Ascona ( Ticinese : Scona [ˈʃkona] ) is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland .
86-567: It is located on the shore of Lake Maggiore . The town is a popular tourist destination and holds the yearly Ascona Jazz Festival . The oldest archaeological finds in Ascona (at S. Materno and S. Michele) go back to the beginnings of the Late Bronze Age . During the expansion of the cemetery in 1952, a necropolis was discovered at S. Materno, where 21 cremation urns were discovered. The urns were either simply buried or covered with
172-430: A Fachhochschule ). In Ascona there were a total of 766 students (as of 2009). The Ticino education system provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten , and in Ascona there were 94 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 217 students attended the standard primary schools and 10 students attended
258-715: A Celtic civilization of the Iron Age developed. The latter was in turn conquered by the Romans , who called the lake Verbanus Lacus or Lacus Maximus . In Roman times a maritime line was created that linked the lake, thanks to Ticino , to Pavia , from where the ships would then continue along the Po to the Adriatic Sea . After the fall of the Western Roman Empire , the lake was under different domains. Most of
344-590: A German Schlager group wrote a song called "Lago Maggiore" that appears on their 1990 album Sieben Tage Sonnenschein . 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, often allowing its premises to be used for non-religious community events. The church building reflects this status, and there
430-462: A geographically extensive rural parish) or mission church . Often the parish church will be the only one to have a full-time minister , who will also serve any smaller churches within the parish. (For example, St. Peter's Church in St. George's Parish, Bermuda, is located on St. George's Island ; hence, a chapel-of-ease, named simply Chapel-of-Ease , was erected on neighbouring St. David's Island so that
516-676: A large necropolis in Milan ). However, the materials used are those of the late Bronze Age north of the Alps . This allowed the cemetery to be dated to the period between the 12th and 10th centuries BC and points to the fact that Ascona took part in trade over the Alps through the Val Mesolcina and over Lake Maggiore with the Po Valley . Similar objects were found by exploratory excavations in
602-460: A part-time student). There were 26 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 73 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 9 students in the professional program. As of 2000, there were 231 students in Ascona who came from another municipality, while 213 residents attended schools outside
688-429: A particular rite, language, nationality, or community. Each parish has its own central church called the parish church, where religious services take place. The parish church is the center of most Catholics' spiritual life since it is there that they receive the sacraments . On Sundays and perhaps also daily, Mass is celebrated by a priest resident in the parish. Confession is made available and perhaps Vespers in
774-529: A port. Parts of this castle still exist and have been integrated into modern buildings. A church is first mentioned in 1264 and was originally consecrated only as the Church of S. Peter. The Church of SS Peter and Paul is first mentioned as a parish church in 1330, and in 1332 as a collegiate church . However, no documents exist which show the separation from the mother church of San Vittore in Muralto and thus
860-589: A single agglomeration. Two bridges connect Ascona with the left bank of the Maggia river. The one at Solduno, which was built 1815–16, and rebuilt in 1887 after the flood of 1868, was totally replaced in 1996. The second bridge, further into the valley, was built in 1974–80. Since 1947, Ascona has also had an airport; however, it is likely to close in the near future. In 1945 negotiations over World War II surrender plans took place between U.S. and Nazi German representatives in Ascona. " Monte Verità " ("Mount Truth")
946-570: A stone slab box. They contained cremated bones and, in some cases, bronze grave goods . Of particular interest are the bronze brooches , which are among the oldest that have been found so far in Switzerland. They also provide important evidence for the relationship of this area to the cultures of the Italian Peninsula . The grave goods have similarities with those from the final phase of the so-called Canegrate culture (named after
