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91-632: The Ascona took its name from the lakeside resort of that name in Ticino , Switzerland , and already in the 1950s a special edition of the Opel Rekord P1 was sold as an Opel Ascona in Switzerland, where the name was again used in 1968 for a locally adapted version of the Opel Kadett B into which the manufacturers had persuaded a 1.7-litre engine borrowed from the larger Rekord model of

182-485: 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

273-416: A five-door fastback / hatchback Bodystyle, named CC in a few markets - short for "Combi Coupé." The hatchback model was shorter than the saloons, with a marginally smaller luggage compartment and 5 cm (2.0 in) less headspace in the backseat. All engines were now SOHC crossflow designs with a breakerless ignition system and hydraulic tappets . The base model was the 1.3 L introduced in 1978 in

364-601: 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%

455-446: A new, smaller Kadett and instead positioned the Ascona as a competitor to the successful Ford mid-sized Taunus range. The Opel Ascona A stayed in production until 1975. By that time, almost 692,000 vehicles of the first series had been produced. The range featured petrol engines from 1.2 L to 1.9 L, with power between 60 PS (44 kW) and 90 PS (66 kW). The 1.2 L had an overhead valve (OHV) head, while

546-679: A no-cost option. The 1.9 L "S" cam-in-head engine was replaced by the modernised 2.0 L ( 20S ) in September 1977. The 20N became available in January 1978, and all models now also received electric windscreen washers. A 2.0 L diesel motor was added to the Ascona B range in 1978, mostly targeted at the Benelux countries and Italy, where local tax structures provided an incentive for diesel-powered automobiles - in 1979, 97% of diesels were exported, while 59% of petrol powered cars went in

637-492: A number of facelifts, the last one bringing its looks in line with those of current European GM products, with new fenders front and rear to accommodate new head and taillights. Diesel versions were available for export markets, most notably Uruguay and Argentina , powered by Isuzu's 4EC1 engine . The Monza first went on sale in Colombia in 1985 in a 4-door sedan body style, assembled locally by GM Colmotores . In Colombia,

728-463: 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

819-530: 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

910-573: A special version of the Ascona SR, with two single-barrel Solex carburettors, lifting power to 125 PS (92 kW). From 1971 to 1975, the 1.9-liter Ascona was exported to the United States as the "Opel 1900" and marketed at Buick-Opel dealerships. Originally two- and four-door dsedans were offered, the former droopped after model year 1973. For 1974, rubber-clad impact bumpers were added in response to federal regulations. All Opels sold in

1001-466: A top of the line sedan version was sold from 1987 to 1992 as the Monza Classic with a three-speed automatic transmission. In Venezuela it was assembled and sold from 1985 to 1990. Originally it was equipped with a carbureted 1.8-litre engine, but this was later replaced with a fuel-injected 2-litre unit. Ascona Ascona ( Ticinese : Scona [ˈʃkona] ) is a municipality in

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1092-434: 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

1183-514: 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

1274-527: 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

1365-522: 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

1456-657: 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

1547-510: 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

1638-466: The 3800 Series I V6 became available with a four speed automatic. Both were replaced by the LA1 3400 V6 in 1996. The vehicles in this generation included: In 1994, The Lumina and Trans Sport received a facelift, which shortened the nose and gave them a more conventional look. The Silhouette did not receive this update, however, and while it did receive a facelift in 1993, it was very minimalistic with only

1729-678: 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

1820-567: 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

1911-665: The Holden Camira wagon (estate car) and adapted them to the Cavalier beginning with the 1984 model year. Opel continued to use the Ascona nameplate until the Vectra was launched in 1988, while the Cavalier name was retained by Vauxhall until 1995. The following versions of the Ascona C were available, all with inline fours. Data is for the German market. There were certain differences in various export market models: In Brazil ,

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2002-577: 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

2093-483: 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

2184-437: 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

2275-533: The 1.6 L and 1.9 L featured the Opel cam-in-head engine (CIH). The CIH was a compromise effort, with the camshaft mounted next to the valves rather than above them. All used a single barrel carburetor . Even with this simple design, the Ascona 1.9 SR had a successful career in motorsports, with Walter Röhrl winning the European Rally Championship in 1974. Tuner Steinmetz developed

2366-517: The 16 valve head. The street versions of the 400 therefore came with 144 hp (107 kW) engines, using the Bosch fuel injection of the Manta GSi and GT/E series. However, in race trim they were delivered putting out 230 hp (172 kW), which could be improved further to 340 hp (254 kW), while still using normally aspirated engine components. Irmscher delivered the rally trim for

