Vernate Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Vernate 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, Vernate has an area of 1.51 square kilometers (0.58 sq mi). It is in the district of Lugano, situated in lower Malcantone, on a terrace on the eastern slope of Mount Santa Maria.

The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 15.2% - agricultural purposes
 * 82.8% - forested
 * 12.6% - settled (buildings or roads)

History
The first mention of Vernate was in 1335 as Vernate.

The population history of Vernate is: 1719 - 20 inhabitants 1791 - 121 inhabitants 1850 - 191 inhabitants 1900 - 190 inhabitants 1950 - 205 inhabitants 2000 - 363 inhabitants

The bishop of Como owned property and rights in Vernate, some of which were acquired in 1192 by the chapter of Agno. The village was part of the pieve of Agno under the domination of the Dukes of Milan and the Confederates. Until 1788, it belonged to the parish of Santa Maria Giovena d'Iseo, whose church was situated in the current territory of Vernate. The parish church of Saints Sebastian and Roch, in Baroque style, was built in the second half of the 18th century, probably including an older building, recognized from 1599.

According to records from 1571, Vernate Parish was part of the Agno Pieve. The Pieve was formed from the following parishes: In Swiss territory -

In what is now Italian territory. With the exception of Cremenaga, all these parishes were separated from Agno by 1633.

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

The 1808 Ticino census for Vernate can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Vernate 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)