Brissago
Encyclopedia
Brissago is a municipality
in the district of Locarno
in the canton
of Ticino
in Switzerland
.
era as well as Roman
coins and other finds, discovered in 1846 in Brenscino, indicate that the area was prehistorically settled. In 1863, during the construction of the main road, some graves were discovered. Fragments of a grave stele
with inscriptions were built into the (now destroyed) Church of San Pancrazio on Isola Grande.
Brissago is first mentioned in 1289 as Brixago. It used to be known by the German name of Brisa, though this is no longer used.
During the Middle Ages
the fortunes of the village were closely tied to those of the parish
and court of Cannobio
in the county of Stazzona. After the fragmentation of the county in the 11th-12th Centuries, Brissago was on the outskirts of the areas of influence of Milan
and Como
. Its relative isolation allowed to develop into an Imperial community with great autonomy. By the middle of the 13th Century it had its own village law, with the first version appearing in 1289. The community consisted of the three village cooperatives (vicinia
) Costa di Piodina, Costa di Mezzo and Costa di Dentro, which were probably in turn were divided into degagne. The local council selected three community leaders (Consoli), one for each vicinia who were supported by council members and some lower officials.
The entire municipality was ruled by a Podestà, who was initially appointed by the Visconti
family of Milan. The Podestà was recruited from 1342 until the end of Old Swiss Confederacy
rule in 1798, from among the Orelli family, a noble family in Locarno. Also, in 1342, the Visconti added Brissago into the capitaneria of Lake Maggiore. Between 1439-1520 the community had to help finance the military spending of Locarno, despite maintaining a certain degree of autonomy under the aegis of Count Rusca. The 16th Century was marked by feuds between the Rainaldi and Baciocchi families. Following the creation of an independent republic in Brissago in 1520, it became an Associate of the Swiss Confederation. It became part of the Bailiwick
of Locarno, but remained a special judicial district with its own Podestà. Under the Helvetic Republic
it was part of the district of Locarno. Then in 1803, it became an independent political municipality in the new Canton of Ticino. During the Italian Risorgimento it was a refuge and center of weapons smuggling and underground literature for the was for the Lombard
refugees.
The village church was under the authority of the diocese of Milan
as part of the old parish of Cannobio. As part of the diocese of Milan, the Ambrosian Rite
was followed in the church. The Church of SS Pietro e Paolo is first mentioned in the 13th Century. It was parish church in 1335 and in 1865 it was awarded the title of a priory
church. The existing building is from the 16th to the 17th century, and it was restored in 1961. The island of Sant'Apollinare was under the Ambrosian Rite, while on the Isola Grande (Church of S. Pancrazio), which belonged to the parish church
of Locarno and the territory of Ascona, the Roman Rite
was followed. On this island in the 13th Century, the Humiliati
order founded a monastery. After the order was suppressed in 1571, their property was given to the hospital in Locarno. In 1885, the Baroness Antonietta Saint-Léger acquired the two islands and built a botanical garden and villa on Isola Grande. The villa turned into a cultural meeting place. In 1927, the ownership passed to Max Emden from Hamburg, who built a new palace. In 1949 the islands were acquired under joint ownership: the canton of Ticino, the municipalities of Brissago, Ascona
and Ronco sopra Ascona
, the Swiss Heritage Society
and the Swiss Federation for Nature Conservation. Since 1950, the botanical garden on Isola Grande has been a public garden.