2457-522: 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

2548-475: 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

2639-399: 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

2730-645: The Alps through the Val Mesolcina and over Lake Maggiore with the Po Valley . Similar objects were found by exploratory excavations in 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

2821-453: The Ascona B, with 60 PS (44 kW), followed by a 1.6 L with 75 PS (55 kW). "S" versions with higher compression ratio had power increased by as much as twenty per cent. The top of the line was the sporty GTE model, with electronic fuel injection , pushing power to 130 PS (96 kW) in the last two model years. Diesel power came from an 1.6SH derived block, with 1.6  litres. Catalytic converters were optional in

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2912-675: The Ascona C was sold from May 1982 until August 1996 as the Chevrolet Monza. Chevrolet did not use the Ascona brand because the Spanish and Portuguese word "asco" means "disgust, repugnance". Instead, it was named after the famous Italian circuit . It was originally only available as a three-door hatchback , a body style unique to Latin America. However, two and four-door sedans appeared in March 1983. GM do Brasil also considered offering

3003-481: The Ascona were developed as global platforms by Opel's then parent General Motors , with various derivative versions manufactured by other GM divisions around the world. In motorsport, Walter Röhrl won the 1982 World Rally Championship drivers' title with an Ascona 400. In the fall of 1970, Opel presented its completely new vehicle range in Rüsselsheim (internal project code 1.450). The Opel Manta coupé

3094-549: 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 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

3185-696: The Japanese-built Isuzu Geminis wearing Opel badges after 1975. The second generation Opel Ascona B was presented in August 1975 at the Frankfurt Motor Show . It was available as a two or four-door saloon. There were related two and three-door coupé models in the Opel Manta range. There was no estate ("Caravan") body available. It was Opel's version of the "U-car" platform ("extended subcompact" - therefore unrelated to

3276-537: The Manta and Rekord models. The 2.0 E equipped Ascona also received an upgraded clutch shared with the sporting Manta GT/E. In January 1981 the Ascona underwent its last changes, when adjustments made to the 16N and 20N engines. The 1.9 N and 2.0 N engines were discontinued in the German market, while the 1.6 N engine was now only available coupled with an automatic transmission. Over 1.2 million Ascona B units were produced worldwide until August 1981. The two millionth Ascona

3367-803: 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%),

3458-683: The Monza as a station wagon , and produced two full-size clay models, one with five doors and one with three doors, with a similar rear to the Holden Camira in Australia, which was also used as the basis of the Vauxhall Cavalier in the UK, but it never entered into production. However, Envemo began converting the four-door Monza sedan into a station wagon called the Camping, although it retained

3549-554: 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

3640-736: 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,

3731-622: The US in 1975 were equipped with Bosch L- Jetronic fuel injection , not available on the European versions, to comply with stricter US emissions requirements. The compression ratio was dropped to 7.6:1, enabling the car to run on 91-octane unleaded gasoline but also lowering maximum power to 75 hp (56 kW; 76 PS) at 4800 rpm. Due to the unfavorable Deutsche Mark to US dollar exchange rate, all Opels in Buick showrooms were replaced by

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3822-705: The United States as of 2008. The Pontiac Montana and Chevrolet Uplander continued to be sold in Canada and Mexico for 2009. Production of the Buick GL8 continues in Shanghai, China . The vehicles in this generation include: In 2010, Shanghai GM introduced a new version (SGM258) of the Buick GL8 called GL8 Luxury Business Edition. The previous generation remains on sale as the Business Edition. Prior to

3913-651: The Vauxhall-based Chevrolet 1300/1900-series. It was available in De Luxe or S trim, with the S receiving a sportier treatment with a three-spoke steering wheel, tartan seat inserts, and Rostyle rims. First shown at Frankfurt in September 1979, the Ascona 400 was a homologation special sold only to make it eligible for rallying's Group 4 category. The Ascona 400s were built at General Motors' plant in Antwerp. The 1980 world champion Walter Röhrl took

4004-595: 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

4095-463: 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

4186-542: The car's release, a concept car called the Buick Business was shown at the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show . In 2016, Shanghai GM introduced a new version (SGM358) of the Buick GL8 in 2 versions: ES and top of the line Avenir. The previous generation remains on sale as the Land Business Class. The exterior was completely redesigned but the platform was retained. However, the platform was updated with

4277-439: 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

4368-588: 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 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

4459-522: The district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland . 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

