Pigniu () is a former

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

in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in

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 ...

. Its official language is Romansh. On 1 January 2014 the former municipalities of Pigniu, Castrisch,

Ilanz Ilanz () is a former Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Surselva (district), Surselva in the Switzerland, Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton of the Grisons. The former municipality of Ilanz was congruent with the town ...

Ladir Ladir is a former Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Surselva (district), Surselva in the Switzerland, Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2014 the former municipalities of Ladir, Castrisch ...

, Luven, Pitasch, Riein, Ruschein, Schnaus, Sevgein, Duvin, Rueun and Siat merged into the new municipality of

Ilanz/Glion Ilanz/Glion ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Surselva Region in the Switzerland, Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2014 the former municipalities of Castrisch, Ilanz, Ladir, Luven, Pit ...

.Nomenklaturen – Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz
accessed 13 December 2014

History

Pigniu was probably settled from Andiast. The name ''Pingyow'' first appears in 1403. The German name ''Panix'' is first mentioned in 1522. Until 1984 Pigniu was known as Pigniu/Panix.Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz
published by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 23 September 2009 The Church of St. Valentin was dedicated in 1465 and was a popular goal of pilgrimages. Until 1667, Pigniu had its own parish. On 7 October 1799, the Russian Army under command of Field Marshal Suvorov crossed the Pigniu pass.

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 an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...

of the municipal

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

is ''Gules St. Valentin clad Or and Argent holding his dexter in blessing and in sinister a crosier of the second standing above an ill Boy clad Sable.''Flags of the World.com
accessed 2 December 2009 The coat of arms comes from the seal of a

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

of 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 ...

Geography

Before the merger, Pigniu had a total area of . Of this area, 36% is used for agricultural purposes, while 14.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.4% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (48.8%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains). The former municipality is located in the Rueun sub-district of the Surselva district. It borders on the canton of

Glarus Glarus (; ; ; ; ) is the capital of the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Since 1 January 2011, the municipality of Glarus incorporates the former municipalities of Ennenda, Netstal and Riedern.Panix Pass. It lies on the old Alpine road into

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

over Lukmanier Pass. Lag da Pigniu is a reservoir above the village.

Demographics

Pigniu had a population (as of 2011) of 33.Swiss Federal Statistical Office
accessed 23 January 2014 , 5.7% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -29.6%. Most of the population () speaks Romansh (91.1%), with the rest speaking German (8.9%). , the gender distribution of the population was 50.0% male and 50.0% female.Graubunden in Numbers
accessed 21 September 2009 The age distribution, , in Pigniu is; 7 children or 15.6% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 9 teenagers or 20.0% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 4 people or 8.9% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 6 people or 13.3% are between 30 and 39, 9 people or 20.0% are between 40 and 49, and 2 people or 4.4% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 1person is between 60 and 69 years old, 5 people or 11.1% are between 70 and 79, there is 1 person who is between 80 and 89, and there is 1 person who is between 90 and 99.Graubunden Population Statistics
accessed 21 September 2009 In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SVP which received 72.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP (16.9%), the FDP (10.8%) and the SP (0%). In Pigniu about 68.4% 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 (; plural ), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a Hochschule, German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied arts, such as engineering, te ...

'').

The historical population is given in the following table:

Economy

Pigniu is a traditional farming community with no industry or commercial establishments. The school was closed in 1974. Since 1972, it has been supported by neighboring Schlieren. Pigniu has an unemployment rate of 0.93%. , there were 5 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 3 businesses involved in this sector. No one is employed in the secondary sector and there are no businesses in this sector. 1 person is 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 ...

, with 1 business in this sector.

Weather

Pigniu has an average of 166.3 days of rain or snow per year and on average receives of

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...

. The wettest month is August during which time Pigniu receives an average of of rain or snow. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 16 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 16.6, but with only of rain or snow. The driest month of the year is October with an average of of precipitation over 16 days., the weather station elevation is 1325 meters above sea level.

References

External links

Official website
* {{Authority control Ilanz/Glion Former municipalities of Graubünden