In the Middle Ages, the majority of the population worked in agriculture and animal husbandry. The shoreline and hill dwellers operated some fishing boats and some commerce and trade. Already in the 13th Century there were mills, hammer mills and sawmills, as well as later lime kilns in the village. Starting in the 15th Century much of the population emigrated to Milan and Tuscany. The later immigrants from Brissago were traditionally cooks and hoteliers. In the 18th Century some families moved to Locarno and Ascona, where they gained a certain reputation. The opening of a spinning mill in 1854, which became two years later a tobacco factory, gradually changed, the socio-economic structure of the municipality. In 1888 a new factory was built, and in the first decades of the 20th Century industrial activity reached its peak, with more than 600 people, mostly women, employed in tobacco processing. During this time, the municipality also began to develop into a resort town with many second homes and hotels. This change accelerated in 1907 with the construction of the Grande Albergo hotel, which was demolished in 1993. After 1970, the services sector was the most important part of the local economy. The growth in the 1960s and 1970s led the town to grow up the hillsides and become a contiguous residential area.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 5.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.2%. Out of the forested land, 51.9% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 12.4% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 2.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 1.5% is used for growing crops and 5.3% is used for alpine pastures. Of the water in the municipality, 0.4% is in lakes and 1.4% is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 15.3% is unproductive vegetation and 3.9% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Locarno district, on the shores of Lake Maggiore
. It is bordered by the Valmara and Valle di Creda and consists of three mountainous shoreline sections. The three sections are divided by the Valli di Ponte and the Sacro Monte. It lies on the road to Ascona along the Italian
border. It consists of the village of Brissago and the sections of Caccio, Cadogno, Cartogna, Gadero, Incella, Madonna di Ponte, Nevedone, Noveledo, Piazza, Piodina, Porta, Rossorino, Tecetto and the two islands Isola Grande and Sant'Apollinare. The 13 sections are scattered in the hills on roads leading to Mount Gridone (2188 m (7,178.5 ft)). On the other side of Mount Gridone is the Centovalli
.
to Brissago via Ascona and the Isole di Brissago
(Brissago Islands) on which there is a botanical reserve with coffee plants and peacocks taking advantage of the odd sub-tropical zone.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Argent a cross gules and in canton St. George riding a horse toward sinister argent cloaked gules killing a dragon vert. St. George refers to 24 April 1520 (St. George's day) when Brissago decided to be put under the protection of the Swiss.
Most of the population speaks Italian
(69.1%), with German
being second most common (24.9%) and French
being third (1.3%). Of the Swiss national languages , 456 speak German, 23 people speak French, 1,267 people speak Italian, and 5 people speak Romansh. The remainder (82 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 48.1% male and 51.9% female. The population was made up of 710 Swiss men (38.4% of the population), and 178 (9.6%) non-Swiss men. There were 800 Swiss women (43.3%), and 159 (8.6%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 11 live births to Swiss citizens and 3 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 22 deaths of Swiss citizens and 4 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 11 while the foreign population decreased by 1. There were 8 Swiss men and 2 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 13 non-Swiss men and 2 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was a decrease of 32 and the non-Swiss population change was a decrease of 2 people. This represents a population growth rate of -1.8%.
The age distribution, , in Brissago is; 107 children or 5.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 130 teenagers or 7.0% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 128 people or 6.9% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 178 people or 9.6% are between 30 and 39, 285 people or 15.4% are between 40 and 49, and 275 people or 14.9% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 353 people or 19.1% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 223 people or 12.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 168 people or 9.1% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.53 which is less people per room than 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 48.3% 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 862 private households in the municipality, and an average of 1.9 persons per household. there were 831 single family homes (or 67.0% of the total) out of a total of 1,241 inhabited buildings. There were 212 two family buildings (17.1%) and 138 multi-family buildings (11.1%). There were also 60 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.47%. there were 2,420 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 771. There were 170 single room apartments and 336 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 853 apartments (35.2% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 1,547 apartments (63.9%) were seasonally occupied and 20 apartments (0.8%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 15.3 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
site on Isole di Brissago are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
. The entire Isole di Brissago is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
.
the most popular party was the FDP
which received 37.14% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(23.44%), the CVP
(12.44%) and the SVP
(10.85%). In the federal election, a total of 602 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 42.5%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 1,407 registered voters in Brissago, of which 715 or 50.8% voted. 13 blank ballots and 1 null ballot were cast, leaving 701 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT
which received 238 or 34.0% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS
(with 181 or 25.8%), the SSI (with 79 or 11.3%) and the LEGA
(with 70 or 10.0%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 9 blank ballots were cast, leaving 707 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 218 or 30.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 201 or 28.4%), the LEGA (with 102 or 14.4%) and the SSI (with 77 or 10.9%).