4550-415: 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

4641-548: 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

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4732-412: The export. By the end of 1978 the 1.6 S engine was discontinued in Germany (where it was replaced by the 19N, with the same power but lower fuel consumption), but continued to be available in some markets in a somewhat down-tuned version with 70 PS (51 kW). In January 1979 the street legal version of the Ascona 400 with 2.4-liter engine (16 valves, 144 PS) appeared, followed a month later by

4823-448: The exterior. Large and widened wings, light weight hood, front wings, rear boot lid and doors were also installed. By 1984, the Audi Quattro appeared more powerful than ever and the Ascona 400 was rendered obsolete. But the Ascona 400 still has some remarkable records. The Ascona 400 was the last rear wheel drive rally car to win the drivers' world championship, ensuring its place in motorsports history. 2-door convertible The Ascona C

4914-425: The fall of 1989 for the 1990 model year, the U platform ( GMT199 ) utilized a galvanized steel space frame underneath composite plastic dent resistant panels similar to those used in Saturn models and the Pontiac Fiero . The vans feature unconventional styling, which some commenters likened it to a DustBuster vacuum cleaner. All models used a 120-hp, 3.1L V6 mated to a 3-speed automatic transmission. In 1992,

5005-400: 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

5096-404: The front bumper being slightly changed. The rest of the front end remained unchanged. The Pontiac Trans Sport was sold in Europe as a rebadged Oldsmobile Silhouette with European safety specifications. European customers had grown accustomed to sleek minivans, thanks to vehicles such as the Renault Espace , and did not object to the Trans Sport's futuristic styling. In 1994, when the Trans Sport

5187-427: The heads to Opel and Opel soon discovered a major mistake. The plan was to use the 2.0 litre engine block but this did not produce enough power. Time was running out and Opel badly needed to do something. Opel took the 2.0E block, installed forged pistons, different connecting-rods, and forged crankshaft with 85mm stroke. The result was a 2.4 litre engine. The 2.4 litre engine gave rise to some massive power outputs using

5278-414: The larger petrol units starting from 1986. The Ascona C was also assembled in South Africa , where it was sold by GM South Africa , replacing the Chevrolet Ascona which was based on the Ascona B. It was dropped in 1986 and replaced by a sedan version of the Kadett E called the Opel Monza . As before, there was no estate car version of the Ascona, although Vauxhall in the UK brought in the rear ends of

5369-451: The later GM U-platform ), and was essentially an enlargened version of the T-Car platform which underpinned the smaller Opel Kadett C and Vauxhall Chevette . The Ascona B retained the same engine range as its predecessor, versions with higher compression ratio and needing 98 octane petrol, dubbed S, were available alongside the 90 octane models. The first change took place in January 1976, when laminated window glass became available as

5460-413: 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

5551-457: The more prosaic 1.3 liter OHC engine. This largely replaced the old 1.2 liter pushrod unit which dated back to 1962, but production continued in dwindling numbers into 1980 for some export markets. In September 1979 the Ascona received a minor facelift, including plastic bumpers and a grey front grille with a larger mesh. The 2.0 E engine with a Bosch L-Jetronic electronic fuel injection arrived in January 1980, after having been first installed in

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5642-420: 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,

5733-419: 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

5824-452: The name, Aschgunen , 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

5915-421: 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") 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

6006-409: The north, so that as of 2023 Locarno and Ascona form 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

6097-411: 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

6188-411: The rally car to victory and won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in the 1982 season . The car was developed by Opel alongside the Manta B 400 model which consisted of the same changes. Irmscher and Cosworth were hired as partners for the project, Cosworth to deliver a 16 valve double cam crossflow head for the engine, and Irmscher for the exterior and interior styling. Cosworth delivered

6279-643: 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. General Motors U platform The U-platform (or U-body ) is a front wheel drive minivan and crossover SUV platform from General Motors produced since 1990. North American sales ended in 2009, but Chinese production continues. The minivans were divided into three generations, 1990–1996, 1997–2005 and 2005-current. The U-body

6370-402: The rear doors and taillights of the sedan. Envemo also converted the two-door Monza sedan into a convertible. In 1989 the slow-selling liftback was discontinued, leaving only the two- and four-door three-box sedans. Originally it was available with either a 1.6 or a 1.8 engine with 75 or 84 PS (55 or 62 kW). These were changed to more powerful 1.8 and 2.0s in 1986. The Monza received

6461-408: 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

6552-530: The second U-body (platform) minivans arrived, also known as the GMT200 . The new minivans were of unibody steel construction and the styling was intentionally conventional to such an extent that contemporary reviewers remarked that without looking closely at the badging and grille treatments, these minivans could be mistaken for their primary competitors, the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager , which at

