Deep Dive
Despite its small size, Corippo demonstrated an early and strong drive for independence. For a long time, the village formed a so-called «squadra», a historical administrative unit that formally belonged to the larger municipality of Vogorno. Nevertheless, this squadra already operated largely autonomously in many everyday matters.
The economic backbone of this era was the commons (collectively used resources). Until 1854, Corippo held extensive shared lands, forests, and alpine pastures with the neighbouring municipalities of Minusio, Brione, and Mergoscia. This inter-communal interdependence was essential for the survival of the livestock herds.
Corippo finally attained formal and complete independence as a sovereign political municipality in 1822. This status was maintained for a remarkably long time, until drastic depopulation made governance impossible and Corippo was integrated into the newly created merged municipality of Verzasca on 17 October 2020 (taking effect in 2021).