, there were 1,054 workers who commuted into the municipality and 284 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 3.7 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 34.2% of the workforce coming into Brissago are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 5.5% used public transportation to get to work, and 53.5% used a private car.
, there were 10 hotels in Brissago with a total of 225 rooms and 436 beds.
. There are 191 individuals (or about 10.42% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 66 individuals (or about 3.60% of the population) did not answer the question.
. The wettest month is September during which time Brissago receives an average of 241 mm (9.5 in) of rain. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 7.8 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 12.3, but with only 222 mm (8.7 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year is December with an average of 73 mm (2.9 in) of precipitation over 5.6 days.
).
In Brissago there were a total of 204 students . The Ticino education system
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in Brissago there were 29 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 56 students attended the standard primary schools and 5 students attended the special 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 51 students in the two year middle school and 1 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 23 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 11 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 25 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 were 3 students in the professional program.
, there were 56 students in Brissago who came from another municipality, while 127 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
An ax and ceramic pieces from the NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
era as well as Roman
Switzerland in the Roman era
The history of Switzerland in the Roman era encompasses the roughly six centuries during which the territory of modern Switzerland was a part of the Roman Republic and Empire...
coins and other finds, discovered in 1846 in Brenscino, indicate that the area was prehistorically settled. In 1863, during the construction of the main road, some graves were discovered. Fragments of a grave stele
Stele
A stele , also stela , is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerals or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living — inscribed, carved in relief , or painted onto the slab...
with inscriptions were built into the (now destroyed) Church of San Pancrazio on Isola Grande.
Brissago is first mentioned in 1289 as Brixago. It used to be known by the German name of Brisa, though this is no longer used.
During the Middle Ages
Middle 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...
the fortunes of the village were closely tied to those of 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...
and court of Cannobio
Cannobio
Cannobio is a town and comune on Lago Maggiore in Piedmont, Italy.-History:The local inhabitants probably became subject to Roman rule by the time of the emperor Augustus. Sarcophagi from the 2nd-3rd century CE have been found and conserved in the "Palazzo della Ragione".The first documented...
in the county of Stazzona. After the fragmentation of the county in the 11th-12th Centuries, Brissago was on the outskirts of the areas of influence of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and Como
Como
Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como....
. Its relative isolation allowed to develop into an Imperial community with great autonomy. By the middle of the 13th Century it had its own village law, with the first version appearing in 1289. The community consisted of the three village cooperatives (vicinia
Bürgergemeinde
The Bürgergemeinde is a statutory corporation in public law in Switzerland...
) Costa di Piodina, Costa di Mezzo and Costa di Dentro, which were probably in turn were divided into degagne. The local council selected three community leaders (Consoli), one for each vicinia who were supported by council members and some lower officials.
The entire municipality was ruled by a Podestà, who was initially appointed by the Visconti
House of Visconti
Visconti is the family name of two important Italian noble dynasties of the Middle Ages. There are two distinct Visconti families: The first one in the Republic of Pisa in the mid twelfth century who achieved prominence first in Pisa, then in Sardinia where they became rulers of Gallura...
family of Milan. The Podestà was recruited from 1342 until the end of Old Swiss Confederacy
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
rule in 1798, from among the Orelli family, a noble family in Locarno. Also, in 1342, the Visconti added Brissago into the capitaneria of Lake Maggiore. Between 1439-1520 the community had to help finance the military spending of Locarno, despite maintaining a certain degree of autonomy under the aegis of Count Rusca. The 16th Century was marked by feuds between the Rainaldi and Baciocchi families. Following the creation of an independent republic in Brissago in 1520, it became an Associate of the Swiss Confederation. It became part of the Bailiwick
Bailiwick
A bailiwick is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and may also apply to a territory in which the sheriff's functions were exercised by a privately appointed bailiff under a royal or imperial writ. The word is now more generally used in a metaphorical sense, to indicate a sphere of...