6643-426: 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

6734-797: The sporty character of its predecessors, being a more unadulterated family car which was considerably more space-efficient than earlier models. It was narrowly beaten to the European Car of the Year award by the Renault 9 in 1982. It took another 27 years before its successor model, the Opel Insignia , won the 2009 European Car of the Year award by only 1 point, from the Second placed Ford Fiesta . The Ascona C underwent two notable facelifts during its term of production. The range added an option of

6825-477: The summer season, around 20,000 to 25,000 visitors came to Ascona each year. Closely connected with 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

6916-698: The time commanded a 50% share of the minivan market. Production of this generation was performed at GM's Doraville, Georgia facility, and later at GM Shanghai . The vehicles in this generation included: The U-body was updated once again in 2004 for the 2005 model year, also known as the GMT201 . These vans were referred to as "Crossover Sport Vans" (CSV) by General Motors, in reference to their SUV -inspired styling. North American vans were built in GM's plant in Doraville, Georgia . General Motors stopped minivan sales in

7007-496: The time. The Opel Ascona A launched in 1970 and sold across Europe was, however, the first mainstream Opel model to carry the name - departing from Opel's long standing convention of using German naval rank designations for its models . The Ascona was introduced in September 1970, lasting for 18 years and 3 generations and ended production in August 1988, to be replaced by the Opel Vectra A. The second and third generations of

7098-558: 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;

7189-424: 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

7280-515: 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

7371-668: Was a locally assembled version called the Chevrolet Ascona , identical in many respects to the four-door Opel Ascona B. The Ascona came with a locally built 1.3 liter inline-four from the Vauxhall Viva . A preceding upmarket version with the Vauxhall Cavalier 's longer front end was sold as the Chevrolet Chevair , equipped with bigger engines of Chevrolet origins. The Ascona was launched in July 1978, and replaced

7462-529: Was also used for General Motors' first generation crossovers from 2001-2005. Keeping with its EPA designation as a light truck, the fifth character in the VIN for a U-body is "U", instead of the fourth, as is standard for cars. Confusingly, GM also used the "U-body" (or "U-car") designation in the mid 1970s for its mid-sized European models - principally the Opel Ascona and Vauxhall Cavalier . Released in

7553-764: Was an Ascona B, built in April 1980, and the one millionth Ascona sold in Germany was registered in July of that same year. The related Manta coupé versions however, remained in production until 1988. In the United Kingdom , the Vauxhall Cavalier badge was used on both saloon and coupé models from late 1975, which came out of the same factory in Belgium — the first Vauxhall to be built abroad. The front ends were different, featuring Vauxhall's trademark "droop snoot", as designed by Wayne Cherry . In South Africa there

7644-410: Was discovered at S. Materno, where 21 cremation urns were discovered. The urns were either simply buried or covered with 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

7735-494: 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

7826-596: Was launched in August 1981 as part of General Motors' J-car project . This was Opel's second front-wheel drive car since the introduction of the Kadett D in 1979. This car was manufactured in Rüsselsheim , Germany , Antwerp , Belgium , São Caetano do Sul , Brazil and Luton , England , and was sold in the UK under the name Vauxhall Cavalier and as the Chevrolet Monza in Latin America. The Cavalier Coupé

7917-673: Was launched on September 9, followed by the Opel Ascona on October 28 in two- and four-door sedan forms, plus a three-door station wagon called the Caravan or Voyage. These models were positioned between the existing Opel Kadett and the Opel Rekord , and unlike later Asconas - there was no Vauxhall sister model. The Ascona was developed as a replacement to the Kadett, but late in the car's development Opel chose to instead develop

8008-405: Was phased out, but the Opel Manta was retained in the UK (the last car to be badged as an Opel in the UK before the brand was phased out there in 1988). There were no longer sheet metal differences between Opel and Vauxhall models after 1982. The Ascona C won the "Goldenes Lenkrad" (Golden Steering Wheel) award at the end of 1981 and was West Germany's biggest selling car. The new Ascona no longer had

8099-556: 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 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

8190-547: 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

8281-540: Was updated, the European version retained the original shape with a minor facelift, with the Oldsmobile Silhouette being sold as a badge-engineered Pontiac Trans Sport. The European Trans Sport was also available with two options that were never offered on a North American specification U-body: A four-cylinder engine (the LD2 Quad 4 ) and a 5-speed manual transmission. In 1996 (for the 1997 model year),

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