Brione (Verzasca)
Encyclopedia
Brione is a municipality
in the district of Locarno
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
it was part of a squadra in the community of Verzasca. Later, it formed a Vicinanza
together with Gerra
. In 1852 they both became independent municipalities. As one of the main towns of the upper valley, it and Vogorno
alternately presented the candidates for the offices of Podestà and governor. The Castello Marcacci was built in Brione in the 17th Century and was the summer residence of a traditional Podesta family, the Marcacci.
The Church of Beata Vergine Assunta (expanded in the 17th Century and restored in the 19th Century) stands on the remains of a chapel from 1295 and contains fresco
es from the 14th (Giotto school in Rimini
) and the 15th Centuries. The parish
separated from Vogorno before 1518. In 1644, it established a fund to support a school and chaplain
.
The local economy was built mainly around agriculture and grazing. The seasonal migration
is well documented since 1600. Since the 14th Century many of the residents have spent their winters with their cattle in the Magadino
valley.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.2%. Out of the forested land, 28.9% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 14.6% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 4.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.9% is used for growing crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 24.9% is unproductive vegetation and 18.3% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Locarno district in the upper Verzasca valley.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Argent a lion rampant coward or holding in front paws a castle gules. The arms are those of the now extinct Gada family.
Most of the population speaks Italian
(86.7%), with German
being second most common (7.9%) and French
being third (4.4%). Of the Swiss national languages , 16 speak German
, 9 people speak French
, 176 people speak Italian
. The remainder (2 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 48.6% male and 51.4% female. The population was made up of 97 Swiss men (46.6% of the population), and 4 (1.9%) non-Swiss men. There were 101 Swiss women (48.6%), and 6 (2.9%) non-Swiss women. In there were 4 live births to Swiss citizens and 2 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 2 while the foreign population remained the same. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was an increase of 2 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 1 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.5%.
The age distribution, , in Brione is; 21 children or 10.1% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 19 teenagers or 9.1% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 24 people or 11.5% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 21 people or 10.1% are between 30 and 39, 20 people or 9.6% are between 40 and 49, and 42 people or 20.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 26 people or 12.5% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 21 people or 10.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 14 people or 6.7% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.59 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.6 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 67.5% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 84 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.4 persons per household. there were 267 single family homes (or 94.7% of the total) out of a total of 282 inhabited buildings. There were 7 two family buildings (2.5%) and 2 multi-family buildings (0.7%). There were also 6 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0%. there were 289 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 85. There were 36 single room apartments and 40 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 83 apartments (28.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 203 apartments (70.2%) were seasonally occupied and 3 apartments (1.0%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 40.41% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(23.06%), the FDP
(17.76%) and the Green Party
(7.96%). In the federal election, a total of 63 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 36.8%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 163 registered voters in Brione, of which 91 or 55.8% voted. 1 blank ballot was cast, leaving 90 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD
+GenGiova which received 26 or 28.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA
(with 18 or 20.0%), the PS
(with 13 or 14.4%) and the PLRT
(with 12 or 13.3%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 1 blank ballot was cast, leaving 90 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD which received 25 or 27.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA (with 22 or 24.4%), the PS (with 16 or 17.8%) and the PLRT (with 13 or 14.4%).
, there were 10 workers who commuted into the municipality and 49 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 4.9 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 7.4% used public transportation to get to work, and 63% used a private car.
, there was one hotel in Brione.
. There are 28 individuals (or about 13.79% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 6 individuals (or about 2.96% of the population) did not answer the question.
).
In Brione there were a total of 38 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Brione there were 5 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 10 students attended the standard primary school. In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two year middle school followed by a two year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four year program to prepare for higher education. There were 5 students in the two year middle school and none in their pre-apprenticeship, while 2 students were in the four year advanced program.
The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college. In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student). There were 4 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 11 who attend part-time.
The professional program lasts three years and prepares a student for a job in engineering, nursing, computer science, business, tourism and similar fields. There was 1 student in the professional program.
, there were 5 students in Brione who came from another municipality, while 19 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the district of Locarno
Locarno (district)
The district of Locarno is a district of Canton Ticino, Switzerland. It has a population of .-Geography:...
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Ticino
Ticino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
History
During the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
it was part of a squadra in the community of Verzasca. Later, it formed a Vicinanza
Bürgergemeinde
The Bürgergemeinde is a statutory corporation in public law in Switzerland...
together with Gerra
Gerra (Verzasca)
Gerra is a part of the municipality of Cugnasco-Gerra in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.Gerra was an independent municipality until January 1, 2009, when it merged with Cugnasco to form Cugnasco-Gerra.-Location:...
. In 1852 they both became independent municipalities. As one of the main towns of the upper valley, it and Vogorno
Vogorno
Vogorno is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The village is located above Lago di Vogorno, a reservoir formed by the Verzasca Dam.-Geography:...
alternately presented the candidates for the offices of Podestà and governor. The Castello Marcacci was built in Brione in the 17th Century and was the summer residence of a traditional Podesta family, the Marcacci.
The Church of Beata Vergine Assunta (expanded in the 17th Century and restored in the 19th Century) stands on the remains of a chapel from 1295 and contains fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es from the 14th (Giotto school in Rimini
Rimini
Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
) and the 15th Centuries. The parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
separated from Vogorno before 1518. In 1644, it established a fund to support a school and chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
.
