Brione sopra Minusio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brione sopra Minusio
Coat of arms
Brione sopra Minusio Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Brione sopra Minusio Location in Canton of Ticino Show map of Canton of Ticino
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Ticino
District	Locarno
Area
• Total	3.82 km2 (1.47 sq mi)
Elevation	486 m (1,594 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	480
• Density	125.7/km2 (325/sq mi)
Postal code	6645
Surrounded by	Avegno, Mergoscia, Minusio, Tenero-Contra

Brione sopra Minusio is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the Locarno district of Switzerland. It's found in the Ticino canton, which is like a state or region in Switzerland. This charming place is known for its beautiful views and peaceful atmosphere.

History of Brione sopra Minusio

Brione sopra Minusio was first mentioned in official records in the year 1313. Back then, it was known as Briono.

For a long time, Brione and Minusio were part of a larger community called a Vicinanza. This was a group of villages that shared common land and resources. Until 1313, Mergoscia was also part of this group.

Between 1479 and 1577, Brione started to become its own independent town. However, it continued to share some property with other communities until 1952. This sometimes led to disagreements between the towns.

The local church, S. Maria Lauretana, was built in 1558–59. It was later rebuilt in the late 1800s. For many years, until 1662, the church belonged to S. Vittore in Locarno. It later got its own priest in 1662 and a parish vicar in 1777.

An aerial view of Brione sopra Minusio in 1953.

In the past, people in Brione sopra Minusio mainly worked in farming. They grew wine, fruit, grains, and hemp. They also raised animals. They even had rights to graze their animals in the Magadino valley. Because there wasn't much land for farming, many people had to leave the town to find work. By 1990, most people worked in the services sector, especially in tourism. Today, Brione sopra Minusio has many places for tourists and second homes. About 35% of the people living there don't speak Italian as their first language.

Brione sopra Minusio's Coat of Arms

A coat of arms is like a special symbol or logo for a town or family. The coat of arms for Brione sopra Minusio has a blue background. At the bottom, there's a green hill with five small peaks. On top of the hill, there's a silver donkey walking. At the top of the shield, there are three gold stars with five points each.

Geography of Brione sopra Minusio

Brione sopra Minusio covers an area of about 3.84 square kilometers (about 1.48 square miles).

• About 8.6% of the land is used for farming.
• A large part, about 69%, is covered by forests.
• About 8.9% of the land has buildings or roads.
• A small amount, 0.5%, is rivers or lakes.
• The remaining 9.4% is land that isn't used for farming or buildings, like rocky areas or wild plants.

Most of the built-up area is made up of houses and other buildings (6.8%). Roads and other transport areas make up 1.3%. The forests are very dense, covering 56.3% of the total land. Some areas also have small groups of trees or orchards (5.7%). For farming, 1.3% is used for crops, and 6.8% is for mountain pastures where animals graze. All the water in the town is flowing water, like streams. About 9.1% of the unproductive land is covered with wild plants.

The town is located in the Locarno district. It's about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) northeast of the city of Locarno.

People of Brione sopra Minusio (Demographics)

As of 2022, Brione sopra Minusio has a population of 536 people. In 2008, about 19.3% of the people living there were foreign nationals. Over ten years, from 1997 to 2007, the population grew by 11.4%.

Most people in Brione sopra Minusio speak Italian (61%). The second most common language is German (33.1%), and Portuguese is third (2.5%).

In 2008, there were slightly more women (51.9%) than men (48.1%). The population included Swiss men, non-Swiss men, Swiss women, and non-Swiss women.

The population changes each year due to births, deaths, and people moving in or out. In 2008, the number of Swiss citizens increased slightly, and the number of foreign residents also increased. This led to an overall population growth of 2.6% that year.

Looking at the age groups in 2009:

• Children (0-9 years old): 6.0%
• Teenagers (10-19 years old): 7.8%
• Young adults (20-29 years old): 7.5%
• Adults (30-39 years old): 6.6%
• Adults (40-49 years old): 17.2%
• Adults (50-59 years old): 16.2%
• Seniors (60-69 years old): 17.2%
• Seniors (70-79 years old): 13.3%
• Seniors (over 80 years old): 8.2%

In 2000, there were 241 households in the town, with an average of 1.9 people per household. Most of the buildings were single-family homes (80.8%). There were also some two-family buildings and multi-family buildings.

The town had 612 apartments in 2000. Many of these apartments (59.6%) were used seasonally, meaning people lived in them only part of the year, often as vacation homes. About 39.2% were lived in all year round.

Here's how the population of Brione sopra Minusio has changed over time:

Economy of Brione sopra Minusio

In 2007, the unemployment rate in Brione sopra Minusio was 3.36%. This means a small percentage of people who wanted to work couldn't find a job.

In 2005, people worked in different types of jobs:

• Primary sector: 11 people worked in jobs related to natural resources, like farming or forestry. There were 3 businesses in this area.
• Secondary sector: 4 people worked in manufacturing or construction. There were 2 businesses in this area.
• Tertiary sector: 55 people worked in services, like tourism, shops, or offices. There were 17 businesses in this area.

Overall, 211 residents of the town were employed. About 42.7% of these workers were women.

In 2000, many people who lived in Brione sopra Minusio traveled to other towns for work (147 workers). Fewer people traveled into Brione sopra Minusio for work (44 workers). This means more people leave the town for work than come into it. About 18.2% of the people who came to work in Brione sopra Minusio were from outside Switzerland. Most workers (63.5%) used a private car to get to work, while 5.2% used public transportation.

As of 2009, there was one hotel in Brione sopra Minusio, showing its connection to tourism.

Religion in Brione sopra Minusio

According to the 2000 census:

• About 65.9% of the people were Roman Catholic.
• About 19.0% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (a Protestant church).
• About 11.57% belonged to other churches not listed in the census.
• About 3.51% of the population did not answer the question about their religion.

Education in Brione sopra Minusio

Switzerland is known for its good education system. In Brione sopra Minusio, about 75.2% of adults aged 25–64 have completed either advanced high school education or gone on to higher education, like university.

In 2009, there were 66 students in Brione sopra Minusio. The Ticino education system offers up to three years of optional kindergarten. In Brione sopra Minusio, 5 children were in kindergarten.

The primary school program lasts for five years. In the town, 22 students attended regular primary schools, and 1 student attended a special primary school.

After primary school, students go to lower secondary school. They can choose between:

• A two-year middle school program. 12 students were in this program.
• A four-year program that prepares them for higher education. 11 students were in this program.

Upper secondary school offers different paths. Students can prepare for a trade or for university.

• Some students attend vocational schools while doing an internship or apprenticeship. 8 students were full-time vocational students, and 5 were part-time.
• There were also 2 students in a professional program, which prepares them for jobs in fields like engineering or nursing.

In 2000, 9 students came to Brione sopra Minusio from other towns for school. However, 47 students from Brione sopra Minusio went to schools outside the town.

See also

In Spanish: Brione sopra Minusio para niños