Locarno Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Locarno 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
The former municipality of Piazzogna is in the Locarno district and the Ticino canton. It is the capital of that district. It is located in the northeastern part of the Ticino canton and on the northern shore of Lake Maggiore at the southern foot of the Swiss Alps. Italian is the official language of Locarno. Piazzogna (as of 1997) has an area of 19.27 km² (7.44 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 43.5% - agricultural purposes
 * 31.0% - forested
 * 25.5% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 6.5% - rivers & lakes
 * 4.7% - non-productive

History
In 1337, Piazzogna was first mentioned as Piazognia.. Locarno is in the Locarno district and the Ticino canton. Prior to 1704, Piazzogna belonged first to the municipality and parish of Vira. Then it became an independent municipality. In 1803, Piazzogna become an independent political municipality. Piazzogna merged into a new municipality of Gambarogno on 25 April 2010. Other former municipalities merged include:
 * Caviano
 * Contone
 * Gerra (Gambarogno)
 * Indemini
 * Magadino
 * San Nazzaro
 * Sant'Abbondio
 * Vira (Gambarogno)

The population history of Piazzogna is: 1669 - 20 hearths 1808 - 157 inhabitants 1850 - 221 inhabitants 1900 - 152 inhabitants 1950 - 185 inhabitants 1990 - 264 inhabitants 2000 - 362 inhabitants

Per the 2000 census:
 * 77.6% were Roman Catholic
 * 7.7% were Swiss Reformed Church
 * 11.33% belong to another church

During the Middle Ages, the original church of S. Antonio Abate was built. It collapsed in the 17th or 18th centuries. In 1752, a new parish church was built. It was expanded several times in the 19th century.

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

The 1808 Ticino census for Locarno can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Locarno 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)