provost over the church. This was followed by it being raised to have a deanin 1800. In 1617-37 the Church of Madonna della Fontana was built on the northern slopes of Monte Verit�, which became a pilgrimage destination. The most remarkable profane building of this era is the Casa Serodine, a building of the 17th Century, with richly decorated facade.
Modern Ascona
After various changes, the Collegio Papio seminary was secularized in 1852 and served first as a high school. It was then a girls' school and then became the Istituto Elvetico. In 1879, it returned to its original name and purpose and was placed under the Bishop of Como. In 1885 it came under the authority of the bishop of Lugano. Under the bishop of Lugano, several religious orders administered the seminary, including the Salesians (1894�1910), the Assumptionists (1910�14) and finally the Benedictines (since 1924). In the 20th Century the building was rebuilt and expanded several times (1924�27, after a fire in 1960, 1975�76 and 1992).
In the second half of the 18th Century, the Church of SS Peter and Paul was extensively rebuilt. In 1859, the facade and the south side were totally redone in a Gothic Revival style. A further renovation began in 1948, but was aborted after the 18th century vaults collapsed.
In 1798 Ascona, spoke up for joining the Helvetic Republic, and was granted a certain degree of local self-government. French troops moved into the town, but were driven out and it was then occupied by Austrian units. When the canton of Ticino was founded in 1803, Ascona became a political municipality.
Until the beginning of the 20th Century the local economy was based mostly on crops, livestock and fisheries. A smaller, but important source of income was the emigration of builders, architects and artists to Rome and Tuscany. The most famous Ascona artist families were the Serodine, Abbondio, Pancaldi and Pisoni. In the 19th Century, linen production and