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#17327723624551032-620: A storeroom of the military prosecutor's headquarters. Germany does not extradite its citizens convicted of war crimes in other countries. Those responsible for the Meina massacre were tried at home in Germany in 1968, convicted and sentenced to life in prison. However, in 1970, the German Supreme Court declared the statute of limitations for those particular war crimes to have expired, and the prisoners were released. Lake Maggiore
1118-735: A straight line) and, at its widest, is 12 km (7 mi). Its main tributaries are the Ticino , the Maggia (forming a very large delta), the Toce (by which it receives the outflow of Lake Orta ) and the Tresa (which is the sole emissary of Lake Lugano ). The rivers Verzasca , Giona , and Cannobino also flow into the lake. Its outlet is the Ticino which, in turn, joins the river Po just south-east of Pavia . The lake's jagged banks are surrounded by
1204-430: A total of 2,465 apartments (53.2% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 2,067 apartments (44.6%) were seasonally occupied and 104 apartments (2.2%) were empty. As of 2007, the construction rate of new housing units was 11.8 new units per 1000 residents. The historical population is given in the following table: There are eleven Swiss heritage site of national significance in Ascona. There are three churches on
1290-593: A yet-to-be-created foundation named after the victim. The remains of the Bugatti were recovered on 12 July 2009. The sale took place at the Retro Mobile classic car exhibition in Paris on 23 January 2010. It was sold for €260,500. In May 2021, a cable car collapsed near the lake, killing 14 people. In May 2023 a boat capsized in a storm while travelling between Arona and Sesto Calende , killing 4 people. Among
1376-511: Is humid subtropical ( Cfa in the Köppen climate classification ). During winter, the lake helps to maintain a higher temperature in the surrounding region (since water releases heat energy more slowly than air). The temperatures are cooled down in summer by the breezes that blow on the water's surface, changing its colour. The area enjoys nearly 2300 hours of sunshine a year and an average annual temperature of 15.5 °C (60 °F). The water of
1462-449: Is 193 metres; a deep lake, its bottom is almost everywhere below sea-level: at its deepest, 179 metres below. Its form is very sinuous so that there are few points from which any considerable part of its surface can be seen at a single glance. If this lessens the effect of the apparent size, it increases the variety of its scenery. While the upper end is completely alpine in character, the middle region lies between hills of gentler form, and
1548-510: Is 817 people or 14.9% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 666 people or 12.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 432 people or 7.9% who are over 80. As of 2000, there were 2,472 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.0 persons per household. In 2000 there were 689 single family homes (or 47.8% of the total) out of a total of 1,442 inhabited buildings. There were 194 two family buildings (13.5%) and 360 multi-family buildings (25.0%). There were also 199 buildings in
1634-591: Is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps . It is the second largest lake in Italy and the largest in southern Switzerland . The lake and its shoreline are divided between the Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy and the Swiss canton of Ticino . Located halfway between Lake Orta and Lake Lugano , Lake Maggiore extends for about 64 kilometres (40 miles) between Locarno and Arona . The climate
1720-536: Is a single flagon from the 6th to 5th century BC. From the Roman Empire , a necropolis with 38 tombs at the foot of the Castle of S. Materno was discovered. The equipment found near the graves points to the period in the mid-1st or 2nd century AD. The necropolis was probably associated with a villa. In 1979–80, an excavation at the church of S. Sebastiano discovered 60 early medieval graves. A fortified settlement
1806-629: Is an annual open air festival at the end of July/beginning of August. It is organized in Armeno by the Mirapuri community. The first archaeological findings around the lake belong to nomadic people living in the area in prehistoric types. The first settlements discovered date from the Copper Age . Along the shores of the lake, between the 9th and 4th centuries BC. J.-C., the Golasecca culture ,
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#17327723624551892-563: Is considerable variety in the size and style of parish churches. Many villages in Europe have churches that date back to the Middle Ages , but all periods of architecture are represented. Each diocese (administrative unit, headed by a bishop) is divided into parishes. Normally, a parish consists of all Catholics living within its geographically defined area. Within a diocese, there can also be overlapping parishes for Catholics belonging to
