Osogna

Osogna is a former municipality in the district of Riviera in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 2 April 2017 the former municipalities of Osogna, Cresciano, Iragna and Lodrino merged into the new municipality of Riviera. Osogna is first mentioned around 1210–58 as Usonia. Roman graves have been found near the Nala creek. During the Middle Ages Osogna was under the spiritual and secular power of Milan Cathedral. During the reign of the Visconti in the 14th century, Osogna, Claro and Cresciano were combined under the jurisdiction of a governor. The town rights were confirmed in 1400. Between 1573–1798 Osogna was the residence of the Riviera Vogts and the center of government for the valley. After 1798, it was the seat of the district government. The parish church of SS Felino e Gratiniano was built before the 13th century and was renovated in 1979–84. The other churches in the municipality are the church of S. Pietà from the 16th century and S. Maria del Castello from the 18th century. Since the end of the 19th century, granite has been quarried in Osogna. In the 1960s, factories and warehouses began to move into the municipality. In 2005, the manufacturing sector provided over three-fifths of the jobs in Osogna. More than two-thirds of the population of Osogna commute to Biasca and Bellinzona. This public institution is much older than the Municipality. The burghers of Osogna belong to this community which goes back to the vicina of the Middle Ages. All the mountain forests and pastures belong to this institution. These pastures were used during the seasonal migration of the cattle (static transhumance). Old family names of Osogna are Guidi, Malaguerra, Mattei, Pellanda. The Catholics of Osogna belong to this parish. The parish church of the Saints Gratiniano and Felino was built in 1498. There are two other churches in Osogna: the church of Santa Maria (Holy Mary) built on the foundations of an old castle (end of the Middle Ages) and the church of Santa Pietà (1729). Osogna has an area, , of . Of this area, or 2.