Mairengo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mairengo
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Mairengo Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Mairengo Location in Canton of Ticino Show map of Canton of Ticino
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Ticino
District	Leventina
Area
• Total	6.65 km2 (2.57 sq mi)
Elevation	920 m (3,020 ft)
Population  (December 2004)
• Total	413
• Density	62.11/km2 (160.85/sq mi)
Postal code	6763
Surrounded by	Blenio, Calpiogna, Dalpe, Faido, Osco

Mairengo was once a municipality in the Leventina district. This area is part of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On April 1, 2012, Mairengo joined the larger municipality of Faido. Several other small towns also became part of Faido at that time.

History of Mairengo

Mairengo was first mentioned in old records in 1201. Back in the Middle Ages, the village was part of a local community called Tarnolgio. This community was also connected to the larger area of Faido. They held important meetings together, sometimes in Mairengo and sometimes in Faido.

The main church in Mairengo, called San Siro, was very important. It was first mentioned in 1171. This church served several nearby towns, including Faido and Osco. In the 1500s, the church was made bigger and improved. It was the most important church in the central Leventina valley. The building was fixed up again in 2001, but you can still see parts of the very old Romanesque church.

For a long time, the people of Mairengo made their living by raising animals. By the end of the 1900s, this way of life had mostly disappeared. However, some farming still happened in the mountains. Today, a big construction project for the new Gotthard Base Tunnel is located near Mairengo.

Geography of Mairengo

Aerial view of the Leventina Valley (1954)

Mairengo covers an area of about 6.65 square kilometers (2.57 square miles). A small part of this land is used for farming. About 40% of the area is covered by forests. Some land has buildings and roads, while a small amount is rivers or lakes. A large portion of the land is unproductive, meaning it's too rocky or has too much vegetation to be used for farming or building.

The village of Mairengo is located in the Leventina district. It sits on a flat area on the left side of the middle Leventina valley. Besides the main village, Mairengo also includes smaller communities. These include the hamlets of Tortengo, Raslina, and Polmengo.

Mairengo's Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Mairengo has a special design. It looks like a checkerboard with silver and red squares. On top of this pattern, there is a black bull's head facing forward. This design is called a blazon.

Population and Languages

Mairengo had a population of 413 people in December 2004. Over the years, the number of people living there has changed. In 2008, about 61.6% of the people living in Mairengo were not Swiss citizens.

Most people in Mairengo speak Italian, which is the main language in the Ticino canton. In 2000, about 78.7% of the population spoke Italian. German was the second most common language, spoken by about 8.1% of the people. A smaller group, about 6.6%, spoke Serbo-Croatian.

The table below shows how the population of Mairengo has changed over time:

Important Heritage Sites

The parish church of S. Siro in Mairengo is a very important historical building. It is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance. This means it's a special place that is protected for its history and culture.

The church was first mentioned in 1170, but it might be even older, possibly from the 1000s. It is one of the oldest churches in the Leventina valley. It was updated in the 1500s, and its church tower was rebuilt in 1574–75. The church has two main sections called naves and a rectangular choir. The front of the church still shows parts of the older building. Inside, you can see a special side altar made in Germany around 1510-1520. The walls also have old murals from 1558 and paintings from the 1600s.

Economy and Work

In 2005, a few people in Mairengo worked in the primary economic sector. This means they worked in farming or forestry. A small number of people worked in the secondary sector, which includes manufacturing or construction. More people worked in the tertiary sector, which includes services like shops or offices.

Many people who lived in Mairengo traveled to other towns for work. In 2000, about 8.7% of working people used public transportation to get to their jobs. A larger number, 57.4%, used a private car to commute.

Religion in Mairengo

According to the 2000 census, most people in Mairengo were Roman Catholic, about 73.5%. A smaller group, about 4.8%, belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Some people belonged to other churches, and a few did not state their religion.

Education in Mairengo

Switzerland is known for its good education system. In Mairengo, many adults between 25 and 64 years old have completed advanced education. This includes either upper secondary education or higher education like university.

In 2009, there were 31 students in Mairengo. The education system in Ticino offers up to three years of kindergarten, and 4 children in Mairengo attended kindergarten. Primary school lasts for five years. In Mairengo, 9 students attended standard primary schools.

After primary school, students go to lower secondary school. This can be a two-year middle school or a four-year program to prepare for university. In Mairengo, 7 students were in middle school, and 6 were in the advanced program.

Upper secondary school prepares students for a trade or for university. Some students attend school while doing an internship or apprenticeship. In Mairengo, 4 students were in vocational programs part-time. One student was in a professional program, which prepares for jobs in fields like engineering or nursing.

In 2000, 28 students from Mairengo went to schools outside the municipality.

See also

In Spanish: Mairengo para niños