1978-456: Is featured in American writer Ernest Hemingway 's novel A Farewell to Arms . The protagonist (Frederic Henry) and his lover (Catherine Barkley) are forced to cross the transnational border within the lake in a row boat to escape Italian carabinieri . It also appeared as the location of a fictional racetrack in the racing game Gran Turismo Sport and Gran Turismo 7 . Die Flippers ,
2064-419: Is first mentioned in 1186, as Sconae ( castrum quod dicitur sconae ), in 1224 as burgus de schona . The etymology of the toponym is unknown, there are several suggestions from 19th-century scholarship, all of them uncertain: from Latin scanum "alluvial sediment", from Latin ab abscondito , or from an uncertain early Romance asculà "pasture in uncultivated land". The German form of the name, Aschgunen ,
2150-439: Is home to several species of nesting waterfowl, it also represents an important corridor, a place of rest and feeding for migrations. For example: common merganser , mute swan , grebes , gulls , cormorants , ducks . A number of exotic species have established themselves in the lake, including pikeperch , which has been recorded since 1977; wels catfish , which was first noticed in the early 1990s; and ruffe , introduced in
2236-475: Is located in the Locarno District, on the right bank of the Maggia delta . It consists of the town of Ascona which includes the sections of Gerbi, Monescie, Monte Verità, Moscia, and Saleggi. The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Azure two keys argent in saltire ribboned together and in chief a papal crown of the same. The attributes of St. Peter were conceded when the bishop of Como and
2322-709: Is mild in both summer and winter, producing Mediterranean vegetation, with many gardens growing rare and exotic plants. Well-known gardens include those of the Borromean and Brissago Islands , that of the Villa Taranto in Verbania , and the Alpinia Botanical Garden above Stresa . Lake Maggiore is drained by the river Ticino , a main tributary of the Po . Its basin also collects the waters of several large lakes, notably Lake Lugano (through
2408-500: Is recorded from the 16th century, when Locarno had come under the rule of the Old Swiss Confederacy . It is no longer in use. In the later Middle Ages, Ascona, Ronco , and Castelletto formed a village cooperative together. In 1321 it was mentioned for the first time, and in 1369, it had its own statutes. The history of Ascona during the Middle Ages is closely linked with that of Locarno . The important role of Ascona
2494-469: Is reflected in the designation plebis Locarni Asconaeque which it was given in 1369. It is believed that in the 6th century, the Castle of San Michele was the site of a curia (court) and the seat of a sculdascio ( Lombardic for officer) of the county of Stazzona, who exercised control over the entire parish of Locarno. In 1004, the court rights were transferred from the Archbishop of Milan to
2580-656: Is the Casa Serodine, a building of the 17th century, with a richly decorated facade . After various changes, the Collegio Papio seminary was secularized in 1852 and then served initially as a high school. It then became a girls' school and later the Istituto Elvetico . In 1879, it returned to its original name and purpose and was placed under the Bishop of Como. In 1885 it came under the authority of
2666-506: Is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.66 km (0.64 sq mi) or 33.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.63 km (1.02 sq mi) or 52.9% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.01 km (2.5 acres) or 0.2% is either rivers or lakes and 0.2 km (0.077 sq mi) or 4.0% is unproductive land. Of the built up area, housing, and buildings made up 26.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 13.7%, while parks, green belts, and sports fields made up 10.9%. Out of
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2752-677: The Bishop of Como . In 1189 this gave the castle of San Michele to the Duni, one of the families of the Capitanei di Locarno . Other noble families from Locarno (Da Carcano, Castelletto, Muralto) settled in Ascona. They were joined by the Griglioni family that fled the wars between the Guelphs and Ghibellines of Milan. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Duni enlarged their fortress (demolished in
