Editing Locarno (section)

===The Canton of Ticino===
Under the [[Helvetic Republic]] (1798–1803) Locarno was part of the [[Canton of Lugano]]. Following the collapse of the Helvetic Republic, the [[Act of Mediation]], in 1803, created the Canton of Ticino with Locarno as an independent municipality. The Helvetic Republic was very liberal and attempted to reform much of Swiss society. However, the changes were too great and the Republic collapsed. The compromise Act of Mediation changed some aspects of society but left others unchanged. The new municipality of Lucarno was no longer ruled by three different ''[[Bürgergemeinde|patriziati]]'', which had emerged from the three groups (nobles, ''borghesi'' and ''terrieri''), but until the mid-19th century there were institutions that reached back to the [[Early Modern Switzerland|Ancien Régime]]. For example, the community of Locarno and Ascona was dissolved in 1805. Nevertheless, a "committee of the representatives of the former communities of Locarno" managed, for several decades, the S. Carlo Hospital and schools, which had been shared by the ''patriziati'' of the old, combined community. However, the power of the old ''patriziati'' gradually weakened. In 1859, the ''terrieri'' decided to set aside their corporation. The nobles corporation distributed its assets in 1866–67 to its members and dissolved the archive, but retained until about 1920, the fishing rights. Only the citizens' corporation has preserved its status as a civil community.<ref name=HDS_Modern>{{HDS|2108<!--Section 1-4-->|Locarno – 19th and 20th Centuries}}</ref>
[[File:Locarno 1.jpg|thumb|left|Piazza Grande]]
The Constitution of 1814, established Locarno, Bellinzona and [[Lugano]] as the capitals of the canton, in a six-year rotation. Locarno was the capital of the canton in 1821–27, 1839–45, 1857–63 and 1875–81. In 1838–39, on the initiative of a group of notables, a government building was built. It was sold in 1893 to a private company. It then became the headquarters of Credito Ticinese and since 1917 it has been the headquarters of the [[Electricity Company of Sopraceneri]]. Locarno was repeatedly the scene of political clashes. In 1839 and 1841, uprisings against the government broke out. In 1855, a murder in a coffee house was used as a pretext for a coup of radicals (''pronunciamento'').  Another coup, the Ticino coup of 1890, did nothing to change the balance of power between the parties in the city. After a liberal [[Mayor of Locarno|mayor]] ruled for 35 consecutive years (1865–80), a conservative mayor ruled for another 36 years (1880–1916).<ref name=HDS_Modern/>

To break the conservative hegemony of the late 19th century, the [[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland|Social Democrats]], allied with the [[Liberal Party of Switzerland|Liberals]] in 1916 elections. They succeeded to a majority in the city government (which then consisted of nine members, but in 1987 was limited to seven), which they kept in the following decades.<ref name=HDS_Modern/>

In the 19th century, the population in Locarno grew noticeably compared to neighbouring communities. As early as 1836, the immigrant population was over 16% of the population. Between 1860 and 1880, the population fell slightly mainly because of emigration to [[California]]. In the following decades, the growth rates were below those of other population centres of the canton, which, unlike Locarno, benefited directly from the [[Gotthard railway]].

In 1816, the special rights and title of the old mother church of San Vittore in [[Muralto]] went over to S. Antonio Abate. In 1863, snow collecting on the roof of the church caused the [[Vault (architecture)|vault]] to collapse, killing 40 people. The citizens' collective or ''borghesi'' lacked the resources to repair the church. Therefore, in 1866, the ownership and maintenance of the churches of S. Antonio and S. Maria in Selva were given to the town as a whole. For financial reasons, the collapsed church was not completely repaired. Only the façade and central vault were rebuilt and the choir was expanded.<ref name=HDS_Religion/>

Between 1863 and '74, the church of San Francesco had to be used for services, and after 1798, the Assemblies of the neighbourhoods, the city and the county were held in the church. In 1814, the church of San Francesco was [[secularized]] and the [[Franciscans]] had to leave. The church and convent served from 1821 until 1827 as the State Government offices. From 1848 to 1863, the church was closed for worship, and in 1874 it was converted into a barracks and a salt storage. In 1924, it was converted back into a church and used by Benedictines for [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] services delivered in the [[German language]]. The [[Jesuits]] took over this task from 1947 until 1992. The monastery was secularized in 1848, and after the 1893–94 renovation, it housed the first high school. Then in 1930, it was used for teacher training.