Brè () is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

on the eastern slopes of the mountain of Monte Brè, in the

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

canton of Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts and its capital city is Bellinzo ...

. Politically the village forms part of the Brè-Aldesago quarter of the city of Lugano, although until 1972 Brè-Aldesago was an independent municipality, known simply as Brè until 1953. The village of Brè was first recorded in 1280 as ''de Bre'', and for most of its history has lived by agriculture and livestock. Until 1912, the only access to the village was on foot or by mule, but in that year Brè was reached by a road from Lugano, and the Monte Brè funicular was opened between Lugano and the summit of Monte Brè. Subsequently Brè has become a resort and residential suburb. Brè is accessed by a steep and winding road from Lugano. This first climbs to the village of Aldesago, before crossing the southern slopes of Monte Brè to reach Brè village. Trasporti Pubblici Luganesi (TPL) bus route 12 operates along this road from Lugano city centre to Brè village, with one or two buses per hour. The Monte Brè funicular, which connects the Lugano suburb of

Cassarate Cassarate is a village on the northern shore of Lake Lugano, to the east of the outfall of the Cassarate River, in the Swiss canton of Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the C ...

, itself served by frequent city buses, to the summit of Monte Brè, serves a stop known as Brè Villagio, although this is a walk from the village itself. The funicular runs every half-hour. The Wilhelm Schmid Museum, in the village, is the former residence of Wilhelm Schmid (1892–1971) and today contains a collection of his works. Schmid was the only Swiss painter of the northern

Magical Realism Magical realism, magic realism, or marvelous realism is a style or genre of fiction and art that presents a realistic view of the world while incorporating magical elements, often blurring the lines between speculation and reality. ''Magical rea ...

style. The village is also home to an artistic trail that includes the works of 20 nationally and internationally acclaimed artists. The parish church of Saints Simon and Fedele is first mentioned in 1591, in an account of a visit by Feliciano Ninguarda, then bishop of Como. It is believed, however, to date back to medieval times, and the tower, located in the southeast corner of the basilica, has Romanesque blind arches on its base. The church contains artistic works from different eras, including 17th-century

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

s and 20th-century paintings by Jozeph Birò, a Hungarian painter and one-time resident of the village.

References

External links

*
Brè-Aldesago pages on City of Lugano web site
(in Italian) *
Site of Brè Village
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bre Lugano Villages in Ticino