Osco Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Osco 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, Osco has an area of 11.9 square kilometers (4.6 sq mi). The municipality is situated in the Leventina district, at an elevation of 1,157 m (3,796 ft) on the left side of the Leventina valley. It is located on a terrace above the Monte Piottino canyon. It includes the village of Osco which is made up of the sections of Vigera, Brusgnano and Freggio.

The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 4.8% - agricultural purposes
 * 53.5% - forested
 * 2.6% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 2.0% - rivers or lakes
 * 21.8% - unproductive land

On 1 April 2012, Osco was incorporated into the municipality of Faido along with the following municipalities:
 * Anzonico
 * Calpiogna
 * Campello
 * Cavagnago
 * Chironico
 * Mairengo

History
The first mention of Osco was in 1171 as Hoscho. In 1237, it was listed as Osco.

The population history of Osco is: 1237 - 59 hearths 1567 - 78 hearths 1745 - 366 inhabitants 1850 - 452 inhabitants 1900 - 285 inhabitants 1950 - 188 inhabitants 2000 - 168 inhabitants 2010 - 127 inhabitants 2011 - 127 inhabitants

Osco formed one of the three degagne of the Faido neighborhood and therefore took part in the organization of transport, as shown by the statutes of 1237. The church of San Maurizio, listed in 1171, was probably rebuilt in 1673, depended on the parish church of San Siro in Mairengo until it was replaced in 1602. After that, Osco became an independent parish.

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

The 1808 Ticino census for Osco can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Osco 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)