Rancate Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Rancate 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 Rancate is in the Mendrisio district and the Ticino canton. It extends from the Sant'Agata hill and the Laveggio plain.

History
In 1190, Rancate was first mentioned with the name of Rancade. Rancate is in the Mendrisio district and the Ticino canton. The hamlets of Penate and Cantone were included with Rancate. Rancate merged into the municipality of Mendrisio on 5 April 2009. Other former municipalities merged include:
 * Arzo
 * Capolago
 * Genestrerio
 * Mendrisio
 * Tremona

The population history of Rancate is: 1591 - 250 inhabitants 1643 - 292 inhabitants 1702 - 390 inhabitants 1769 - 507 inhabitants 1801 - 463 inhabitants 1850 - 634 inhabitants 1900 - 717 inhabitants 1950 - 753 inhabitants 2000 - 1,353 inhabitants

In 1528, Rancate was separated from the Riva San Vitale pieve and became its own parish. First mentioned in 1466, the Church of Saint-Etienne met the spiritual needs of the village. It was rebuilt and enlarged between 1771 and 1774 and then restored in 2005-2997.

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

The 1808 Ticino census for Rancate can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Rancate 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)