of Locarno, but remained a special judicial district with its own Podestà. Under the Helvetic Republic
Helvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
it was part of the district of Locarno. Then in 1803, it became an independent political municipality in the new Canton of Ticino. During the Italian Risorgimento it was a refuge and center of weapons smuggling and underground literature for the was for the Lombard
Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia
The Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia was created at the Congress of Vienna, which recognised the House of Habsburg's rights to Lombardy and Venetia after the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed by Napoleon in 1805, had collapsed...
refugees.
The village church was under the authority of the diocese of Milan
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan
The Archdiocese of Milan is a metropolitan see of the Catholic Church in Italy. It has long maintained its own rite: the Ambrosian rite. It is led by the Archbishop of Milan who serves as metropolitan to the dioceses of Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Crema, Cremona, Lodi, Mantova, Pavia, and Vigevano.The...
as part of the old parish of Cannobio. As part of the diocese of Milan, the Ambrosian Rite
Ambrosian Rite
Ambrosian Rite, also called the Milanese Rite, is a Catholic liturgical Western Rite. The rite is named after Saint Ambrose, a bishop of Milan in the fourth century...
was followed in the church. The Church of SS Pietro e Paolo is first mentioned in the 13th Century. It was parish church in 1335 and in 1865 it was awarded the title of a priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
church. The existing building is from the 16th to the 17th century, and it was restored in 1961. The island of Sant'Apollinare was under the Ambrosian Rite, while on the Isola Grande (Church of S. Pancrazio), which belonged to the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of Locarno and the territory of Ascona, the Roman Rite
Roman Rite
The Roman Rite is the liturgical rite used in the Diocese of Rome in the Catholic Church. It is by far the most widespread of the Latin liturgical rites used within the Western or Latin autonomous particular Church, the particular Church that itself is also called the Latin Rite, and that is one of...
was followed. On this island in the 13th Century, the Humiliati
Humiliati
The Humiliati were an Italian religious order of men formed probably in the 12th century. It was suppressed by a Papal bull in 1571 though an associated order of women continued into the 20th century.-Origin:Its origin is obscure...
order founded a monastery. After the order was suppressed in 1571, their property was given to the hospital in Locarno. In 1885, the Baroness Antonietta Saint-Léger acquired the two islands and built a botanical garden and villa on Isola Grande. The villa turned into a cultural meeting place. In 1927, the ownership passed to Max Emden from Hamburg, who built a new palace. In 1949 the islands were acquired under joint ownership: the canton of Ticino, the municipalities of Brissago, Ascona
Ascona
Ascona is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.It is located on the shore of Lake Maggiore.The town is a popular tourist destination, and holds a yearly jazz festival, the Ascona Jazz Festival....
and Ronco sopra Ascona
Ronco sopra Ascona
Ronco sopra Ascona is a municipality near Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Ronco sopra Ascona is first mentioned in 1264 as Roncha. In 1498 it was mentioned as Ronca de Scona. Ronco sopra Ascona and Ascona a Vicinanza by 1321. The vicinanza had its own statutes by 1369,...
, the Swiss Heritage Society
Swiss Heritage Society
The Swiss Heritage Society is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the advancement of Switzerland’s architectural heritage. Its focus is on the preservation of important landmarks, the development of the structural environment, and the promotion of good architectural design.The SHS was founded...
and the Swiss Federation for Nature Conservation. Since 1950, the botanical garden on Isola Grande has been a public garden.