2838-567: The Congregation of the Oblate of Milan , which led the school until 1798. The Church of SS Peter and Paul was enlarged in the 16th century, and in 1703, was elevated to have a provost over the church. This was followed by it being raised to have a dean in 1800. In 1617-37 the Church of Madonna della Fontana was built on the northern slopes of Monte Verità, which became a pilgrimage destination. The most remarkable profane building of this era
2924-626: The Pennine and Lepontine Alps , and Lugano Prealps . Prominent peaks around the lake are the Gridone , Monte Tamaro , Monte Nudo and the Mottarone . The highest mountain overlooking Lake Maggiore is Monte Rosa (4,634 m; 15,203 ft), located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of it. The western bank is in Piedmont (provinces of Novara and Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola ) and
3010-575: The SVP (15.89%) and the SP (15.29%). In the federal election, a total of 1,419 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 41.4%. In the 2007 Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 3,346 registered voters in Ascona, of which 1,763 or 52.7% voted. 37 blank ballots and 2 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,724 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT , which received 422 or 24.5% of
3096-482: The Swiss Reformed Church . There are 606 individuals (or about 12.16% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 235 individuals (or about 4.72% of the population) did not answer the question. In Ascona about 69.6% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or
3182-456: The Tresa ), Lake Orta (through the Toce ) and Lake Varese (through the Bardello). Lake Maggiore is 64.37 km (40 mi) long, and 3 to 5 km (2 to 3 mi) wide, except at the bay opening westward between Pallanza and Stresa , where it is 10 km (6 mi) wide. It is the longest Italian lake, although Lake Garda has a greater area. Its mean height above the sea level
3268-412: The bishop licenses another building for worship, and may designate it as a parish centre of worship . This building is not consecrated, but is dedicated, and for most legal purposes it is deemed to be a parish church. In areas of increasing secularisation or shifts in religious belief, centres of worship are becoming more common, and many larger churches have been sold due to their upkeep costs. Instead
3354-402: The parish priest (US ' pastor ') for celebrating those sacraments elsewhere. One sign of that is the parish church being the only one to have a baptismal font . Some larger parishes or parishes that have been combined under one parish priest, may have two or more such churches, or the parish may be responsible for chapels (or chapels of ease) located at some distance from the mother church for
3440-435: The tertiary sector , with 353 businesses in this sector. There were 2,233 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 46.0% of the workforce. In 2000, there were 2,056 workers who commuted into the municipality and 1,149 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.8 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 16.0% of
3526-522: The 17th century) and the church of S. Sebastiano as well as having created a plaza around their residential home. The oldest fortification, probably, is the castle of San Materno. At its location, north of the village, there already seems to have been a Roman tower. The fort was occupied as early as the Early Middle Ages. In the 13th century, it was owned by the Orelli and Castelletto families. In
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3612-475: The 17th century, only a part of the walls was still preserved. In the course of the 13th century, two new fortifications were built. The first was the Carcani Castle on the shore east of the Church of SS. Pietro e Paolo, and it was already demolished by the 2nd half of the 13th century. The second, was still further east, outside the inhabited area at that time. The Griglioni built a small castle to protect
3698-499: The 19th century, linen production and mills offered job opportunities to the locals. In the second half of the 19th century, a dynamite factory operated in Ascona, but it closed after repeated explosions in 1874. In the 20th century, tourism became a major part of the local economy. Since 1970 the number of second homes has increased substantially, and at the end of the 20th century, during the summer season, around 20,000 to 25,000 visitors came to Ascona each year. Closely connected with
3784-802: The Monte Verità Museum, are also on the list. Two museums, the Museo comunale d’arte and the Museo Epper , and a theater, the Teatro S. Materno , finish out the list. The entire town of Ascona is listed on the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites . In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the FDP which received 32.24% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP (18.93%),
