Breno, Ticino facts for kids

View of Breno

Breno is a lovely village located in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It used to be its own separate town.

In 2005, Breno joined with some nearby towns. These were Arosio, Fescoggia, Mugena, and Vezio. Together, they formed a new, bigger municipality called Alto Malcantone.

A Look Back: Breno's History

Breno was first written about in the year 1140. It was called Breno even back then.

Scientists have found old items from the Roman times in Breno. This shows people lived here a very long time ago! The name Breno comes from an old Celtic language. We don't know exactly what it means.

After the year 1000, a place called the Abbey of S. Abbondio in Como gained some control over Breno. But in 1579, the people of Breno bought back their freedom. They no longer had to follow the Abbey's rules.

Today, Breno also includes land that used to be part of a town called Tortoglio. That town was left empty in the 1400s because of a terrible sickness called the plague. Breno also had a long disagreement with a town called Miglieglia over land. This dispute finally ended in 1890.

Churches and Community Life

The local church area, or parish, was set up in 1592. It was first known as the Fescoggia parish. The main church, called S. Lorenzo, was first built in 1233. It was rebuilt in 1596 and made even bigger in 1852.

The people of Breno used to make their living from farming and raising animals. They would take their animals to high mountain pastures, called Alps. One of these, Alp Rettaiola, was lost in 1752. This happened after a 100-year argument with a part of Italy called Valle Veddasca.

Many farmers in the upper Malcantone Valley owned land in two different places. They had land in the valley and also in lower, hilly areas. Before winter, they would move their animals to the warmer hills. This moving of animals with the seasons is called seasonal migration. It was very common from the 1500s to the early 1800s.

Changes Over Time

Between the 1500s and 1800s, there wasn't enough land or resources for everyone in Breno. Because of this, many people left to find work as construction workers.

Even though many people left, the community in Breno was very strong. People who had moved away and become successful often sent money back. This helped the village build important places in the 1800s. One key example is the drawing school, built in 1883.

By the end of the 1900s, many people living in Breno traveled to Lugano for their jobs.

How Many People Lived in Breno?

This table shows how the number of people living in Breno changed over many years: