In past centuries, the population lived on agriculture and livestock. Between 1782-1869 there was a glass factory and a little temporary textile industry in the village. The construction of the Gotthard railway required a number of granite quarries to supply stone for the project. Some of the quarries are still in operation in spite of a strong and steady decline of the workforce. In 1939, the so-called Lona-line (Lodrino-Osogna) was built, a long fortified line with 23 anti-tank forts. Since 1943, a small military airfield, the Lodrino Air Base, has been in operation. It is now also used as a civilian helicopter landing site. In the last decades of the 20th century there was major construction activity in the municipality. Many new homes as well as schools (primary and advanced) and sports facilities were built.