3870-551: The PPD (with 338 or 19.6%), the LEGA (with 311 or 18.0%) and the SSI (with 254 or 14.7%). As of 2007, Ascona had an unemployment rate of 4.99%. As of 2005, there were 9 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 3 businesses involved in this sector. 361 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 47 businesses in this sector. 2,683 people were employed in
3956-679: The Swiss national languages (as of 2000), 1,189 speak German, 112 people speak French, 3,289 people speak Italian, and 10 people speak Romansh . The remainder (384 people) speak another language. As of 2008, the gender distribution of the population was 46.6% male and 53.4% female. The population was made up of 1,776 Swiss men (32.4% of the population), and 779 (14.2%) non-Swiss men. There were 2,202 Swiss women (40.1%), and 731 (13.3%) non-Swiss women. In 2008 there were 22 live births to Swiss citizens and 8 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 36 deaths of Swiss citizens and 9 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration,
4042-595: The bishop of Lugano. Under the bishop of Lugano, several religious orders administered the seminary, including the Salesians (1894–1910), the Assumptionists (1910–14), and finally the Benedictines (since 1924). In the 20th century, the building was rebuilt and expanded several times (1924–27, after a fire in 1960, 1975–76, and 1992). In the second half of the 18th century, the Church of SS Peter and Paul
4128-462: The canton of Ticino was founded in 1803, Ascona became a political municipality. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the local economy depended mostly on crops, livestock, and fisheries. A smaller, but important source of income was the emigration of builders, architects, and artists to Rome and Tuscany. The most famous Ascona artist families were the Serodine, Abbondio, Pancaldi, and Pisoni. In
4214-463: The church may use community centres or the facilities of a local church of another denomination. While villages and small towns may have a single parish church, larger towns may have a parish church and other smaller churches in various districts. These other churches do not have the legal or religious status of a parish church, and may be described by a variety of terms, such as chapel of ease (this term more often refers to an additional church in
4300-432: The church of St. Peter (S. Pietro) gave feudal rights to Ascona." Ascona has a population (as of December 2020) of 5,554. As of 2008, 27.6% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 10.7%. Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks Italian (66.0%), with German being the second most common (23.9%), and Serbo-Croatian being third (2.5%). Of
4386-521: The composition of the soil and the abundance of siliceous rocks. Lemons , olive trees and bay olive trees grow there. The spontaneous vegetation is composed of yew , holly and chestnut trees on the surrounding hills. The lake is a habitat to two species of whitefish, Coregonus and, less widespread, Coregonus lavaretus . Both live in deep water and come ashore only during the spawning in early December. There are also perch , pike, chub , burbot , torpedo, eels and Alburnus arborella . The lake
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#17327723624554472-469: The convenience of distant parishioners. In England and many British Overseas Territories as well as former British territories, the Church of England parish church is the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches. Parishes cover almost the whole area of England. In addition to ecclesiastic parishes , with which this article is concerned, there is also a system of civil parishes , which represent
4558-795: The current settlements originated in the Middle Ages when the lake was under the Della Torre , Visconti , the Borromeo and Habsburg families. Clashes also took place on the waters of the lake between military fleets, such as in 1263, when the Della Torre ships fought against those of the Visconti near Arona or, between 1523 and 1524, when the Borromeo clashed against Francesco II Sforza and in 1636 between French and Spanish always in
4644-529: The dead were 2 Italian intelligence agents as well as a former agent of Mossad . This incident is part of the Lake Maggiore massacres during WWII. Meina is a municipality located 77 kilometres (48 miles) northwest of Milan, on the southern shores of Lake Maggiore. The Hotel Meina was located north of the town of Meina and was owned by Alberto and Eugenia Behar, Sephardic Jews who had moved to Italy from Constantinople. In September 1943, an armistice
