Ligornetto

Ligornetto
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Ligornetto Show map of Switzerland Ligornetto Show map of Canton of Ticino
Location of Ligornetto
Coordinates: 45°52′N 8°56′E / 45.867°N 8.933°E / 45.867; 8.933Coordinates: 45°52′N 8°56′E / 45.867°N 8.933°E / 45.867; 8.933
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Ticino
District	Mendrisio
Government
• Mayor	Marco Pina
Area
• Total	2.02 km2 (0.78 sq mi)
Elevation	362 m (1,188 ft)
Population (Dec 2011)
• Total	1,716
• Density	850/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
Postal code	6853
SFOS number	5253
Surrounded by	Besazio, Clivio (IT-VA), Genestrerio, Rancate, Stabio
Website	ligornetto.ch SFSO statistics

Ligornetto is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 14 April 2013 the former municipalities of Besazio, Ligornetto and Meride merged into the municipality of Mendrisio.

Ligornetto is first mentioned in 789 as Logurno.

Roman era remains show that Ligornetto has been inhabited since ancient times. The village is mentioned in documents from the 8th, 9th, 12th and 13th centuries. The latter documents are in connection with farms and land that various institutions in Como owned in Ligornetto. It is mentioned in 1254 as a municipality.

Originally belonging to the Pieve of Balerna, in 1557 Ligornetto became an independent parish. The parish church of San Lorenzo has existed since the 13th century and was rebuilt in the 18th Century. The modern Oratory of St. Joseph was mentioned in 844. It was originally consecrated to St. Maria.

In 1898, a museum dedicated to Vincenzo Vela opened in Ligornetto. The Swiss sculptor was originally from Ligornetto, and after his death, he left a bequest to his home town.

Traditionally, it was a small agricultural village that produced mainly grain and wine as well as silkworms and stone from a quarry. Other income came from the seasonal emigration of plasterers and masons. In recent decades, the village's character has been changing with the industrial expansion and an increasing number of cross-border workers. The population growth has led to construction of a number of new houses.

Before the merger, Ligornetto had a total area of 2.0 km² (0.77 sq mi). Of this area, 1.19 km² (0.46 sq mi) or 58.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.45 km² (0.17 sq mi) or 22.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.72 km² (0.28 sq mi) or 35.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and 0.03 km² (7.4 acres) or 1.5% is unproductive land.