Aquila, Switzerland


Aquila is a former municipality in the district of Blenio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.
On 25 January 2005, the cantonal authorities announced that Aquila would merge with Campo Blenio, Ghirone, Olivone and Torre to form a new municipality to be called Blenio. This union was carried through on 22 October 2006.

History

Aquila is first mentioned in 1196 as Aquili.
Around 1200, the settlement of Ghirone belonged Aquila. The present borders were established in 1853 with the final separation of the two municipalities. The parish church of San Vittore was built in 1213. It was rebuilt in 1728-30. One important source of income for the village came from money sent back by emigrants from the village to other European countries. Starting in 1914 many of the inhabitants of Aquila worked in the chocolate factory Cima-Norma in Torre Arbeit. In addition the residents also often farmed land and raised livestock. The closure of the factory in 1968 led to a large population decline. In 1990, about 39% of the population worked in manufacturing, while 49% worked in the services sector. About 60% of the worker commuted out of the village.

Historic population

The historical population is given in the following table:
YearPopulation
Aquila
1602600
1801804
18501,040
1900719
1950627
2000487