Calanca, Canton of Grisons, Switzerland

🇨🇭 Calanca is a municipality in the Moesa Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2015 the former municipalities of Arvigo, Braggio, Cauco and Selma merged to form the new municipality of Calanca.

History Arvigo is first mentioned in 1453 as Arvicho.

Braggio is first mentioned in 1419 as Bragio. It was part of the old municipality of Calanca until 1851 when it became an independent municipality.

The church at Cauco is first mentioned in 1497. The village was part of the Squadra di Calanca until 1851 when it became an independent municipality.

The village that became Selma was part of the Squadra di Calanca until 1796. Between 1796 and 1851 it was part of the Calanca interiore municipality. It was first called Selma in 1812, but it wasn't until 1851 that it became an independent political municipality.

Geography Based on the 2009 survey, the former municipalities that make up Calanca had an area of 37.72 km² (14.56 sq mi). Of this area, 3.83 km² (1.48 sq mi) or 10.2% was used for agricultural purposes, while 21.69 km² (8.37 sq mi) or 57.5% was forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.75 km² (0.29 sq mi) or 2.0% was settled (buildings or roads), 0.39 km² (0.15 sq mi) or 1.0% was either rivers or lakes and 11.01 km² (4.25 sq mi) or 29.2% was unproductive land. Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.7% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.7%. Out of the forested land, 48.7% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.5% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 3.4% is pastures and 6.8% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 12.7% is unproductive vegetation and 16.5% is too rocky for vegetation.

Sights The villages of Landarenca, Braggio and Bodio / Cauco are all part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.