Mairengo is a former

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the district of

Leventina The Leventina District is one of the eight districts of the largely Italian-speaking canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The capital of the district is Faido but the largest town is Airolo on the southern flank of the Gotthard Pass. Situated to ...

in the canton of

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

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. On 1 April 2012, it was incorporated into the municipality of

Faido Faido (; ) is the capital of the district of Leventina in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino in southern Switzerland. On 29 January 2006, Faido grew by incorporating the villages of Chiggiogna, Rossura, and Calonico. On 1 April 2012, Faid ...

along with the former municipalities of Anzonico, Calpiogna, Campello, Cavagnago,

Chironico Chironico is a former Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality located in the district of Leventina (district), Leventina in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 1 April 2012, it was incorporated into the municipali ...

and Osco.Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz
published by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 23 May 2012

History

Mairengo is first mentioned in 1201 as ''Mairencho''. During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

the village belonged to the Degagna of Tarnolgio, which was part of the '' Vicinanza'' of

. Their annual meetings took place alternately, twice in Mairengo and once in Faido. The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

of Mairengo also included Faido, Osco, Calpiogna and Campello. The church of San Siro was first mentioned in 1171 and in the 16th century it was expanded and renovated. It was the most important church in the central Levantine. The current building was restored in 2001, but still bears traces of the old romanesque church facade. The local economy was based on livestock, which had virtually disappeared at the end of the 20th century, although the alpine pasture of ''Alp Formazzora'' in the Bedretto valley was still cultivated. The village section of Polmengo is home to a large construction site for the new

Gotthard Base Tunnel The Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT; , , ) is a railway tunnel through the Alps in Switzerland. It opened in June 2016 and full service began the following December. With a route length of , it is the world's longest railway and deepest traffic tunn ...

Geography

Mairengo has an area, , of . Of this area, or 4.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 39.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, or 3.9% is settled (buildings or roads), or 1.1% is either rivers or lakes and or 37.9% is unproductive land. Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 1.7% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.2%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.1% of the area Out of the forested land, 36.2% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 2.9% is used for growing crops and 1.7% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 25.7% is unproductive vegetation and 12.2% is too rocky for vegetation. The municipality is located in the Leventina district, on a terrace on the left side of the mid-Leventina valley. It consists of the village of Mairengo and the

hamlets A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. This is often simply an informal description of a smaller settlement or possibly a subdivision or satellite entity to a larger settlement. Sometimes a hamlet is defined f ...

of Tortengo, Raslina and Polmengo.

Coat of arms

The

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...

of the municipal

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

is ''Chequy Argent and Gules overall a bull's head caboshed Sable.''

Demographics

Mairengo has a population () of . , 61.6% of the population are resident foreign nationals.Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Superweb database - Gemeinde Statistics 1981-2008
accessed 19 June 2010 Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 76.3%. Most of the population () speaks

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

(78.7%), with

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

being second most common ( 8.1%) and

Serbo-Croatian Serbo-Croatian ( / ), also known as Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS), is a South Slavic language and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. It is a pluricentric language with four mutually i ...

being third ( 6.6%).Swiss Federal Statistical Office
accessed 11-November-2010 Of the Swiss national languages (), 22 speak German, 1 person speaks

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

and 214 people speak Italian. The remainder (35 people) speak another language.Popolazione residente, secondo la lingua principale e la religione, nel 2000
accessed 23 November 2010 , the gender distribution of the population was 78.9% male and 21.1% female. The population was made up of 101 Swiss men (17.7% of the population), and 349 (61.2%) non-Swiss men. There were 98 Swiss women (17.2%), and 22 (3.9%) non-Swiss women. In there was 1 birth to non-Swiss citizens, and 1 death of a Swiss citizen. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 1 while the foreign population increased by 1. There was 1 Swiss man who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 2 non-Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country and 2 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was a decrease of 4 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 4 people. This represents a

population growth rate Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to 8.2 billion in 2025. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 70 million annu ...

of 0.0%. The age distribution, , in Mairengo is; 17 children or 3.0% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 31 teenagers or 5.4% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 62 people or 10.9% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 109 people or 19.1% are between 30 and 39, 171 people or 30.0% are between 40 and 49, and 102 people or 17.9% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 48 people or 8.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 17 people or 3.0% are between 70 and 79, there are 13 people or 2.3% who are over 80.01.02.03 Popolazione residente permanente
accessed 23 November 2010 the average number of residents per living room was 0.67 which is more people per room than the cantonal average of 0.6 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 57.4% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a

mortgage A mortgage loan or simply mortgage (), in civil law (legal system), civil law jurisdictions known also as a hypothec loan, is a loan used either by purchasers of real property to raise funds to buy real estate, or by existing property owners t ...

or a

rent-to-own Rent-to-own, also known as rental purchase or rent-to-buy, is a type of legally documented transaction under which tangible property, such as furniture, consumer electronics, motor vehicles, home appliances, engagement rings, and real property, ...

