Claro Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Claro Parish, Ticino, Switzerland, ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, parish census, civil census, family history, area history, and military records.



Geography
As of 1997, Camorino has an area of 8.28 square kilometers (3.20 sq mi). The village includes several major roads and rail lines leading into Bellinzona.

The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 23.3% - agricultural purposes
 * 67.0% - forested
 * 12.7% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 0.6% - rivers or lakes
 * 1.8% - unproductive land

On 2 April 2017, these former neighboring municipalities merged into Bellinzona:
 * Camorino
 * Claro
 * Giubiasco
 * Gnosca
 * Gorduno
 * Gudo
 * Moleno
 * Monte Carasso
 * Pianezzo
 * Preonzo
 * Sant'Antonio
 * Sementina

History
The first mention of Bellinzona was in 1218 as Bilizone.

The population history of Camorino is: 1591 - 400 inhabitants 1698 - 211 inhabitants 1784 - 300 inhabitants 1850 - 321 inhabitants 1880 - 483 inhabitants 1900 - 405 inhabitants 1950 - 702 inhabitants 2000 - 2210 inhabitants

Camorino is first mentioned in 1237 in documents relating to goods and various buildings belonging to the chapter of San Pietro in Bellinzona. A church is mentioned in the village in 1237 and 1285, but no visible traces have been found. The existing parish church of San Martino was built in 1553, but was completely renovated in 1888. In 1583, the village church separated ecclesiastically from the Bellinzona parish and was confirmed as a separate parish in 1591.

Census
(See here for information regarding Ticino census records.)

The 1808 Ticino census for Claro can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Claro prior to 1875, along with any known soprannomi. For more information about soprannomi, click here.

Related sources
The town's website (in Italian) can be found here.

Libraries and archives
State Archives of Ticino

Societies
Società Genealogica della Svizzera Italiana (SGSI)