Richard La Nicca (16 August 1794 in
Safien
Safien is a former municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The municipalities of Valendas, Versam, Safien and Tenna merged on 1 January 2013 into the new municipality of Safiental. -Neukirch – 27 August 1883 in
Chur
, neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Churwalden, Tschiertschen-Praden, Domat/Ems, Felsberg, Malix, Trimmis, Untervaz, Pfäfers
, twintowns = Bad Homburg (Germany), Cabourg (France), Mayrhofen (Austria), Mondorf-les-Bains (Luxembourg), ...
) was a Swiss engineer known as the pioneering planner and implementer of the
Jura water correction project in the
Swiss Jura
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
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Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internatio ...
.
Originating from
Sarn and
Chur
, neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Churwalden, Tschiertschen-Praden, Domat/Ems, Felsberg, Malix, Trimmis, Untervaz, Pfäfers
, twintowns = Bad Homburg (Germany), Cabourg (France), Mayrhofen (Austria), Mondorf-les-Bains (Luxembourg), ...
, La Nicca was the son of Christian La Nicca, a pastor of
Safien
Safien is a former municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The municipalities of Valendas, Versam, Safien and Tenna merged on 1 January 2013 into the new municipality of Safiental. ,
Neukirch and
Tenna
was a after ''Enpō'' and before '' Jōkyō.'' This period spanned the years from September 1681 through February 1684. The reigning emperor was .
Change of era
* '': The new era name of ''Tenna'' (meaning "Heavenly Imperial Peace") was creat ...
, and Anna Gredig.
Career
In 1809 La Nicca was at Canton School Chur. as a lieutenant in the Swiss regiment of
Victor Emanuel I. in Piedmont.
1816–18 Student of technical sciences at the
University of Tübingen
The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (german: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; la, Universitas Eberhardina Carolina), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Wü ...
.
In 1818-21 he was Assistant to Giulio L. Pocobellis in the construction of the “Kommerzialstrasse” on the
San Bernardino
San Bernardino (; Spanish language, Spanish for Bernardino of Siena, "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a ...
and in this function and others involved in the construction of the important "Ponte Vittorio Emanuele", south of the pass. Under his leadership, a new road was constructed at the
Viamala
Viamala or Via Mala ( Romansh: literally, "bad path") is a narrow gorge along the river Hinterrhein between Zillis-Reischen and Thusis in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, as well as the ancient and notorious pathway which traverse ...
with a tunnel and gallery which avoided the ascent over the Rongeller Höhe. The three existing bridges were incorporated in the road, with a new route cut through the rock in between.
In 1822–23, after a year of study at the University of Munich, he became in 1823 the first
Canton of Graubünden
The Grisons () or Graubünden,Names include:
*german: (Kanton) Graubünden ;
* Romansh:
** rm, label= Sursilvan, (Cantun) Grischun
** rm, label=Vallader, (Chantun) Grischun
** rm, label= Puter, (Chantun) Grischun
** rm, label=Surmiran, (Cant ...
chief engineer, a position he held until 1853. During those years he supervised the construction of important
pass road
A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both human and animal migrat ...
s in Graubünden (
Julier,
Maloja,
Bernina), and the rebuilding of settlements totally destroyed by natural catastrophes (
Neu-Felsberg), as from 1843) or village fires (
Thusis-Neudorf), as from 1845).
In 1826 he worked on the project of the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
correction in
Domleschg valley
The Domleschg ( rm, Tumleastga) is a valley in Graubünden in Switzerland. Geographically, the name "Domleschg" covers both sides of the valley. Politically, the villages on the left bank of the Posterior Rhine form the ''Kreis'' (sub-distric ...
(finalized in 1832). As from 1831 he signed as the director of the building of
St. Luzisteig fortifications, responsible for statics and strengthening.
In 1837 he was a co-founder of th
Swiss Engineers and Architects Association
In 1839 he designed the first project for a railway line on the
Splügenpass;
In 1845 he involved himself in Alpine rail planning for the lower
Lukmanier.
From 1840–63 he served as engineer on the
Linth
The Linth (pronounced "lint") is a Swiss river that rises near the village of Linthal in the mountains of the canton of Glarus, and eventually flows into the Obersee section of Lake Zurich. It is about in length.
The water power of the Linth ...
Commission,
From 1840–42, he projected the 1st
Jura water correction (finalised 1868–91).
In 1847 he participated in the
Sonderbund war
The Sonderbund War (german: Sonderbundskrieg, fr , Guerre du Sonderbund, it , Guerra del Sonderbund) of November 1847 was a civil war in Switzerland, then still a relatively loose confederacy of cantons. It ensued after seven Catholic cantons ...
as a military chief engineer in
Canton 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 . ...
, and then as Federal Colonel in the Génie troops.
In 1853 he was technical director of the
Südostbahn
The Südostbahn (German, literally meaning "South-Eastern Railway") – commonly abbreviated to SOB – is a Swiss adhesion railway company, and a network in Central and Eastern Switzerland. It resulted from the merger of the original SOB wit ...
Rorschach-Chur.
From 1858–71 he unsuccessfully urged a merger of railroad companies to form a railway line from
Fluelen to
Disentis
Disentis (German) or Mustér (, Romansh), with its official name Disentis/Mustér is a village and a municipality in the Surselva Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.
The skiing and summer tourism resort high up in the Rhine valley is th ...
and from Chur to Disentis through the Lukmanier, as an alternative to the
Gotthard line.
References
*Richard L., 2006
*D. Speich, «Richard L. (1794-1883)», in "Schweizer Pioniere der Wirtschaft und Technik 82, 2006, 59–66"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicca, Richard La
Swiss engineers
1794 births
1883 deaths
People from Chur