Rivera Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Rivera 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, Rivera has an area of 13.35 square kilometers (5.15 sq mi). The village is located in the upper Vedeggio valley, in the Lugano district, along the old main road. It includes the village of Rivera and the hamlets of Soresina, Sorencino and Capidogno.

The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 7.1% - agricultural purposes
 * 76.2% - forested
 * 10.3% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 0.6% - rivers or lakes
 * 5.3% - unproductive land

The following municipalities merged on 21 November 2010 into the new municipality of Monteceneri:
 * Bironico
 * Camignolo
 * Medeglia
 * Rivera
 * Sigirino

History
The first mention of Rivera is in 1296 as Sorenzino. In 1348, it is mentioned as Rivera.

The population history of Rivera is: 1769 - 320 inhabitants 1801 - 316 inhabitants 1850 - 400 inhabitants 1880 - 755 inhabitants 1900 - 524 inhabitants 1950 - 879 inhabitants 2000 - 1415 inhabitants

It is assumed that around the year one thousand, Bironico was the civil and religious center of Carvina, a community that included the localities of the middle and upper valley of the Vedeggio, which were part of the former parish of Bironico:
 * Camignolo
 * Isone
 * Medeglia
 * Mezzovico-Vira
 * Rivera
 * Robasacco
 * Sigirino

During the High Middle Ages, Bironico was first dependent on the diocese and then on the city of Como for spiritual needs. In the 13th century, the cathedral chapter of Como owned property in Sorencino, which is mentioned as a municipality in 1296. Rivera belonged to the parish of Bironico, from which it broke away in 1754. Between 1779 and 1793, the parish church of the Holy Spirit was rebuilt.

According to records from 1571, Bironico 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 Rivera can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Rivera 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)