agreement). , there were 94 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.8 persons per household. there were 133 single family homes (or 83.1% of the total) out of a total of 160 inhabited buildings. There were 19 two family buildings (11.9%) and 5 multi-family buildings (3.1%). There were also 3 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose). The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0%. there were 200 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 5 room apartment of which there were 60. There were 10 single room apartments and 60 apartments with five or more rooms. 09.02.02 Abitazioni
accessed 23 November 2010 Of these apartments, a total of 94 apartments (47.0% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 104 apartments (52.0%) were seasonally occupied and 2 apartments (1.0%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.9 new units per 1000 residents. The historical population is given in the following table:

Heritage sites of national significance

The

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

of S. Siro is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance. The church is first mentioned in 1170, but probably dates back to the 11th century. It is one of the oldest churches in the Levantina valley. It was renovated in the 16th century and, later, the church tower was rebuilt in 1574–75. The new church had two

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

s and a rectangular

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

. The facade retains some of the elements of the earlier church. Inside, there is a

side altar A side-altar or bye-altar is an altar that is subordinate to the central or high altar in a church. The term is generally applied to altars situated in bays of the nave, transepts, etc. Side-altars may be recessed in a side-chapel, or simply bu ...

from a German workshop that was built between 1510 and 1520. The walls also feature a

mural A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...

from 1558 by Gerolamo Gorla da Milano and paintings from the 17th century.

Politics

In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the FDP which received 34.41% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the

Ticino League The Ticino League () is a regionalist, national-conservative political party in Switzerland active in the canton of Ticino. The party was founded in 1991 by entrepreneur Giuliano Bignasca and journalist Flavio Maspoli. After some public camp ...

(20.17%), the CVP (15.23%) and the SP (14.81%). In the federal election, a total of 92 votes were cast, and the

voter turnout In political science, voter turnout is the participation rate (often defined as those who cast a ballot) of a given election. This is typically either the percentage of Voter registration, registered voters, Suffrage, eligible voters, or all Voti ...

was 56.1%. In the '' Gran Consiglio'' election, there were a total of 170 registered voters in Mairengo, of which 117 or 68.8% voted. 2 blank ballots were cast, leaving 115 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 42 or 36.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the SSI (with 28 or 24.3%), the PPD+GenGiova (with 14 or 12.2%) and the LEGA (with 13 or 11.3%). Elezioni cantonali: Gran Consiglio, Consiglio di Stato
accessed 23 November 2010 In the ''Consiglio di Stato'' election, 2 null ballots were cast, leaving 115 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 44 or 38.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA (with 18 or 15.7%), the SSI (with 17 or 14.8%) and the PS (with 16 or 13.9%).

Economy

, Mairengo had an unemployment rate of 2.37%. , there were 7 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 2 businesses involved in this sector. 2 people were employed in the

secondary sector In macroeconomics, the secondary sector of the economy is an economic sector in the three-sector theory that describes the role of manufacturing. It encompasses industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in constructi ...

and there was 1 business in this sector. 8 people were employed in the

tertiary sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the ...

, with 5 businesses in this sector. There were 115 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 33.0% of the workforce. , there were 99 workers who commuted away from the municipality.Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Statweb
accessed 24 June 2010 Of the working population, 8.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 57.4% used a private car.

Religion

From the , 200 or 73.5% were

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

, while 13 or 4.8% belonged to the

Swiss Reformed Church The Protestant Church in Switzerland (PCS), formerly named Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches until 31 December 2019, is a federation of 25 member churches – 24 cantonal churches and the Evangelical-Methodist Church of Switzerland. The P ...

. There are 56 individuals (or about 20.59% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 3 individuals (or about 1.10% of the population) did not answer the question.

Education

The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Mairengo about 61.3% of the population (between age 25 and 64) have completed either non-mandatory

upper secondary education Secondary education is the education level following primary education and preceding tertiary education. Level 2 or ''lower secondary education'' (less commonly ''junior secondary education'') is considered the second and final phase of basic e ...

or additional higher education (either university or a ''

Fachhochschule A (; plural ), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a Hochschule, German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied arts, such as engineering, te ...

''). In Mairengo there were a total of 31 students (). The Ticino

education system The educational system generally refers to the structure of all institutions and the opportunities for obtaining education within a country. It includes all pre-school institutions, starting from family education, and/or early childhood education ...

provides up to three years of non-mandatory

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

and in Mairengo there were 4 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 9 students attended the standard primary schools and 0 students attended the special school. In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two-year middle school followed by a two-year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four-year program to prepare for higher education. There were 7 students in the two-year middle school and 0 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 6 students were in the four-year advanced program. The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college. In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student). There were 0 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 4 who attend part-time. The professional program lasts three years and prepares a student for a job in engineering, nursing, computer science, business, tourism and similar fields. There was 1 student in the professional program. Allievi e studenti, secondo il genere di scuola, anno scolastico 2009/2010
accessed 23 November 2010 , there were 28 students from Mairengo who attended schools outside the municipality.

References

{{Authority control Former municipalities of Ticino Cultural property of national significance in Ticino Faido