Verzasca Valley
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The Valle Verzasca is a valley in the Locarno district of the Canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It comprises the municipalities of
Mergoscia Mergoscia is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. History Mergoscia is first mentioned in 1061 as ''Mergossia'', though this comes from a copy of the original from 1402. In 1300 it was mentioned as ' ...
,
Vogorno Vogorno is a former municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The village is located above Lago di Vogorno, a reservoir formed by the Verzasca Dam. On 17 October 2020 the former municipalities of Vogorno, Sono ...
,
Corippo Corippo is a former municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. With a population of just 12 inhabitants in July 2018, and dropping to 9 by December 2019 it was the smallest municipality in Switzerland. Despite ...
,
Lavertezzo Lavertezzo is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. History Lavertezzo is first mentioned in 1327 as ''Laverteze''. In the Middle Ages, Lavertezzo was a ''Squadra'' of the '' Vicinanza'' of Verzasca. ...
, Brione, Gerra,
Frasco Frasco is a former municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 17 October 2020 the former municipalities of Vogorno, Sonogno, Corippo, Brione (Verzasca) and Frasco merged to form the new municipality of ...
, and
Sonogno Sonogno is a former municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It is located in Valle Verzasca. On 17 October 2020 the former municipalities of Vogorno, Sonogno, Corippo, Brione (Verzasca) and Frasco merge ...
. As of 2004, the total population is 3,200. Mergoscia is at the geographical center of the Ticino, and none of the passes out of the valley cross cantonal or national borders. The valley is formed by the Verzasca River and is situated between the
Leventina The Leventina District is one of the eight districts of the largely Italian-speaking canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The capital of the district is Faido but the largest town is Airolo on the southern flank of the Gotthard Pass. Situated to th ...
and the Maggia and culminates at
Pizzo Barone Pizzo Barone (2,864 m) is a mountain of the Lepontine Alps in Switzerland. It is located south of Pizzo Campo Tencia and is the highest summit of the Valle Verzasca in the canton of Ticino. From Sonogno Sonogno is a former municipality in th ...
.


Geography

Located between the
Leventina The Leventina District is one of the eight districts of the largely Italian-speaking canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The capital of the district is Faido but the largest town is Airolo on the southern flank of the Gotthard Pass. Situated to th ...
and the Valle Maggia valleys, Valle Verzasca extends over a length of in north–south direction and is situated in the north of the
Lago Maggiore Lake Maggiore (, ; it, Lago Maggiore ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Lagh Maggior; pms, Lagh Magior; literally 'Greater Lake') or Verbano (; la, Lacus Verbanus) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest la ...
. The valley floor is at about to above sea level. The surrounding mountain passes respectively have an average altitude of . The Valley is crossed by the '' Verzasca'' river which is dammed at the southernly outlet of the Valley, forming the Lago di Vogorno, before it flows in the Magadino plain in the vicinity of the
Ticino River The river Ticino ( , ; lmo, Tesín; French and german: Tessin; la, Ticīnus) is the most important perennial left-bank tributary of the Po. It has given its name to the Swiss canton through which its upper portion flows. It is one of the four ...
in the
Lago Maggiore Lake Maggiore (, ; it, Lago Maggiore ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Lagh Maggior; pms, Lagh Magior; literally 'Greater Lake') or Verbano (; la, Lacus Verbanus) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest la ...
.


Climate

Due to the different altitudes, all climate zones are combined in the Valle Verzasca. Tenero-contra and Gordola include the insubric climate region thanks to the deep-sea level, close to the Lago Maggiore and protected by the mountains from the north winds. Vineyards and
Mediterranean vegetation Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub is a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. The biome is generally characterized by dry summers and rainy winters, although in some areas rainfall may be uniform. Summers are typically hot in ...
benefit from the mildest climate area of Switzerland, nebulae are rare and rainfall of short duration. With increasing altitude, the hills and mountain climate goes over to regions dominated by the
Alpine climate Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate. Definition There are multiple definitions o ...
(over ).


