Pitasch

Pitasch
Pitasch
Former municipality
	Coat of arms
	Location of Pitasch
	Pitasch Pitasch
	Coordinates: 46°43′N 9°13′E / 46.717°N 9.217°E
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Graubünden
District	Surselva
Area
• Total	10.79 km2 (4.17 sq mi)
Elevation	1,060 m (3,480 ft)
Population (Dec 2011)
• Total	106
• Density	9.8/km2 (25/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (Central European Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)
Postal code(s)	7111
SFOS number	3578
ISO 3166 code	CH-GR
Surrounded by	Cumbel, Duvin, Riein, Safien, Sevgein
Website	www.pitasch.ch ; SFSO statistics

Pitasch is a former municipality in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014 the former municipalities of Pitasch, Castrisch, Ilanz, Ladir, Luven, Riein, Ruschein, Schnaus, Sevgein, Duvin, Pigniu, Rueun and Siat merged into the new municipality of Ilanz/Glion.^[1]

History[edit]

Pitasch is first mentioned about 801–50 as Pictaui though this comes from a 16th-century copy of the lost original. In 960 it was mentioned as in Pictaso.^[2]

Geography[edit]

Before the merger, Pitasch had a total area of 10.8 km² (4.2 sq mi).^[3] Of this area, 31.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 49.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.5% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (18%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).^[3]

The former municipality is located in the Ilanz sub-district of the Surselva district. Before 2000 it was part of the Glenner district. It is located south of Ilanz on a terrace between the Val Renastga and the Val da Pitasch on the old road between Castrisch over the Güner Kreuz to Safien.

Demographics[edit]

Pitasch had a population (as of 2011) of 106.^[3] As of 2008^[update], 2.7% of the population was made up of foreign nationals.^[4] Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -0.9%. Most of the population (as of 2000^[update]) speaks Romansh(60.2%), with the rest speaking German (39.8%).^[3]

As of 2000^[update], the gender distribution of the population was 52.2% male and 47.8% female.^[5] The age distribution, as of 2000^[update], in Pitasch is; 19 children or 16.1% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 26 teenagers or 22.0% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 8 people or 6.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 21 people or 17.8% are between 30 and 39, 16 people or 13.6% are between 40 and 49, and 11 people or 9.3% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 10 people or 8.5% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 6 people or 5.1% are between 70 and 79, there is 1 person who is between 80 and 89.^[4]

In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SVP which received 41.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP (26.5%), the SP (20.9%) and the CVP (11.2%).^[3]

In Pitasch about 70.1% of the population (between age 25–64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).^[3]

Pitasch has an unemployment rate of 2.05%. As of 2005^[update], there were 20 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 8 businesses involved in this sector. people are employed in the secondary sector and there are businesses in this sector. 6 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 3 businesses in this sector.^[3]

The historical population is given in the following table:^[2]

year	population
1850	96
1900	105
1950	125
2000	118

Heritage sites of national significance[edit]

The Swiss Reformed Church building in Pitasch is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.^[6]

The Reformed Church was built in the mid-12th century into its current form. The church floorplan is a single nave church with a single half round apse. The interior murals date to about 1420, and on the exterior south wall is a mural of St. Martin and St. Christopher from the studio of the unknown Waltensburg Master which was painted about 1340.^[7]