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Morcote 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 go ...
in the
Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...
canton of
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 . ...
situated about 10 kilometres from
Lugano Lugano (, , ; lmo, label=Ticinese dialect, 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. Luga ...
in the district of
Lugano Lugano (, , ; lmo, label=Ticinese dialect, 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. Luga ...
on the 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 ...
.


History

Morcote is first mentioned historically in 926 as ''Murcau'', which comes from the
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''Morae caput'', meaning ''head of the hill''.From the book "Morcote Die Perle des Luganersees“ from Adriano Antonini – Carlo Meazza, Macchione editore, quoted i
Morcote Tourism – The Morcote Story
accessed 26 February 2009
In 1353 it was mentioned as ''Murchoe'' and again in 1453 as ''Murchote''. Starting around 1100, Morcote was home to a castle that was built to guard and control commerce on the lake. Until the dam was built in Melide in 1847, Morcote was the largest port on Lake Lugano. Goods from northern Italy were shipped across the lake to the rest of Ticino. In 1422 the town was granted privileges by the
Duke of Milan The following is a list of rulers of Milan from the 13th century to 1814, after which it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia by the Congress of Vienna. Before elevation to duchy Until 1259, Milan was a free commune that elect ...
, which included the rights to impose taxes, self-government, independent fishing and the right to hold markets. After the
plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...
year of 1432, only seven families survived in the town. The town was often caught between the rival powers of Milan and
Como Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label=Comasco dialect, 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 ...
as they fought for control in
Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
. In 1517 the region came under the control of the
Old Swiss Confederation The Old Swiss Confederacy or Swiss Confederacy (Modern German: ; historically , after the Reformation also , "Confederation of the Swiss") was a loose confederation of independent small states (, German or In the charters of the 14th century ...
, and was added to the
Vogt During the Middle Ages, an (sometimes given as modern English: advocate; German: ; French: ) was an office-holder who was legally delegated to perform some of the secular responsibilities of a major feudal lord, or for an institution such as ...
ei of
Lugano Lugano (, , ; lmo, label=Ticinese dialect, 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. Luga ...
. However Morcote retained extensive rights, including judicial and tax autonomy as well as fishing rights over the entire lake. During the
Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the Periodization, 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 Eur ...
the major industries of Morcote included fishing, farming and shipping. During the end of the Middle Ages, artists began to move into the town as well. In 1583 the town had a self-supporting parish established in the parish church Santa Maria del Sasso, which dated from the 13th century. In 1862, seven houses slid into the lake. During the 19th century tourism grew into a major industry in Morcote. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, wine production and handicrafts have been added to tourism.


Geography

Morcote has an area, (as of the 2004/09 survey) of . Of this area, about 2.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 81.5% is forested and 16.0% is settled (buildings or roads). In the 2004/09 survey a total of or about 13.3% of the total area was covered only with buildings, an increase of over the 1983 amount. About 0.72% of the total area is recreational space. 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 . Over the same time period the amount of forested land has increased by . Despite being on the lake, the borders of the municipality do not include any rivers or lakes.Regionalporträts 2018: Swiss Federal Statistical Office
accessed 17 September 2018
The municipality is located in the Lugano district, between Lake Lugano and Monte Arbostora. It consists of the village of Morcote, the village of Vico until 1803 and between 1803–16, Carabietta.


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 vis ...
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 latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
is ''Per fess gules a shepherdess sitting on a garb all argent and vert a sow and her piglets also argent.''


Heritage sites of national significance

The Chapel of S. Antonio Abate with its monumental staircase, 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, ...
of S. Maria del Sasso with Oratory, the Cimitero monumentale (Cemetery) and Scherrer Park are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance. The entire village of Morcote 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 ...
.


