Morcote

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Coordinates: 45°55′N 8°55′E

Morcote
Canton	Ticino
District	Lugano
Coordinates	45°55′N 8°55′E
Population	726   (December 2004)
Area	2.8 km²
Elevation	272 m
Postal code	6922
SFOS number	5203
Website	www.morcote.ch
Twin towns	Viarmes (France)
Morcote

Morcote is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Ticino situated about 10 kilometres from Lugano in the district of Lugano.

With its characteristic small alleys, the arcades of old Patrician homes, valuable architectural monuments and its natural beauty, the lakefront position, Morcote is considered "the Pearl of Ceresio".

[edit] History

Morcote is first mentioned historically in 926 as Murcau, which comes from the Latin Morae caput, meaning head of the.

Until the dam was built in Melide in 1847, Morcote was the largest port on Lake Lugano. Goods from northern Italy were shipped across the lake to the rest of Ticino. In the Middle Ages, Morcote belonged to the territory of the Duke of Milan. After the plague year of 1432, only seven families survived in the town. In 1862, seven houses slid into the lake.

The church of Santa Maria del Sasso, which was probably built in the 13th century, was remodeled in 1462 in the style of the Renaissance. In 1758, it was redone in baroque style.

[edit] Cemetery

In the beautiful terraced cemetery overlooking the lake, many artists are buried, among them Alexander Moissi, actor, Georges Baklanoff, Russian baritone, Georg Kaiser, German author, and Eugen d’Albert, German composer and pianist.

[edit] External links

• ProMorcote Official Site of Morcote [it,de,en].