Monte Carasso - History

History

Monte Carasso is first mentioned in 1348 as Monte Carassio. In the Middle Ages and the early modern period, the residents of Monte Casasso had a permanent right to appoint representatives in the Council of Bellinzona. The inhabitants of the four village that made up the municipality lived mainly in the various groups on the mountain. As of 1506 the villagers of Monte Carasso possessed transportation rights across the Ticino river. The ferry was an important link across the river, as the Torretta Bridge was destroyed in 1515 and wasn't rebuilt until 1815.

In 1634 the church of Monte Carasso separated from the parish of Bellinzona. The parish church of Saints Bernardino and Jerome was probably built in the late 15th century on the site of a Roman oratory and affiliated with an Augustinian convent. The church separated from the convent of S. Maria Elisabetta in Como in 1555. It was restored in 1905-06.

The church of San Bernardo dates back to the 12th-13th centuries and contains important frescoes of the Seregneser masters from the 15th century. The chapel of Madonna della Valle was built in the 17th century. The Church of SS. Trinità was finished in 1655.

Grazing and cultivation were for centuries the main source of income for the population. From the mid-19th century, there were a large number of former residents who emigrated overseas. To create jobs for the Lombardy refugees in Switzerland, in 1853 the so-called Fortini della fame fortifications were built. After a project by Luigi Snozzi the village was renovated in the 1980s. The first stage, between 1987–93, was the restoration of the former Augustinian convent, which today houses the primary school and cultural center. In 1998 the Fondazione Curzutt was founded with the aim of reviving the old settlement on the Collina Alta above Monte Carasson. In 2000, three quarters of workers were employed outside of the municipality.