Melano is a former

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 ...

. On 10 April 2022, the former municipalities of

Maroggia Maroggia is a former municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 10 April 2022, the former municipalities of Maroggia, Melano and Rovio merged to form the new municipality of Val Mara. History Maroggia is ...

, Melano and Rovio merged to form the new municipality of Val Mara.

History

Roman era In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

necropolis A necropolis (plural necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'', literally meaning "city of the dead". The term usually im ...

was discovered in the municipality. The modern village of Melano is first mentioned in 799 as ''Mellani''. In 1192 it was mentioned as ''Melano''. In 847, the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

Abbey of Sant'Ambrogio of

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

owned land in Melano. In 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 ...

the city of

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 ...

, controlled the port of Melano. During their wars against Milan in the early 12th Century, the port was of strategic importance. In the

Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Ren ...

there was a wall between Melano and

Capolago Capolago is a village situated at the south-eastern extremity of Lake Lugano, in the Swiss canton of Ticino. Originally a municipality in its own right, Capolago is now a quarter of the municipality of Mendrisio, itself part of the district o ...

(first mentioned in 1449) that led down to the lake from Monte Generoso. In 1798, Melano belonged to the short-lived Republic of

Riva San Vitale Riva San Vitale is a municipality in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland, located in the district of Mendrisio. History Riva San Vitale is first mentioned in 774 as ''Primo Sobenno''. In 1115 it was mentioned as ''Ripa Sancti Vitalis''. The a ...

. Melano was part of 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 Riva San Vitale until 1591 when it became an independent parish. The Parish Church of St. Andrew was built in the 15th Century, totally rebuilt in 1846-50 and restored in 1992–94. In 1634-37 the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Castelletto was built on a previous, 14th Century building. It was restored in 1985-87 and is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the Ticino. Agriculture, livestock, forestry and seasonal migrations have long been the main sources of income. In 1840 Giovanni Battista Fogliardi opened one of the first silk mills in Ticino in Melano. At the beginning of the 21st Century much of the economy is based around tourism.

Geography

Melano has an area, (as of the 2004/09 survey) of . Of this area, about 4.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 73.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 16.3% is settled (buildings or roads) and 5.7% is unproductive land. In the 2004/09 survey a total of or about 6.8% of the total area was covered with buildings, an increase of over the 1983 amount. Over the same time period, the amount of recreational space in the municipality increased by and is now about 1.75% of the total area. Of the agricultural land, is used for orchards and vineyards, is fields and grasslands and consists of alpine grazing areas. Since 1983 the amount of agricultural land has decreased by . Rivers and lakes cover in the municipality.Regionalporträts 2018: Swiss Federal Statistical Office
accessed 17 September 2018 The municipality is located in the Lugano district, on the eastern shore of

Lake Lugano __NOTOC__ Lake Lugano ( it, Lago di Lugano or , from la, Ceresius lacus; lmo, Lagh de Lugan) is a glacial lake which is situated on the border between southern Switzerland and northern Italy. The lake, named after the city of Lugano, is situated ...

at the foot of Monte Generoso.

Coat of arms

The

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The ...

of the municipal

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

is ''Gules a hazel dormouse or the chief embatteled argent and in base also argent three bendlets wavy azure.''

Demographics

Melano has a population () of . , 23.0% 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 18.2%. Most of the population () speaks

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

(84.9%), 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 (8.1%) and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

being third (1.5%).Swiss Federal Statistical Office
accessed 13-January-2011 Of the Swiss national languages (), 89 speak German, 10 people speak