Flora and fauna

The diversity benefits among other things, the cultivation of vines, and it flourish chestnut forests and palm trees thrive. Due to differences in soil type and amounts, almost all flora occurring in the Ticino and fauna of the various environmental zones are found in the Verzasca Valley. The Romans introduced and comparable to the tropical wood species, ''
Castanea sativa ''Castanea sativa'', the sweet chestnut, Spanish chestnut or just chestnut, is a species of tree in the family Fagaceae, native to Southern Europe and Asia Minor, and widely cultivated throughout the Temperate climate, temperate world. A substa ...
'' is in the southern part of the valley, below , the dominant species. It is no longer actively cultivated, but favors the further diffusion, and studies suggest taking advantage of the valuable wood of chestnut as a valuable wood. In the Valle Verzasca the endemic '' Nera Verzasca'' goat has been preserved, which looks very much like the ancient Roman goat. This medieval durable goat has short hair, because it's not stuck in the snow.


Culture

Due to its isolated location, the Verzasca Valley is claimed as one of the valleys that could best keep its originality. The secluded geographical location made it unattractive for conquerors since the Roman period, and even before. The first traces of settlement in the area are from the early 2nd millennium BC, in its southern part. In Berzona, a locality (''frazione'') of Vogorno, a carved rock known as a ''Sass di Striöi'' (literally: witches stone) is situated on a hiking trail. The shell rock most likely dates from around 600–700 BC; there are about 90 such carved rocks in the Verzasca Valley. Although initially free farmers, the valley was alternately ruled by the Swiss Confederacy, Savoy, Leventia and the Rusca family from about 1410 onwards. In the European Middle Ages, the population were mainly farmers, and since the early 17th century, many residents had to leave for seasonal labour outside their home valley. Often unemployed young men were recruited as mercenaries for foreign armies. In two quarries granite is mined by local workers. The so-called ''Rustici'' (Italian for ''farm house'') in grey stone, with white borders on the windows and heavy stone roofs, are typical houses in the valley. Wood rafters are used to support the heavy stone roof, ''
Castanea sativa ''Castanea sativa'', the sweet chestnut, Spanish chestnut or just chestnut, is a species of tree in the family Fagaceae, native to Southern Europe and Asia Minor, and widely cultivated throughout the Temperate climate, temperate world. A substa ...
'' wood. Many chapels along the way bear witness to the deep faith of the inhabitants of the valley. Valle Vercasza was the origin of many of the region's so-called '' Spazzacamini'' (literally: chimney sweep children).


Tourism

With the connection to the public transport, tourism developed from the end of the 19th century, but the majority of young people from the Valley still look for income opportunities in wealthier regions of Switzerland or northern Italy. Currently the majority of locals are active in the tourism trade. The conversion of the old ''Rustici'' houses into holiday houses created jobs, increased tourism revenues and ensured that the old houses and the characteristic image of the Verzasca Valley are preserved. The mountaintop with views of the Valais, Bernese, Glarus and Grisons Alps, as well as the many transitions in the side and neighbouring valleys are popular to mountain hikers, and around a dozen mountain huts provide accommodation and meals. The Verzasca River is popular to canoeists and divers, but considered to be dangerous and difficult. The Verzasca Dam is also well known for its 220 m height jump, which is one of the highest jumps in the world and also the most famous bungy jump, as it was used in the
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
film ''
GoldenEye ''GoldenEye'' is a 1995 spy film, the seventeenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Directed by Martin Campbell, it was the first in the se ...
''.


Transportation

The only valley access for road traffic and the
Postauto PostAuto Switzerland, PostBus Ltd. (known as in Swiss Standard German (), in Swiss French (), in Swiss Italian (), and in Romansh () is a subsidiary company of the Swiss Post, which provides regional and rural bus services throughout Sw ...
buses are bounded from Tenero or Gordola. The starting on the left side of the valley road (built from 1866 to 1871) crosses Vogorno, Corippo, Lavertezzo, Brione (Verzasca), Gerra (Verzasca), Frasco and ends in Sonogno; a short road leads to Corippo. On the right side of the valley, the road and post road trips from Locarno ends in
Mergoscia Mergoscia is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. History Mergoscia is first mentioned in 1061 as ''Mergossia'', though this comes from a copy of the original from 1402. In 1300 it was mentioned as ' ...
.


Passes


Literature

* Giuseppina Togni: ''Il prete rosso - Geschichte der Val Verzasca'', Armando Dadò Editore, 2012, . * Elfi Rüsch: ''Distretto di Locarno IV.'' Gesellschaft für Schweizerische Kunstgeschichte, Bern 2013, .


External links

*
Official webpage for tourism

All WebCams of the Verzasca Valley

All about the Verzasca Valley - hiking, excursions, photos, accommodation, restaurants

verzasca.com


References

{{Authority control Valleys of Ticino Regions of Switzerland