Brusio
Encyclopedia
Brusio is a municipality
in the district of Bernina
in the canton
of Graubünden
in Switzerland
.
The monastery of San Romerio (earlier, San Remigio) was founded above the Val Poschiavo before 1055. Soon there after the village of Brusio was settled on the valley floor below the monastery. The monastery influenced this early stage of settlement and growth in the village. By 1212 it was an independent municipality with its own dean or senior pastor
who represented the municipality's interests. In the 13th Century, the entire Val Poschiavo became part of the fief
of the Bishop of Chur
. During the 14th Century, Brusio was part of the practically (but not officially) independent municipality of Poschiavo. Around 1498, Poschiavo (with Brusio) joined the League of God's House
and by extension, the Three Leagues
. During the conquest of the Valtellina
valley by the Three Leagues, the hamlets of Campocologno (1518) and Zalende (1526) were founded. In 1610 Brusio tried to leave the municipality of Poschiavo, but it wasn't until 1851 that they were successful. In 1863, the previously Italian
, side valley of Saiento and the hamlet of Cavajone joined Brusio and became Swiss.
The municipality is located in the Brusio sub-district of the Bernina district. It is located in the Val Poschiavo on the road from the Bernina Pass
into Italy
. It consists of the hamlets
of Campocologno, Zalende, Campascio, Brusio, Piazzo and parts of Miralago as well as the small settlements of Viano und Cavaione high in the mountains.
, the gender distribution of the population was 48.7% male and 51.3% female. The age distribution, , in Brusio is; 116 people or 9.7% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 71 people or 5.9% are 10 to 14, and 44 people or 3.7% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 117 people or 9.7% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 193 people or 16.1% are 30 to 39, 142 people or 11.8% are 40 to 49, and 181 people or 15.1% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 146 people or 12.1% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 128 people or 10.6% are 70 to 79, there are 56 people or 4.7% who are 80 to 89, and there are 8 people or 0.7% who are 90 to 99.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 40.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(21.8%), the CVP
(20.9%) and the FDP
(15.9%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Brusio about 61% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
).
Brusio has an unemployment rate of 1.9%. , there were 107 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 30 businesses involved in this sector. 217 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 24 businesses in this sector. 374 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 70 businesses in this sector.
From the , 1,052 or 87.5% are Roman Catholic, while 91 or 7.6% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
. There are less than 5 individuals who are Islam
ic. There are 6 individuals (or about 0.50% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 24 (or about 2.00% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 29 individuals (or about 2.41% of the population) did not answer the question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
.
The monastery of San Romerio (also San Remigio) was founded in the hills above the Val Poschiavo before 1055. The village of Brusio was settled soon after and was heavily influenced by the monastery.
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 Bernina
Bernina (district)
Bernina District is an administrative district in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has an area of 237.2 km² and has a population of ....
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 Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
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
Brusio is first mentioned in 1106 as Bruse. It was first mentioned as Brusio in 1212. Previously it was known as Romansh: Brüsch and .The monastery of San Romerio (earlier, San Remigio) was founded above the Val Poschiavo before 1055. Soon there after the village of Brusio was settled on the valley floor below the monastery. The monastery influenced this early stage of settlement and growth in the village. By 1212 it was an independent municipality with its own dean or senior pastor
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
who represented the municipality's interests. In the 13th Century, the entire Val Poschiavo became part of the fief
Fiefdom
A fee was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable lands granted under one of several varieties of feudal tenure by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the...
of the Bishop of Chur
Bishop of Chur
The Bishop of Chur is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chur, Grisons, Switzerland .-History:...
. During the 14th Century, Brusio was part of the practically (but not officially) independent municipality of Poschiavo. Around 1498, Poschiavo (with Brusio) joined the League of God's House
League of God's House
The League of God's House was formed in what is now Switzerland on January 29, 1367 to resist the rising power of the Bishopric of Chur and the House of Habsburg. The League allied with the Grey League and the League of the Ten Jurisdictions in 1471 to form the Three Leagues...
and by extension, the Three Leagues
Three Leagues
The Three Leagues was the alliance of 1471 of the League of God's House, the League of the Ten Jurisdictions and the Grey League, leading eventually to the formation of the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Most of the lands of Graubünden were part of the Roman province Raetia in 15 BC...
. During the conquest of the Valtellina
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
valley by the Three Leagues, the hamlets of Campocologno (1518) and Zalende (1526) were founded. In 1610 Brusio tried to leave the municipality of Poschiavo, but it wasn't until 1851 that they were successful. In 1863, the previously 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...
, side valley of Saiento and the hamlet of Cavajone joined Brusio and became Swiss.
Geography
Brusio has an area, , of 46.3 km² (17.9 sq mi). Of this area, 16.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 54.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.3% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (27%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).The municipality is located in the Brusio sub-district of the Bernina district. It is located in the Val Poschiavo on the road from the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
into Italy
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...
. It consists of the hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Campocologno, Zalende, Campascio, Brusio, Piazzo and parts of Miralago as well as the small settlements of Viano und Cavaione high in the mountains.
Demographics
Brusio has a population (as of ) of . , 7.6% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -12.7%., the gender distribution of the population was 48.7% male and 51.3% female. The age distribution, , in Brusio is; 116 people or 9.7% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 71 people or 5.9% are 10 to 14, and 44 people or 3.7% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 117 people or 9.7% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 193 people or 16.1% are 30 to 39, 142 people or 11.8% are 40 to 49, and 181 people or 15.1% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 146 people or 12.1% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 128 people or 10.6% are 70 to 79, there are 56 people or 4.7% who are 80 to 89, and there are 8 people or 0.7% who are 90 to 99.
In the 2007 federal election
Swiss 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 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...
which received 40.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(21.8%), 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...
(20.9%) and the FDP
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(15.9%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Brusio about 61% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
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...
).
Brusio has an unemployment rate of 1.9%. , there were 107 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 30 businesses involved in this sector. 217 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 24 businesses in this sector. 374 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 70 businesses in this sector.
From the , 1,052 or 87.5% are Roman Catholic, while 91 or 7.6% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
Swiss 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 less than 5 individuals who are Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There are 6 individuals (or about 0.50% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 24 (or about 2.00% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 29 individuals (or about 2.41% of the population) did not answer the question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1803 | 620 |
| 1850 | 1,000 |
| 1900 | 1,199 |
| 1950 | 1,528 |
| 1960 | 1,445 |
| 1970 | 1,344 |
| 1980 | 1,258 |
| 1990 | 1,220 |
| 2000 | 1,202 |
Languages
Most of the population speaks Italian (92.4%), with German being second most common ( 5.3%) and Portuguese being third ( 1.0%).| Languages in Brusio | ||||||
| Languages | Census 1980 | Census 1990 | Census 2000 | |||
| Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | ||
| 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.... |
43 | 3.42 % | 45 | 3.69 % | 64 | 5.32 % |
| Romanish | 15 | 1.19 % | 12 | 0.98 % | 8 | 0.67 % |
| 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... |
1'191 | 94.67 % | 1'150 | 94.26 % | 1'111 | 92.43 % |
| Population | 1'258 | 100 % | 1'220 | 100 % | 1'202 | 100 % |
Heritage sites of national significance
The Casa di Risch, Chiesa di San Romerio e dintorni (or San Romerio Church) and Gruppo di 9 «Crot» are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significanceSwiss 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 monastery of San Romerio (also San Remigio) was founded in the hills above the Val Poschiavo before 1055. The village of Brusio was settled soon after and was heavily influenced by the monastery.