Breno, Ticino
Encyclopedia
Breno is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland
.
In 2005 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Arosio
, Fescoggia
, Mugena
and Vezio
to form a new and larger municipality Alto Malcantone
.
Archaeological digs have uncovered items from the Roman era
in Breno. The village name is celtic
in origin, though the exact meaning is unknown. At some time after the year 1000, the Abbey of S. Abbondio in Como
acquired some rights and land in Breno. The municipality bought itself out from under those rights in 1579. Modernly, the village includes the south land that once belonged to the municipality of Tortoglio. This land was abandoned in the wake of a plague in the 15th Century. The village was involved in a land dispute with Miglieglia until 1890.
The parish
was established as Fescoggia parish in 1592. The Parish Church
of S. Lorenzo was built in 1233, rebuilt in 1596 and expanded in 1852.
The local economy included both agriculture and herding in alpine pastures. Alp Rettaiola (alpine pasture) was lost after a century-long dispute with the Italian
Valle Veddasca
, following a by a decision of the Varese
Congress in 1752. In the upper Malcantone Valley many of the farmers own land both in the Valley and in the lower, hilly area between Neggio and Bosco Luganese. Before winter sets in, they move their animals down into the hills to their winter pastures. The seasonal migration
began in the 16th Century and was very common until the beginning of the 19th Century. Between 16th and 19th Centuries, limited land and resources led to a large exodus of construction workers from Breno. A strong philanthropic attitude and community life, often supported by grants from wealthy villagers who had emigrated, allowed the village to build a number of institutions in the 19th Century. The most important is the school of drawing from 1883. By the end of the 20th Century, many of the workers in Breno commuted to Lugano for work.
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....
.
In 2005 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Arosio
Arosio, Switzerland
Arosio is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 2005 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Breno, Fescoggia, Mugena and Vezio to form a new and larger municipality Alto Malcantone.-History:...
, Fescoggia
Fescoggia
Fescoggia is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 2005 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Arosio, Breno, Mugena and Vezio to form a new and larger municipality Alto Malcantone.-History:...
, Mugena
Mugena
Mugena is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 2005 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Arosio, Breno, Fescoggia and Vezio to form a new and larger municipality Alto Malcantone.-History:...
and Vezio
Vezio
Vezio is a village and former municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.In 2005 the municipality was merged with the other, neighboring municipalities Arosio, Breno, Fescoggia and Mugena to form a new and larger municipality Alto Malcantone.-History:...
to form a new and larger municipality Alto Malcantone
Alto Malcantone
Alto Malcantone is a municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It was formed on 13 March 2005 from the earlier municipalities of Arosio, Breno, Fescoggia, Mugena and Vezio.-History:...
.
History
Breno is first mentioned in 1140 as Breno.Archaeological digs have uncovered items from the Roman era
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...
in Breno. The village name is celtic
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
in origin, though the exact meaning is unknown. At some time after the year 1000, the Abbey of S. Abbondio in Como
Como
Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como....
acquired some rights and land in Breno. The municipality bought itself out from under those rights in 1579. Modernly, the village includes the south land that once belonged to the municipality of Tortoglio. This land was abandoned in the wake of a plague in the 15th Century. The village was involved in a land dispute with Miglieglia until 1890.
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...
was established as Fescoggia parish in 1592. 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 S. Lorenzo was built in 1233, rebuilt in 1596 and expanded in 1852.
The local economy included both agriculture and herding in alpine pastures. Alp Rettaiola (alpine pasture) was lost after a century-long dispute with 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...
Valle Veddasca
Veddasca
Veddasca is a comune in the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 70 km northwest of Milan and about 30 km north of Varese in the Val Veddasca, on the border with Switzerland....
, following a by a decision of the Varese
Varese
Varese is a town and comune in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 55 km north of Milan.It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or urban part of the city is called Varesotto.- Geography :...
Congress in 1752. In the upper Malcantone Valley many of the farmers own land both in the Valley and in the lower, hilly area between Neggio and Bosco Luganese. Before winter sets in, they move their animals down into the hills to their winter pastures. 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...
began in the 16th Century and was very common until the beginning of the 19th Century. Between 16th and 19th Centuries, limited land and resources led to a large exodus of construction workers from Breno. A strong philanthropic attitude and community life, often supported by grants from wealthy villagers who had emigrated, allowed the village to build a number of institutions in the 19th Century. The most important is the school of drawing from 1883. By the end of the 20th Century, many of the workers in Breno commuted to Lugano for work.
Historic population
The historical population is given in the following table:| Year | Population Breno |
|---|---|
| 1599 | - |
| 1692 | 521 |
| 1801 | 459 |
| 1850 | 395 |
| 1900 | 398 |
| 1950 | 281 |
| 1990 | 197 |
| 2000 | 255 |