4730-523: The eastern in Lombardy ( province of Varese ), whereas the most northerly section extends 13 kilometres (8 mi) into the canton of Ticino , where it constitutes its lowest point above sea level as well as that of Switzerland . The culminating point of the lake's drainage basin is the Grenzgipfel summit of Monte Rosa at 4,618 metres (15,151 ft) above sea level. Lake Maggiore weather
4816-415: 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
4902-548: The existence of an early medieval parish . The Church of S. Maria della Misericordia was built in 1399–1442. It contains one of the most extensive late Gothic fresco cycles in Switzerland. In 1640-41, Ascona separated from Ronco and Castelletto. According to the statues adopted in the 14th century, Ascona was represented by three people in the Council of the parish of Locarno. Under the Swiss Confederation , it
4988-399: The forested land, 28.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 5.0% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 6.0% is used for growing crops, while 3.0% is used for orchards or vine crops, and 26.8% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes. Of the unproductive areas, 3.8% is unproductive vegetation. The municipality
5074-669: The fourth-floor hotel rooms. It took an extra day for the Germans to reach and execute them. The family included three young children whose lives were not spared despite pleas from older family members. Among those killed were Dino Fernandez-Diaz (76 years old), Pierre Fernandez-Diaz (46), Liliane (Scialom) Fernandez-Diaz (36), Jean Fernandez-Diaz (17), Robert Fernandez-Diaz (13), Blanchette Fernandez-Diaz (12), Marco Mosseri (55), Ester Botton (52), Giacomo Renato Mosseri (22), Odette Uziel (19), Raoul Torres (48), Valerie Nahoum Torres (49), and Daniele Modiano (51). In total, sixteen Jewish residents of
5160-432: The hotel were executed. Its owners, the Behar family, survived due to the efforts of the Turkish consulate. The Italian police report on the Meina massacre was lost but resurfaced in 1994, along with hundreds of other files of war crimes committed post-armistice by Germans who still occupied or were retreating from Italian soil. These files had been hidden in a wooden cabinet, the so-called " cabinet of shame ", discovered in
5246-416: The investigation was over, yet that never happened. When the chain corroded, the car sunk to the lake bed, where it was rediscovered on 18 August 1967 by local diver Ugo Pillon and became a favourite target for divers thereafter. When one of the divers, Damiano Tamagni, was killed in a hold-up on 1 February 2008, his friends from the Ascona divers' club decided to lift and sell the car wreck to raise funds for
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#17327723624555332-481: The island's residents need not cross St. George's Harbour .) In cities without an Anglican cathedral , the parish church may have administrative functions similar to that of a cathedral. However, the diocese will still have a cathedral. The Church of Scotland , the established Presbyterian church also uses a system of parish churches, covering the whole of Scotland . In Massachusetts , towns elected publicly funded parish churches from 1780 until 1834, under
5418-425: The lake has a comfortable temperature of 20 to 22 °C (68 to 72 °F) in July and August. In winter snowfall is erratic and primarily affects the higher elevations. Rainfall is heaviest in May and lowest during the winter months. The flora is strongly influenced by the lake basin, which has allowed the proliferation of typically Mediterranean plants, and also of plants native to the Atlantic areas favoured by
5504-466: The larger or more progressive parishes. There are also laity-led activities and social events in accordance with local culture and circumstances. Roman Catholics are not obliged to worship only at the parish church to which they belong, but they may for convenience or taste, attend services at any Roman Catholic church. However, their parish church is the one, where members of the parish must go to, for baptisms and weddings , unless they are permitted by
5590-432: The late 1960s on the castle hill of San Michele. Both fine ceramics and coarse pottery were discovered, which suggests that this area was settled during the Late Bronze Age, even if there is no evidence of the municipal structures. Remains of walls and clay from the Balladrum hill are the only Iron Age objects found in the municipality. However, the exact age is unknown. The only item that has been conclusively identified
