Gentilino Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Gentilino 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
Gentilino is a village and former municipality located in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland, close to Lake Lugano and the city of Lugano. In 2004, the municipality was merged with two other, neighboring municipalities Agra and Montagnola, to form a new and larger municipality Collina d'Oro. Until the merger, Gentilino included the north side of the Collina d'Oro valley, and the settlement of Viglio.

History
The population history of Agra is: 1591 - 100 inhabitants 1670 - 143 inhabitants 1850 - 164 inhabitants 1900 - 164 inhabitants 1930 - 515 inhabitants 1950 - 389 inhabitants 2000 - 401 inhabitants

The hamlet of Bigogno belonging to Agra (Bigonio)is mentioned in the recognition of the lands that the monastery of Saint-Abonde of Como possessed in the valley of Lugano in 1270. The recognition of the cathedral chapter of Como mentions their land ownership by occupancy and episcopal loans in Agra as well as possessions of the Disentis Abbey in 1298. The same document cites Saint Thomas Church; having first come under the parish of Saint-Pierre de Pambio, it was recognized as a vice-parish in 1591. The chapel of the Assumption of Bigogno was completed in 1609. The neighborhood of Agra and Premona (old name of Barbengo) is mentioned in the statutes of Como in 1335.

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

The 1808 Ticino census for Gentilino can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Gentilino 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)