Switzerland. Canton Ticino. Corippo lies in the Verzasca valley. Clarina Scettrini walks on the concrete road. The houses are built from the local Ticino granite with stone roofs and have changed little for several hundred years. Clarina Scettrini is a member of the town council consisting of three local citizens. A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch. With a population of just 16, Corippo is the smallest municipality in Switzerland. Despite this, it possesses the trappings of communities many times its size such as its own coat of arms. The village has maintained its status as an independent entity since its incorporation in 1822. 8.05.13 © 2013 Didier Ruef