Besazio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Besazio
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 Besazio
Location in Switzerland
Besazio
Location in Canton of Ticino
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Ticino | |
| District | Mendrisio | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 0.88 km2 (0.34 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 497 m (1,631 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2011)
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| • Total | 618 | |
| • Density | 702/km2 (1,819/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
6863
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| Surrounded by | Arzo, Clivio (IT-VA), Ligornetto, Rancate, Tremona | |
Besazio (called Besasc in the local Lombard language) was a town in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It was located in the Mendrisio area. On April 14, 2013, Besazio joined with Ligornetto and Meride. These towns all became part of the larger town of Mendrisio.
Contents
History of Besazio
Besazio was first written about in the year 1335. Back then, it was called Besatio. From the 1400s to the 1700s, people called it Besaccio.
People have lived in this area for a very long time. Objects found show that people lived here during the Roman era and the Early Middle Ages. In 1335, Besazio was part of the Pieve of Riva San Vitale. It became its own parish (a church area) in 1579.
The first church, St. Antonino, was built before 1579, but no one knows exactly when. People say the church's bell tower used to be a signal tower. The sacristy (a room in the church) might have been a guard-house. A new church, S. Maria Immacolata, was built in 1654. It was rebuilt in the late 1700s and fixed up in 1964.
Long ago, people in Besazio earned money from farming. They also mined marble and traveled to other places to work as bricklayers. Today, more people live and work in Besazio. Many people who live there now travel to other towns for their jobs. This means Besazio has become a "commuter town".
Geography of Besazio
Before it joined Mendrisio, Besazio was about 0.9 square kilometers (0.35 square miles) in size. A big part of this land, about 64.8%, was used for farming. Forests covered about 31.8% of the land.
About 21.6% of Besazio was built up with buildings and roads. Most of these built-up areas were homes and other buildings (19.3%). Roads and other transport areas made up 2.3%.
In the forested areas, 20.5% was thick forest. Another 11.4% had orchards or small groups of trees. For farming, 20.5% of the land grew crops. About 25% was used for orchards or vineyards. The rest, 19.3%, was used for mountain pastures.
Besazio is located west of the main town of Mendrisio.
Besazio's Coat of Arms
The blazon (description) of Besazio's coat of arms is: Red shield with a gold pair of compasses at the top. At the bottom, a natural marble stone with a carved letter 'B'.
The stone and the compass on the coat of arms are symbols. They represent the local marble quarry. This shows that marble mining was important to the town.
People of Besazio (Demographics)
In 2011, Besazio had a population of 618 people. In 2008, about 8.8% of the people living there were from other countries. Over ten years (1997–2007), the population grew by about 30.4%.
Most people in Besazio speak Italian. In 2000, about 86.4% of the population spoke Italian. German was the second most common language (10.2%). A smaller number of people (1.4%) spoke French.
In 2008, there were slightly more women than men. About 49% of the population was male, and 51% was female.
In 2009, about 9.4% of the population were children aged 0 to 9. Teenagers (10 to 19 years old) made up 12.2%. Adults aged 20 to 59 made up a large part of the population. Older adults (60 and above) made up about 27.9% of the population.
In 2000, there were 209 homes in Besazio. On average, about 2.4 people lived in each home. Most buildings were single-family homes (77.2%). Many of these homes were built between 1919 and 1945, and also between 1990 and 2000.
The chart below shows how Besazio's population has changed over time:
Economy in Besazio
In 2007, the unemployment rate in Besazio was low, at 1.37%. This means most people who wanted to work had jobs.
In 2005, a few people (7) worked in the primary sector. This includes jobs like farming. There were 2 businesses in this area.
More people (101) worked in the secondary sector. This involves making things or building. There were 5 businesses in this sector.
The largest number of people (50) worked in the tertiary sector. This includes jobs that provide services, like shops or offices. There were 18 businesses in this sector.
In 2008, there were 89 full-time jobs in Besazio. Most of these were in services (71 jobs). This included sales, hotels, finance, and health care. There were also jobs in agriculture (8) and construction (6).
Many people traveled into Besazio for work. In 2000, 305 workers came into the town, while 191 left to work elsewhere. About 46.2% of the workers coming into Besazio were from outside Switzerland. Most people (71.5%) used a private car to get to work. A smaller number (7%) used public transportation.
Religion in Besazio
Based on the 2000 census, most people in Besazio were Roman Catholic. About 82.4% of the population belonged to this church.
A smaller group, about 7.2%, belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Some people (8.18%) belonged to other churches not listed. About 2.20% of the population did not answer the question about their religion.
Education in Besazio
In Switzerland, people are generally well educated. In Besazio, about 79.6% of adults (aged 25-64) had finished upper secondary education or gone on to higher education. This means they either went to a university or a specialized college.
In 2009, there were 107 students in Besazio. The education system in Ticino offers up to three years of kindergarten, which is not required. In Besazio, 17 children were in kindergarten.
Primary school lasts for five years. In Besazio, 28 students attended primary schools. After primary school, students go to lower secondary school. They can choose a two-year middle school followed by a two-year pre-apprenticeship. Or, they can do a four-year program to prepare for higher education. In Besazio, 31 students were in middle school, and 20 were in the advanced program.
Upper secondary school prepares students for a trade or for university. In Ticino, students can learn a trade while working (3-4 years). Or, they can go to school first, then do an internship. In Besazio, 8 students were full-time vocational students, and 3 were part-time.
In 2000, 3 students who lived outside Besazio came to study there. At the same time, 76 students from Besazio went to schools in other towns.
See also
In Spanish: Besazio para niños
