Comologno is a village and former municipality in the district of

Locarno Locarno (; ; Ticinese dialect, Ticinese: ; formerly in ) is a southern Switzerland, Swiss List of towns in Switzerland, town and Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district Locarno (district), Locarno (of which it is the capita ...

in the

canton of Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts and its capital city is Bellinzo ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

In 1995 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities

Crana Crana is a village and former municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. In 1995 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Comologno and Russo to form a new and larger municipality On ...

and

Russo Russo may refer to: * Russo (surname) * Russo (footballer, 1915–1980), full name Adolpho Milman, Brazilian football forward and manager * Russo (footballer, born 1976), full name Ricardo Soares Florêncio, Brazilian football defender * Russo brot ...

to form a new and larger municipality

Onsernone Onsernone is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Switzerland, Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Ticino, near the city of Locarno. The river Isorno (river), Isorno, known as the Onsernone River in Italy, runs through the Onse ...

.Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz
published by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 14 January 2010 The municipality also contained the villages Vocaglia, Corbella, Cappellino and

Spruga Spruga (''La Sprüga'' in Ticinese dialect, ''Sprugg'' in Swiss German) is a village in the Swiss municipality of Onsernone, in the district of Locarno, in the canton of Ticino. It lies on the sunny, south-facing slopes above the Isorno river o ...

History

Comologno is first mentioned in 1438 as ''Comolognium''. During the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

, Comologno belonged to the ''Squadra'' of Crana, which together with the other villages of the valley (with the exception of

Auressio Auressio is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. In 2001 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Berzona and Loco to form a new and larger municipality Isorno Isorno is a forme ...

) formed the

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

municipality of Onsernone. With the establishment of the Canton of Ticino in 1803, Comologno became an independent municipality. Comologno formed an independent

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

in 1715, when it separated from Russo. The

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), 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 com ...

of San Giovanni Battista, was built in 1668–1697. With the emergence and development of

rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is grown principally in an area from Eastern and Northern Europe into Russia. It is much more tolerant of cold weather and poor soil than o ...

straw processing in the 19th century, the population of Comologno increased rapidly. However, in the following century, the decline of farming, animal husbandry and straw craft led to a rapid population decline. Most of the working population works in industrial or service enterprises in the valley or commute to work in the agglomeration of Locarno. Many residents emigrated to other countries in search of work. Several families became wealthy in foreign countries, and used that wealth to build stately mansions in Comologno. The largest is from the Remonda family, who in the second half of the 18th century, became wealthy in France. Another notable mansion is the Palazzo (or Castello) della Barca which was acquired in the 1930s by Vladimir Rosenbaum for his wife

Aline Valangin Aline Valangin was a Swiss writer, pianist, and psychoanalyst PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: and is a set of theories and techniques of research to discover unconscious processes and their influence on conscious thought, emotion and behaviour ...

, a writer and artist. It soon became a haven for artists and well-known

anti-fascists Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...

, including

Ignazio Silone Secondino Tranquilli (1 May 1900 – 22 August 1978), best known by the pseudonym Ignazio Silone (, ), was an Italian politician, novelist, essayist, playwright, and short-story writer, world-famous during World War II for his powerful anti-fasci ...

, Ernesto Rossi,

Kurt Tucholsky Kurt Tucholsky (; 9 January 1890 – 21 December 1935) was a German journalist, satire, satirist, and writer. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Kaspar Hauser (after the Kaspar Hauser, historical figure), Peter Panter, Theobald Tiger and Ignaz Wr ...

Hans Marchwitza Hans Marchwitza (25 June 1890 – 17 January 1965) was a German writer, proletarian poet, and communist. Life Marchwitza was the son of miner Thomas Marchwitza and his wife Thekla Maxisch, and was born in Scharley (Szarlej) (now a part of Pie ...

, Ernesto Bonaiuti,

Max Terpis Max Terpis, real name ''Max Pfister'', also ''Max Pfister-Terpis'', (1 March 1889 in Zürich – 18 March 1958 in Zollikon) was a Swiss dancer, choreographer, director and psychologist. Publications * ''Tanz und Tänzer'' (1946) Filmography ...

Elias Canetti Elias Canetti (; 25 July 1905 – 14 August 1994; ; ) was a German-language writer, known as a Literary modernism, modernist novelist, playwright, memoirist, and nonfiction writer. Born in Ruse, Bulgaria, to a Sephardi Jews, Sephardic Jewish fam ...

Wladimir Vogel Wladimir Rudolfowitsch Vogel (17 February/29 February 1896 – 19 June 1984) was a Swiss (people), Swiss composer of Germans, German and Russians, Russian descent. Life Born in Moscow, Vogel first studied composition in Moscow with Alexander Scri ...

and Jean-Paul Samson. Since the early 1970s, at the suggestion of the Associazione Amici di Comologno, various artists have decorated houses in the village with frescos.

Historic population

The historical population is given in the following table:

References

* Former municipalities of Ticino Villages in Onsernone Onsernone {{Ticino-geo-stub