5676-413: The list: the church of S. Maria della Misericordia with the Collegio Papio , the Church of S. Michele with the ruins of a medieval castle, and the Parish Church of SS. Pietro e Paolo. Three houses are on the list: the Serodine House, the Unifamiliare Tuia House, and the Villa at via Ludwig 26. The Balladrum, a prehistoric and medieval settlement, as well as the Albergo, a park with a complex of houses, and
5762-426: The lower end advances to the verge of the plain of Lombardy . Lake Maggiore is the most westerly of the three great southern prealpine lakes, the others being Lake Como and Lake Garda. The lake basin has tectonic-glacial origins and its volume is 37 cubic kilometres (9 cu mi). The lake has a surface area of about 213 square kilometres (82 sq mi), a maximum length of 54 km (34 mi) (on
5848-402: The mid-1990s. Wels catfish in excess of 50 kg in weight have been fished from the lake. The Sacred Mountain of Ghiffa is a Roman Catholic devotional complex in the comune of Ghiffa , ( Piedmont , northern Italy ), overlooking Lake Maggiore. It is one of the nine Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy , included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. The Spirit of Woodstock Festival
5934-456: The middle of the 19th century, the lake began to experience strong tourist development, particularly after Queen Victoria 's stay in Baveno in 1879. In 1936, a Bugatti Type 22 Brescia Roadster, built in 1925, was sunk in the lake by employees of Zürich architect Marco Schmucklerski, when Swiss customs officials investigated whether he had paid taxes on the car. The Bugatti was attached to an iron chain making it possible to recover it once
6020-416: The municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose). The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2008, was 0.65%. In 2000 there were 4,636 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 1,567. There were 606 single room apartments and 503 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments,
6106-418: The municipality. In 2014 the crime rate, of the over 200 crimes listed in the Swiss Criminal Code (running from murder, robbery, and assault to accepting bribes and election fraud), in Ascona was 64.4 per thousand residents, slightly lower than the national average (64.6 per thousand). During the same period, the rate of drug crimes was 5.5 per thousand residents. This rate is lower than average, only 48.2% of
6192-411: The population of Swiss citizens decreased by 14 while the foreign population decreased by 1. There were 7 Swiss men and 3 Swiss women who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 43 non-Swiss men and 27 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was an increase of 17, and the non-Swiss population change
6278-747: The rate in the district, 62.5% of the rate in the canton, and 55.6% of the national rate. The rate of violations of immigration, visa and work permit laws was 1.7 per thousand residents. This rate is lower than average, 47.2% of the rate in the canton and 34.7% of the rate for the entire country. Lake Maggiore Lake Maggiore ( UK : / m æ ˈ dʒ ɔːr eɪ , ˌ m æ dʒ i ˈ ɔːr eɪ / , US : / m ɑː ˈ dʒ ɔːr eɪ , m ə ˈ dʒ ɔːr i / ; Italian : Lago Maggiore Italian pronunciation: [ˈlaːɡo madˈdʒoːre] ; Western Lombard : Lagh Maggior ; Piedmontese : Lagh Magior ; literally 'greater lake') or Verbano ( pronounced [verˈbaːno] ; Latin : Lacus Verbanus )
6364-430: The rise of tourism was population growth in the 1920s. In 1925 an extensive redistribution of land ownership allowed non-locals to purchase land. By 1934, the number of landowners included not only 299 Ticinesi, but 88 other Swiss, 41 German, 35 Italian, and 31 foreign nationals. The settlement area has expanded since 1960. The expansion has proceeded more and more towards the north, so that as of 2023 Locarno and Ascona form
6450-467: The school was finished. After negotiations with Charles Borromeo , the Archbishop of Milan, and representatives of Pope Gregory XIII , it was decided to sell the originally planned Casa Papio and to build the Collegio Papio college next to the Church of S. Maria della Misericordia. This project ran from 1585 until 1592. In 1616, Cardinal Federico Borromeo , placed the school under the authority of
6536-470: The smallest tier of administrative units. However since the 19th century these have not shared the same boundaries, or often the same names. (In other territories arrangements may differ, e.g. in Bermuda civil and church parishes still share the same boundaries, see Anglican Church of Bermuda ). Most ecclesiastical parishes have an Anglican parish church , which is consecrated . If there is no parish church,