Sites

The church of Santa Maria del Sasso was probably built in the 13th century. It was completely rebuilt in 1462 in the style of the
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
. In 1758 it was renovated in the
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
style, while in the 18th century a monumental staircase was added to the front of the church. The church tower was built in the Middle Ages and made taller during the 16th century. The church contains several valuable
fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...
s from the 16th and 17th centuries including one painting that is dated to 1513. The sacramental chapel contains carvings from 1591 and paintings from 1611. In the chapel on the opposite side contains an example of illusionistic architecture painting from the 18th century. Near the church is the Chapel Sant' Antonio do Padova which was built in 1676 with an unusual octagonal floor plan and dome. In 1750, a large cemetery was added near the church. In the terraced cemetery overlooking the lake, many artists are buried, among them
Alexander Moissi Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
, actor,
Georges Baklanoff Georgy Andreyevich Baklanoff, known as Georges Baklanoff (sometimes spelled Baklanov; 6 December 1938) was a Russian operatic baritone who had an active international career from 1903 until his death in 1938. Possessing a powerful and flexible v ...
, Russian baritone,
Georg Kaiser Friedrich Carl Georg Kaiser, called Georg Kaiser, (25 November 1878 – 4 June 1945) was a German dramatist. Biography Kaiser was born in Magdeburg. He was highly prolific and wrote in a number of different styles. An Expressionist dramatist, ...
, German author, and Eugen d’Albert, German composer and pianist. The chapel of Sant' Antonio Abata, consecrated before 1591, was originally a hospice run by the Antonines order of
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
. The interior houses several frescoes from a 15th-century master artist from
Seregno Seregno (; lmo, label= Brianzoeu, Seregn ) is a town and ''comune'' of the new Province of Monza and Brianza in the Italian region of Lombardy. Seregno received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on 26 January 1979. It is ser ...
, as well as other newer paintings. The arcades along the lake shore date partly from the Late Middle Ages and include several noble houses from the 16th to 18th centuries. One of the most interesting is the ''Palazzo Paleari'', which was built in 1483 and renovated in 1661. In 1965, Scherrer Gardens, the former home of wealthy
St. Gallen , neighboring_municipalities = Eggersriet, Gaiserwald, Gossau, Herisau (AR), Mörschwil, Speicher (AR), Stein (AR), Teufen (AR), Untereggen, Wittenbach , twintowns = Liberec (Czech Republic) , website ...
textile merchant, was opened to the public. The gardens are rich with luxurious subtropical vegetation and many kinds of buildings and art, both original and copies from all over the world. The gardens include palm trees, camellias, wisteria and oleanders, cedar and cypress trees, camphor and eucalyptus, magnolias and azaleas, orange and lemon trees, bamboo and many other kinds of fragrant plants.


Demographics

Morcote has a population () of . , 42.3% of the population are resident foreign nationals. In 2015 a large minority (159 or 20.7% of the population) was born in Italy. Over the last 6 years (2010-2016) the population has changed at a rate of 4.57%. The
birth rate The birth rate for a given period is the total number of live human births per 1,000 population divided by the length of the period in years. The number of live births is normally taken from a universal registration system for births; populati ...
in the municipality, in 2016, was 14.4, while the
death rate Mortality rate, or death rate, is a measure of the number of deaths (in general, or due to a specific cause) in a particular population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit of time. Mortality rate is typically expressed in units of de ...
was 9.2 per thousand residents. Most of the population () speaks Italian (70.2%), with German being second most common (18.8%) and
Serbo-Croatian Serbo-Croatian () – also called Serbo-Croat (), Serbo-Croat-Bosnian (SCB), Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian (BCS), and Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS) – is a South Slavic language and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and ...
being third (3.8%).Swiss Federal Statistical Office
accessed 14-January-2011
Of the Swiss national languages (), 142 speak German, 14 people speak French, 529 people speak Italian, and 2 people speak Romansh. 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 47.5% male and 52.5% female. The population was made up of 229 Swiss men (30.7% of the population), and 125 (16.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 270 Swiss women (36.2%), and 122 (16.4%) non-Swiss women.01.02.03 Popolazione residente permanente
accessed 23 November 2010
, children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 12.6% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) are 60.7% of the population and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 26.7%. The population of Morcote is older than average and has fewer children and teenagers. In 2015 there were 205 residents who were over 65 years old (26.7% vs 18% nationally). There were only 54 children under 10 and 43 teenagers under 20 (only 12.6% of the population under 20 vs 20.1% nationally). In 2015 there were 281 single residents, 373 people who were married or in a civil partnership, 50 widows or widowers and 65 divorced residents. In 2016 there were 403 private households in Morcote with an average household size of 1.84 persons. In 2015 about 66.6% of all buildings in the municipality were single family homes, which is about the same as the percentage in the canton (68.1%) and greater than the percentage nationally (57.4%). Of the 394 inhabited buildings in the municipality, in 2000, about 71.6% were single family homes and 21.8% were multiple family buildings. Additionally, about 4.1% of the buildings were built before 1919, while 1.8% were built between 1991 and 2000.Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB - Thema 09 - Bau- und Wohnungswesen
accessed 5 May 2016
In 2015 the rate of construction of new housing units per 1000 residents was 10.4. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.54%. 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:760 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:500 text:"500" bar:1643 from:start till:472 text:"472" bar:1769 from:start till:500 text:"500" bar:1801 from:start till:400 text:"400" bar:1850 from:start till:481 text:"481" bar:1860 from:start till:493 text:"493" bar:1870 from:start till:461 text:"461" bar:1880 from:start till:542 text:"542" bar:1890 from:start till:524 text:"524" bar:1900 from:start till:515 text:"515" bar:1910 from:start till:535 text:"535" bar:1920 from:start till:513 text:"513" bar:1930 from:start till:493 text:"493" bar:1941 from:start till:513 text:"513" bar:1950 from:start till:593 text:"593" bar:1960 from:start till:597 text:"597" bar:1970 from:start till:553 text:"553" bar:1980 from:start till:604 text:"604" bar:1990 from:start till:700 text:"700" bar:2000 from:start till:754 text:"754"


