Brissago (Italian: [brisˈsaːɡo], Swiss Standard German: [brɪˈsaːɡoː] ⓘ) is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland, bordering Italy.

An ax and ceramic pieces from the Neolithic era as well as Roman coins and other finds, discovered in 1846 in Brenscino, indicate that the area was prehistorically settled.

Fragments of a grave stele with inscriptions were built into the (now destroyed) Church of San Pancrazio on Isola Grande.

[3] During the Middle Ages the fortunes of the village were closely tied to those of the parish and court of Cannobio in the county of Stazzona.

After the fragmentation of the county in the 11th-12th Centuries, Brissago was on the outskirts of the areas of influence of Milan and Como.

Its relative isolation allowed to develop into an Imperial community with great autonomy.

[3] The entire municipality was ruled by a Podestà, who was initially appointed by the Visconti family of Milan.

Between 1439 and 1520 the community had to help finance the military spending of Locarno, despite maintaining a certain degree of autonomy under the aegis of Count Rusca.

It became part of the Bailiwick of Locarno, but remained a special judicial district with its own Podestà.

During the Italian Risorgimento it was a refuge and center of weapons smuggling and underground literature for the Lombard refugees.

In 1885, the Baroness Antonietta Saint-Léger acquired the two islands and built a botanical garden and villa on Isola Grande.

[3] In the Middle Ages, the majority of the population worked in agriculture and animal husbandry.

The shoreline and hill dwellers operated some fishing boats and some commerce and trade.

The opening of a spinning mill in 1854, which became two years later a tobacco factory, gradually changed the socio-economic structure of the municipality.

In 1888 a new factory was built, and, in the first decades of the 20th century, industrial activity reached its peak, with more than 600 people, mostly women, employed in tobacco processing.

During this time, the municipality also began to develop into a resort town with many second homes and hotels.

The growth in the 1960s and 1970s led the town to grow up the hillsides and become a contiguous residential area.

It is bordered by the Valmara and Valle di Creda and consists of three mountainous shoreline sections.

It consists of the village of Brissago and the sections of Caccio, Cadogno, Cartogna, Gadero, Incella, Madonna di Ponte, Nevedone, Noveledo, Piazza, Piodina, Porta, Rossorino, Tecetto and the two islands Isola Grande and Sant'Apollinare.

The 13 sections are scattered in the hills on roads leading to Mount Gridone (2,188 m (7,178 ft)).

[7] The age distribution, as of 2009[update], in Brissago is; 107 children or 5.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 130 teenagers or 7.0% are between 10 and 19.

[8] The historical population is given in the following table:[3] The Ruggero Leoncavallo Museum, the churches of Madonna del Ponte and Santuario di S. Maria Addolorata del Sacro Monte and the botanical garden and cult site on Isole di Brissago are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance.

The entire Isole di Brissago is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

[14] In the 2007[update] Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 1,407 registered voters in Brissago, of which 715 or 50.8% voted.

[17] From the 2000 census[update], 1,316 or 71.8% were Roman Catholic, while 260 or 14.2% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.

The wettest month is September during which time Brissago receives an average of 241 mm (9.5 in) of rain.

The driest month of the year is December with an average of 73 mm (2.9 in) of precipitation over 5.6 days.

The professional program lasts three years and prepares a student for a job in engineering, nursing, computer science, business, tourism and similar fields.

The rate of violations of immigration, visa and work permit laws was 6.7 per thousand residents.