Miglieglia Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Miglieglia 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, Miglieglia has an area of 5.13 square kilometers (1.98 sq mi). The municipality is situated in the Lugano district, on a terrace in the upper Malcantone valley at the foot of Monte Lema. It includes the village of Miglieglia and the abandoned village of Tortoglio (first mentioned in 1335 as Tortolio), which was abandoned in the 16th Century after an epidemic. The division of Tortoglio's land led to a long-running fight with Breno that was not settled until 1890.

The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 3.9% - agricultural purposes
 * 76.2% - forested
 * 2.1% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 0.4% - rivers or lakes
 * 9.9% - unproductive land

History
The first mention of Miglieglia is in 1214 as Mullielia.

The population history of Miglieglia is: 1591 - 257 inhabitants 1850 - 314 inhabitants 1900 - 289 inhabitants 1950 - 222 inhabitants 1980 - 184 inhabitants 2000 - 215 inhabitants

In the late Middle Ages, Miglieglia was part of the neighborhood of Santa Maria Giovena with Iseo, Cimo and Aranno. The village, destroyed by fire in 1478, is dominated by the Romanesque church of Saint-Etienne, expanded during the Gothic period. Its bell tower is probably the oldest part of the building; the choir houses frescoes dating from 1511. Miglieglia separated from Agno to form its own parish in 1621. The current parish church (17th century) is in the center of the village, also dedicated to Saint Etienne.

According to records from 1571, Miglieglia 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 Miglieglia can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Miglieglia prior to 1900, 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)