of 2.58%. , there were 31 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 8 businesses involved in this sector. 703 people were employed in the

secondary sector In macroeconomics, the secondary sector of the economy is an economic sector in the three-sector theory that describes the role of manufacturing. It encompasses industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in construc ...

and there were 26 businesses in this sector. 1,016 people were employed in the

tertiary sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...

, with 161 businesses in this sector. Of the working population, 8% used public transportation to get to work, and 65.6% used a private car. , there were 4 hotels in Collina d'Oro with a total of 40 rooms and 79 beds.

Heritage sites of national significance

The Camuzzi House, Cimitero and

Parish Church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

of S. Abbondio, with

Ossuary An ossuary is a chest, box, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. They are frequently used where burial space is scarce. A body is first buried in a temporary grave, then after some years the ...

and '' Via Crucis'' are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance. File:Camuzzi 5 1978.jpg, Camuzzi house File:Collina d'Oro - Sant'Abbondio - Ossario.jpg, Sant'Abbondio Church, Ossuary and one painting of the Via Crucis File:Collina d'Oro - Sant'Abbondio - Interno.jpg, Interior of Sant'Abbondio Church

Notable residents

Montagnola was the home for over thirty years of the writer and Nobel Laureate

until his death in 1962. He is buried in Gentilino's San Abbondio cemetery.

Housing

, there were 1,545 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.45%. , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.6 new units per 1000 residents.

Transport

The northern part of the municipality is served by Cappella-Agnuzzo station on the Lugano–Ponte Tresa railway. The station is served by regular trains, operating every 15 minutes during weekday daytime, and every half-hour at other times. Collina d'Oro is also served by buses of the Autopostale.

References

External links

Official website
* * * {{Authority control Municipalities of Ticino Cultural property of national significance in Ticino