6622-426: 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 213 students in the two-year middle school and 1 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 123 students were in the four-year advanced program. The upper secondary school includes several options, but at
6708-556: The vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PPD +GenGiova (with 323 or 18.7%), the SSI (with 307 or 17.8%) and the PS (with 215 or 12.5%). In the 2007 Consiglio di Stato election, 29 blank ballots and 8 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,726 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 409 or 23.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were;
6794-610: The waters between Arona and Angera. From the fourteenth century until the end of the eighteenth century, navigation on the lake and on the Ticino was also used to transport the heavy blocks of marble obtained from the quarries located around the lake towards the main Lombard construction sites: the cathedral of Milan and the Certosa di Pavia . Methane was first discovered and isolated by Alessandro Volta as he analysed marsh gas from Lake Maggiore, between 1776 and 1778. From
6880-419: The workforce coming into Ascona are coming from outside Switzerland, while 0.1% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work. Of the working population, 7.5% used public transportation to get to work, and 47.8% used a private car. As of 2009, there were 34 hotels in Ascona with a total of 1,192 rooms and 2,230 beds. From the 2000 census, 3,308 or 66.4% were Roman Catholic , while 835 or 16.8% belonged to
6966-513: Was a decrease of 3 people. This represents a population growth rate of 0.3%. The age distribution, as of 2009, in Ascona is; 365 children or 6.7% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 500 teenagers or 9.1% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 481 people or 8.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 612 people or 11.2% are between 30 and 39, 833 people or 15.2% are between 40 and 49, and 782 people or 14.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution
7052-701: Was declared between Italy and the Allies. At that time, the Hotel Meina housed a number of Jewish guests, most of them escapees of the Nazi occupation of Greece . The area around Lake Maggiore was not under Allied control but was occupied by the German Waffen-SS, specifically the infamous Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler . Captain Hans Krüger, who directed operations in Meina and the surrounding villages,
7138-494: Was extensively rebuilt. In 1859, the façade and the south side were totally redone in a Gothic Revival style. A further renovation began in 1948 but was aborted after the 18th-century vaults collapsed. In 1798 Ascona elected to join the Helvetic Republic , and was granted a certain degree of local self-government. French troops moved into the town but were driven out, and it was then occupied by Austrian units. When
7224-510: Was in charge of locating the Jews in that area and was responsible for the Lake Maggiore massacres in which approximately 54 Jews were murdered. On the night of 22 September 1943, most of the Jewish residents of the Hotel Meina were executed and their bodies were thrown into Lake Maggiore. The Fernandez-Diaz family, a family of Greek Sephardic Jews from Thessaloniki, barricaded themselves in one of
7310-547: Was represented with two members, alternating every two years with those of Ronco. In 1428, Filippo Maria Visconti gave the villages the market right , which was renewed by the Confederates after the conquest of Locarno in 1513. In 1580, Bartolomeo Papio, who had become wealthy in Rome, donated 25,000 Scudi to Ascona for the construction of a seminary as long as the work could be completed within three years. In October 1584
7396-836: Was so named at the beginning of the 20th century, when a "colony" was founded by proponents of primitive socialism and anarchy on a hill formerly known as "Monescia", just to the north-west of the town of Ascona. The colony attracted a large number of artists, anarchists, and other famous people, including Hermann Hesse , Hans Habe , Carl Jung , Erich Maria Remarque , Hugo Ball , Else Lasker-Schüler , Stefan George , Isadora Duncan , Paul Klee , Rudolf Steiner , Mary Wigman , Gyula Háy , Max Picard , Ernst Toller , Henri van de Velde , Rudolf Laban , Frieda and Else von Richthofen , Otto Gross , Erich Mühsam , Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach , and Gustav Stresemann . Ascona has an area, as of 1997, of 4.97 square kilometers (1.92 sq mi). Of this area, 1.78 km (0.69 sq mi) or 35.8%
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