The local economy was built mainly around agriculture and grazing. The seasonal migration
Transhumance in the Alps
Transhumance in the Alps, or seasonal migration between valley and high pastures is a traditional practice that has shaped much of the landscape in the Alps, as without it, most areas below 2000 m would be forests.While tourism and industry contribute today much to Alpine economy, seasonal...
is well documented since 1600. Since the 14th Century many of the residents have spent their winters with their cattle in the Magadino
Magadino
Magadino is a former municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.On 25 April 2010, the former municipalities of Caviano, Contone, Gerra Gambarogno, Indemini, Magadino, Piazzogna, San Nazzaro, Sant'Abbondio and Vira Gambarogno merged in the new municipality of...
valley.
Geography
Brione has an area, , of 48.56 square kilometres (18.7 sq mi). Of this area, 0.61 km² (0.235522316741446 sq mi) or 1.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 23.15 km² (8.9 sq mi) or 47.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.34 km² (0.131274733921462 sq mi) or 0.7% is settled (buildings or roads), 1.03 km² (0.397685223350311 sq mi) or 2.1% is either rivers or lakes and 20.98 km² (8.1 sq mi) or 43.2% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.2%. Out of the forested land, 28.9% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 14.6% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 4.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.9% is used for growing crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 24.9% is unproductive vegetation and 18.3% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Locarno district in the upper Verzasca valley.
Coat of arms
The blazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
of the municipal coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is Argent a lion rampant coward or holding in front paws a castle gules. The arms are those of the now extinct Gada family.
Demographics
Brione has a population of . , 4.9% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of -1.9%.Most of the population speaks Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
(86.7%), with German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
being second most common (7.9%) and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
being third (4.4%). Of the Swiss national languages , 16 speak German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, 9 people speak French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, 176 people speak Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. The remainder (2 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 48.6% male and 51.4% female. The population was made up of 97 Swiss men (46.6% of the population), and 4 (1.9%) non-Swiss men. There were 101 Swiss women (48.6%), and 6 (2.9%) non-Swiss women. In there were 4 live births to Swiss citizens and 2 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 2 while the foreign population remained the same. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was an increase of 2 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 1 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.5%.
The age distribution, , in Brione is; 21 children or 10.1% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 19 teenagers or 9.1% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 24 people or 11.5% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 21 people or 10.1% are between 30 and 39, 20 people or 9.6% are between 40 and 49, and 42 people or 20.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 26 people or 12.5% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 21 people or 10.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 14 people or 6.7% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.59 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.6 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 67.5% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 84 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.4 persons per household. there were 267 single family homes (or 94.7% of the total) out of a total of 282 inhabited buildings. There were 7 two family buildings (2.5%) and 2 multi-family buildings (0.7%). There were also 6 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0%. there were 289 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 85. There were 36 single room apartments and 40 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 83 apartments (28.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 203 apartments (70.2%) were seasonally occupied and 3 apartments (1.0%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1761 | 515 |
| 1850 | 870 |
| 1860 | 636 |
| 1870 | 323 |
| 1900 | 676 |
| 1950 | 349 |
| 1990 | 158 |
| 2000 | 203 |
- Population decreased due to overseas emigration.
Sights
The entire villaggio of Brione (Verzasca) is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage SitesInventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
The Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage.-Sites of national importance:-Types:...
Politics
In the 2007 federal electionSwiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
the most popular party was the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
which received 40.41% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(23.06%), the FDP
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
(17.76%) and the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(7.96%). In the federal election, a total of 63 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was 36.8%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 163 registered voters in Brione, of which 91 or 55.8% voted. 1 blank ballot was cast, leaving 90 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
+GenGiova which received 26 or 28.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA
Ticino League
The Ticino League is an isolationist, national conservative political party in Switzerland active in the canton of Ticino.In 1991, after some public campaigning in the Sunday journal Mattino della Domenica against political power and use of public money, the editor Giuliano Bignasca and the...
(with 18 or 20.0%), the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 13 or 14.4%) and the PLRT
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
(with 12 or 13.3%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 1 blank ballot was cast, leaving 90 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD which received 25 or 27.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA (with 22 or 24.4%), the PS (with 16 or 17.8%) and the PLRT (with 13 or 14.4%).
Economy
, Brione had an unemployment rate of 2.81%. , there were 25 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 10 businesses involved in this sector. 9 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 3 businesses in this sector. 36 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 11 businesses in this sector. There were 81 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 39.5% of the workforce., there were 10 workers who commuted into the municipality and 49 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 4.9 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 7.4% used public transportation to get to work, and 63% used a private car.
, there was one hotel in Brione.
Religion
From the , 157 or 77.3% were Roman Catholic, while 12 or 5.9% belonged to the Swiss Reformed ChurchSwiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
. There are 28 individuals (or about 13.79% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 6 individuals (or about 2.96% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Brione about 58.6% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
).
In Brione there were a total of 38 students . The Ticino education system
Education in Switzerland
The education system in Switzerland is very diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the authority for the school system mainly to the cantons...
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
and in Brione there were 5 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 10 students attended the standard primary school. In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two year middle school followed by a two year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four year program to prepare for higher education. There were 5 students in the two year middle school and none in their pre-apprenticeship, while 2 students were in the four year advanced program.
The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college. In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student). There were 4 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 11 who attend part-time.
The professional program lasts three years and prepares a student for a job in engineering, nursing, computer science, business, tourism and similar fields. There was 1 student in the professional program.
, there were 5 students in Brione who came from another municipality, while 19 residents attended schools outside the municipality.