Calpiogna

Calpiogna is a former municipality in the district of Leventina in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.

The village lived on farming and grazing, while periodic and seasonal emigration secured additional income.

In the 19th century many residents of the village began to emigrate to France, England and the United States.

Since the 1950s the mountain pastures of former Prodo (with Carì) draw numerous winter and summer visitors.

[2] Calpiogna has an area, as of 1997[update], of 3.3 square kilometers (1.3 sq mi).

[3] The municipality is located in the Leventina district, on a terrace at an elevation of 1,149 m (3,770 ft) on the left side of the mid-Leventina valley.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Per fess Argent and Vert in the first three fir trees issuant of the second.

[6] The age distribution, as of 2009[update], in Calpiogna is; 3 children or 6.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 3 teenagers or 6.4% are between 10 and 19.

[10] About 77.8% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage or a rent-to-own agreement).

[7] The historical population is given in the following table:[2] The entire villages of Calpiogna and Primadengo were designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites[14] In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the CVP which received 42.5% of the vote.

In the federal election, a total of 22 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 48.9%.

[15] In the 2007[update] Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 125 registered voters in Calpiogna, of which 25 or 20.0% voted.

[7] There were 20 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 20.0% of the workforce.

[7] From the 2000 census[update], 34 or 85.0% were Roman Catholic, while 5 or 12.5% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.

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.

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.

[18] As of 2000[update], there were 5 students who lived in Calpiogna who attended schools outside the municipality.

Aerial view (1967) of the upper part of the municipality with the village of Prodör in the foreground