Notable people

* Domenico Rossi (1657 in Morcote – 1737) a Swiss-Italian architect * Davide Antonio Fossati (1708 in Morcote - 1795) a painter and etcher


Politics

In the 2015 federal election the most popular party was the FDP with 49.3% 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 ...
(14.2%), the SVP (13.2%) and the SP (10.8%). In the federal election, a total of 245 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 Unive ...
was 59.3%. The 2015 election saw a large change in the voting when compared to 2011., while the percentage that the SP dropped from 18.1% to 10.8%. 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 i ...
the most popular party was the FDP which received 49.18% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP (18.65%), the SVP (12.94%) and the Ticino League (7.36%). In the federal election, a total of 205 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 Unive ...
was 46.0%. In the '' Gran Consiglio'' election, there were a total of 446 registered voters in Morcote, of which 297 or 66.6% voted. 5 blank ballots and 1 null ballot were cast, leaving 291 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 148 or 50.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the SSI (with 45 or 15.5%), the PS (with 44 or 15.1%) and the PPD+GenGiova (with 14 or 4.8%). Elezioni cantonali: Gran Consiglio, Consiglio di Stato
accessed 23 November 2010
In the ''Consiglio di Stato'' election, 5 blank ballots and 1 null ballot were cast, leaving 291 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 139 or 47.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 56 or 19.2%), the SSI (with 38 or 13.1%) and the LEGA (with 35 or 12.0%).


Economy

Morcote is classed as a high-income community. The municipality is part of the
agglomeration Agglomeration may refer to: * Urban agglomeration, in standard English * Megalopolis, in Chinese English, as defined in China's ''Standard for basic terminology of urban planning'' (GB/T 50280—98). Also known as "city cluster". * Economies of agg ...
of Lugano. , there were a total of 239 people employed in the municipality. There were no jobs or businesses in the primary economic sector in the municipality. 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 construction. ...
employed 41 workers in 7 separate businesses, of which one employed 30 of the workers. Finally, 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 ...
provided 198 jobs in 69 businesses, of which one employed 73 workers. In 2016 a total of 10.4% of the population received social assistance. In 2011 the unemployment rate in the municipality was 3.8%. In 2015 local hotels had a total of 3,008 overnight stays, of which 32.8% were international visitors. In 2015 the average cantonal, municipal and church tax rate in the municipality for a couple with two children making was 2.2% while the rate for a single person making was 14.9%. The canton has one of the lowest average tax rates for those making and an average rate for those making . In 2013 the average income in the municipality per tax payer was and the per person average was , which is greater than the cantonal averages of and respectively It is also greater than the national per tax payer average of and the per person average of . The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.1 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 24.5% of the workforce coming into Morcote are coming from outside Switzerland, while 0.9% 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 57.5% used a private car.


Religion

From the , 555 or 73.6% were Roman Catholic, while 87 or 11.5% 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 92 individuals (or about 12.20% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 20 individuals (or about 2.65% of the population) did not answer the question.


Education

In Morcote about 74% 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 arts ...
''). In Morcote there were a total of 69 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 cent ...
and in Morcote there were 6 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 17 students attended the standard primary schools and 2 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 16 students in the two-year middle school, while 9 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 11 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 5 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 3 students in the professional program. Allievi e studenti, secondo il genere di scuola, anno scolastico 2009/2010
accessed 23 November 2010
, there were 14 students in Morcote who came from another municipality, while 52 residents attended schools outside the municipality.


References


External links


Morcote.ch
Official Site of Morcote. * {{Authority control Cities in Switzerland Municipalities of Ticino Cultural property of national significance in Ticino Populated places on Lake Lugano