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

, 936 people speak Italian. The remainder (67 people) speak another language.Popolazione residente, secondo la lingua principale e la religione, nel 2000
accessed 23 November 2010 , the gender distribution of the population was 50.7% male and 49.3% female. The population was made up of 485 Swiss men (37.4% of the population), and 173 (13.3%) non-Swiss men. There were 511 Swiss women (39.4%), and 128 (9.9%) non-Swiss women. In there were 5 live births to Swiss citizens and 2 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 4 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 1 while the foreign population increased by 2. There was 1 Swiss man who immigrated back to Switzerland and 2 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 9 non-Swiss men and 7 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 14 and the non-Swiss population change was a decrease of 5 people. This represents a population growth rate of 0.7%. The age distribution, , in Melano is; 141 children or 10.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 121 teenagers or 9.3% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 148 people or 11.4% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 233 people or 18.0% are between 30 and 39, 230 people or 17.7% are between 40 and 49, and 157 people or 12.1% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 125 people or 9.6% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 93 people or 7.2% are between 70 and 79, there are 49 people or 3.8% who are over 80.01.02.03 Popolazione residente permanente
accessed 23 November 2010 , there were 500 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.1 persons per household. there were 199 single family homes (or 59.6% of the total) out of a total of 334 inhabited buildings. There were 73 two family buildings (21.9%) and 41 multi-family buildings (12.3%). There were also 21 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose). The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.91%. there were 605 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 193. There were 24 single room apartments and 159 apartments with five or more rooms. 09.02.02 Abitazioni
accessed 23 November 2010 Of these apartments, a total of 497 apartments (82.1% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 99 apartments (16.4%) were seasonally occupied and 9 apartments (1.5%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.2 new units per 1000 residents. The historical population is given in the following chart: Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8) ImageSize = width:1200 height:210 PlotArea = height:150 left:100 bottom:50 right:100 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:1200 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:200 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:40 start:0 PlotData= color:yellowgreen width:40 mark:(line,white) align:center bar:1591 from:start till:100 text:"100" bar:1702 from:start till:193 text:"193" bar:1769 from:start till:205 text:"205" bar:1801 from:start till:351 text:"351" bar:1850 from:start till:368 text:"368" bar:1860 from:start till:454 text:"454" bar:1870 from:start till:508 text:"508" bar:1880 from:start till:533 text:"533" bar:1890 from:start till:583 text:"583" bar:1900 from:start till:584 text:"584" bar:1910 from:start till:619 text:"619" bar:1920 from:start till:464 text:"464" bar:1930 from:start till:472 text:"472" bar:1941 from:start till:490 text:"490" bar:1950 from:start till:529 text:"529" bar:1960 from:start till:661 text:"661" bar:1970 from:start till:893 text:"893" bar:1980 from:start till:856 text:"856" bar:1990 from:start till:907 text:"907" bar:2000 from:start till:1102 text:"1,102"

Heritage sites of national significance

The Della Madonna Del Castelletto Church is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance. The entire village of Melano is part of the

Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites The Federal Inventory of Heritage Sites (ISOS) is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage. Sites of national importance Types The types are based on t ...

Politics

In the 2015 federal election the most popular party was the FDP with 25.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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 ...

(23.3%), the CVP (17.1%) and the SP (15.4%). In the federal election, a total of 408 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 48.6%. 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 33.47% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP (18.09%), the SP (16.49%) and the Ticino League (12.25%). In the federal election, a total of 317 votes were cast, and the

was 41.1%. In the '' Gran Consiglio'' election, there were a total of 780 registered voters in Melano, of which 432 or 55.4% voted. 13 blank ballots and 1 null ballot were cast, leaving 418 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 106 or 25.4% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 81 or 19.4%), the PPD+GenGiova (with 64 or 15.3%) and the SSI (with 62 or 14.8%). Elezioni cantonali: Gran Consiglio, Consiglio di Stato
accessed 23 November 2010 In the ''Consiglio di Stato'' election, 9 blank ballots and 1 null ballot were cast, leaving 422 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 107 or 25.4% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 94 or 22.3%), the LEGA (with 70 or 16.6%) and the PPD (with 64 or 15.2%).

Economy

, Melano had an unemployment rate of 2.57%. , there were 12 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 4 businesses involved in this sector. 73 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 9 businesses in this sector. 185 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 42 businesses in this sector. There were 522 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 40.6% of the workforce. , there were 251 workers who commuted into the municipality and 393 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.6 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. About 25.1% of the workforce coming into Melano are coming from outside Switzerland, while 1.0% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work.Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Statweb
accessed 24 June 2010 Of the working population, 6.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 68.4% used a private car.

Religion

From the , 905 or 82.1% were

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

, while 55 or 5.0% belonged to the

Swiss Reformed Church The Protestant Church in Switzerland (PCS), (EKS); french: Église évangélique réformée de Suisse (EERS); it, Chiesa evangelica riformata in Svizzera (CERiS); rm, Baselgia evangelica refurmada da la Svizra (BRRS) formerly named Federation o ...

. There are 125 individuals (or about 11.34% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 17 individuals (or about 1.54% of the population) did not answer the question.

Education

In Melano about 72% 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 Melano there were a total of 216 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 Melano there were 38 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 66 students attended the standard primary schools and 1 student 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 54 students in the two-year middle school, while 16 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 13 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 2 students in the professional program. Allievi e studenti, secondo il genere di scuola, anno scolastico 2009/2010
accessed 23 November 2010 , there was 1 student in Melano who came from another municipality, while 191 residents attended schools outside the municipality.

Transport

Melano is served by the Maroggia-Melano station, situated on the border with the adjoining municipality of

, which is on the

Gotthard railway The Gotthard railway (german: Gotthardbahn; it, Ferrovia del Gottardo) is the Swiss trans-alpine railway line from northern Switzerland to the canton of Ticino. The line forms a major part of an important international railway link between nort ...

References

{{Authority control Former municipalities of Ticino Cultural property of national significance in Ticino Populated places on Lake Lugano