In the Middle Ages, the majority of the population worked in agriculture and animal husbandry. The shoreline and hill dwellers operated some fishing boats and some commerce and trade. Already in the 13th Century there were mills, hammer mills and sawmills, as well as later lime kilns in the village. Starting in the 15th Century much of the population emigrated to Milan and Tuscany. The later immigrants from Brissago were traditionally cooks and hoteliers. In the 18th Century some families moved to Locarno and Ascona, where they gained a certain reputation. The opening of a spinning mill in 1854, which became two years later a tobacco factory, gradually changed, the socio-economic structure of the municipality. In 1888 a new factory was built, and in the first decades of the 20th Century industrial activity reached its peak, with more than 600 people, mostly women, employed in tobacco processing. During this time, the municipality also began to develop into a resort town with many second homes and hotels. This change accelerated in 1907 with the construction of the Grande Albergo hotel, which was demolished in 1993. After 1970, the services sector was the most important part of the local economy. The growth in the 1960s and 1970s led the town to grow up the hillsides and become a contiguous residential area.
Geography
Brissago has an area, , of 17.79 square kilometres (6.9 sq mi). Of this area, 1.25 km² (0.482627698240669 sq mi) or 7.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 11.84 km² (4.6 sq mi) or 66.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.24 km² (0.478766676654743 sq mi) or 7.0% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.32 km² (0.123552690749611 sq mi) or 1.8% is either rivers or lakes and 3.42 km² (1.3 sq mi) or 19.2% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 5.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.2%. Out of the forested land, 51.9% of the total land area is heavily forested, while 12.4% is covered in small trees and shrubbery and 2.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 1.5% is used for growing crops and 5.3% is used for alpine pastures. Of the water in the municipality, 0.4% is in lakes and 1.4% is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 15.3% is unproductive vegetation and 3.9% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Locarno district, on the shores of Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest of Italy and largest of southern Switzerland. Lake Maggiore is the most westerly of the three great prealpine lakes of Italy, it extends for about 70 km between Locarno and Arona.The climate is mild...
. It is bordered by the Valmara and Valle di Creda and consists of three mountainous shoreline sections. The three sections are divided by the Valli di Ponte and the Sacro Monte. It lies on the road to Ascona along the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
border. It consists of the village of Brissago and the sections of Caccio, Cadogno, Cartogna, Gadero, Incella, Madonna di Ponte, Nevedone, Noveledo, Piazza, Piodina, Porta, Rossorino, Tecetto and the two islands Isola Grande and Sant'Apollinare. The 13 sections are scattered in the hills on roads leading to Mount Gridone (2188 m (7,178.5 ft)). On the other side of Mount Gridone is the Centovalli
Centovalli
Centovalli is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 25 October 2009 the municipalities of Borgnone, Intragna and Palagnedra merged into the municipality of Centovalli.-History:...
.
Transportation
Regular boat service and hydrofoil service runs from LocarnoLocarno
Locarno is the capital of the Locarno district, located on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore in the Swiss canton of Ticino, close to Ascona at the foot of the Alps. It has a population of about 15,000...
to Brissago via Ascona and the Isole di Brissago
Isole di Brissago
The Isole di Brissago are a group of two islands located in the Swiss part of Lake Maggiore close to Ronco sopra Ascona and Brissago, both in the Distretto di Locarno of Canton Ticino....
(Brissago Islands) on which there is a botanical reserve with coffee plants and peacocks taking advantage of the odd sub-tropical zone.
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 cross gules and in canton St. George riding a horse toward sinister argent cloaked gules killing a dragon vert. St. George refers to 24 April 1520 (St. George's day) when Brissago decided to be put under the protection of the Swiss.
Demographics
Brissago has a population of . , 18.3% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 2.6%.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...
(69.1%), 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 (24.9%) 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 (1.3%). Of the Swiss national languages , 456 speak German, 23 people speak French, 1,267 people speak Italian, and 5 people speak Romansh. The remainder (82 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 48.1% male and 51.9% female. The population was made up of 710 Swiss men (38.4% of the population), and 178 (9.6%) non-Swiss men. There were 800 Swiss women (43.3%), and 159 (8.6%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 11 live births to Swiss citizens and 3 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 22 deaths of Swiss citizens and 4 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 11 while the foreign population decreased by 1. There were 8 Swiss men and 2 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 13 non-Swiss men and 2 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was a decrease of 32 and the non-Swiss population change was a decrease of 2 people. This represents a population growth rate of -1.8%.
