Valcolla

Valcolla is a quarter of the city of Lugano and former municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 14 April 2013 the former municipalities of Bogno, Cadro, Carona, Certara, Cimadera, Sonvico and Valcolla merged into the municipality of Lugano.

Geography

Valcolla is in the upper section of the Val Colla, the mountain valley in which the Cassarate River rises.

Before the merger, Valcolla had a total area of 11.3 km² (4.4 sq mi). Of this area, 0.55 km² (0.21 sq mi) or 4.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 5.89 km² (2.27 sq mi) or 51.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.38 km² (0.15 sq mi) or 3.4% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.04 km² (9.9 acres) or 0.4% is either rivers or lakes and 1.2 km² (0.46 sq mi) or 10.6% is unproductive land.

Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.2% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.5%. Out of the forested land, 45.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 2.6% is used for growing crops and 2.2% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 10.1% is unproductive vegetation.