The age distribution, , in Brissago is; 107 children or 5.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 130 teenagers or 7.0% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 128 people or 6.9% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 178 people or 9.6% are between 30 and 39, 285 people or 15.4% are between 40 and 49, and 275 people or 14.9% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 353 people or 19.1% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 223 people or 12.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 168 people or 9.1% who are over 80.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.53 which is less people per room than 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 48.3% 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 862 private households in the municipality, and an average of 1.9 persons per household. there were 831 single family homes (or 67.0% of the total) out of a total of 1,241 inhabited buildings. There were 212 two family buildings (17.1%) and 138 multi-family buildings (11.1%). There were also 60 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.47%. there were 2,420 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 771. There were 170 single room apartments and 336 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 853 apartments (35.2% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 1,547 apartments (63.9%) were seasonally occupied and 20 apartments (0.8%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 15.3 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1578 | 1,675 |
| 1801 | 1,330 |
| 1850 | 1,266 |
| 1860 | 1,136 |
| 1900 | 1,639 |
| 1930 | 1,577 |
| 1950 | 1,931 |
| 1970 | 2,120 |
| 1990 | 1,909 |
| 2000 | 1,833 |
Heritage sites of national significance
The Baccalà E Museo Leoncavallo house, the churches of della Madonna del Ponte and Santuario di S. Maria Addolorata del Sacro Monte and the botanical garden and cultCult (religious practice)
In traditional usage, the cult of a religion, quite apart from its sacred writings , its theology or myths, or the personal faith of its believers, is the totality of external religious practice and observance, the neglect of which is the definition of impiety. Cult in this primary sense is...
site on Isole di Brissago are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
. The entire Isole di Brissago is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
Inventory 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 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....
which received 37.14% 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....
(23.44%), 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...
(12.44%) and the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
(10.85%). In the federal election, a total of 602 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 42.5%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 1,407 registered voters in Brissago, of which 715 or 50.8% voted. 13 blank ballots and 1 null ballot were cast, leaving 701 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was 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....
which received 238 or 34.0% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 181 or 25.8%), the SSI (with 79 or 11.3%) and 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 70 or 10.0%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 9 blank ballots were cast, leaving 707 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 218 or 30.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 201 or 28.4%), the LEGA (with 102 or 14.4%) and the SSI (with 77 or 10.9%).
Economy
, Brissago had an unemployment rate of 3.39%. , there were 38 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 10 businesses involved in this sector. 215 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 20 businesses in this sector. 879 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 107 businesses in this sector. There were 777 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 42.6% of the workforce., there were 1,054 workers who commuted into the municipality and 284 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 3.7 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 34.2% of the workforce coming into Brissago are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 5.5% used public transportation to get to work, and 53.5% used a private car.
, there were 10 hotels in Brissago with a total of 225 rooms and 436 beds.
Religion
From the , 1,316 or 71.8% were Roman Catholic, while 260 or 14.2% 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 191 individuals (or about 10.42% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 66 individuals (or about 3.60% of the population) did not answer the question.
Weather
Brissago has an average of 99.1 days of rain or snow per year and on average receives 2019 mm (79.5 in) of precipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
. The wettest month is September during which time Brissago receives an average of 241 mm (9.5 in) of rain. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 7.8 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 12.3, but with only 222 mm (8.7 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year is December with an average of 73 mm (2.9 in) of precipitation over 5.6 days.
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Brissago about 67.5% 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 Brissago there were a total of 204 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 Brissago there were 29 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 56 students attended the standard primary schools and 5 students attended the special 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 51 students in the two year middle school and 1 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 23 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 11 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 25 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 were 3 students in the professional program.
, there were 56 students in Brissago who came from another municipality, while 127 residents attended schools outside the municipality.