Sorengo Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Sorengo 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 municipality of Sorengo is in the Lugano district and the Ticino canton. It is located on a hill between the Lake Muzzano and Lake Lugano. The Sorengo municipality includes the hamlets of Cremignone and Cortivallo and the village of Sorengo. Sorengo had an area (as of 1997) of 0.85 km² (0.33 square miles). The land use was divided up as follows:
 * 65.9% - agricultural purposes
 * 15.3% - forested
 * 58.8% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 2.4% - unproductive land

History
In 1189, Sorengo was first mentioned with the name of Sourengo. In 1298, the first mention of Sorengo as an independent municipality. Sorengo is in the Lugano district and the Ticino canton.

The population history of Sorengo is: 1748 - 163 inhabitants 1791 - 156 inhabitants 1850 - 179 inhabitants 1860 - 201 inhabitants 1870 - 213 inhabitants 1880 - 208 inhabitants 1890 - 252 inhabitants 1900 - 337 inhabitants 1910 - 469 inhabitants 1920 - 383 inhabitants 1930 - 514 inhabitants 1941 - 509 inhabitants 1950 - 591 inhabitants 1960 - 898 inhabitants 1970 - 1,355 inhabitants 1980 - 1,292 inhabitants 1990 - 1,683 inhabitants 2000 - 1,557 inhabitants

Per the 2000 census:
 * 76.0% were Roman Catholic
 * 7.1% were Swiss Reformed Church
 * 12.0% belong to another church

In 1776, Sorengo separated from the parish of Lugano to create its own parish. During the 11th century, the parish church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption was established but wasn't mentioned until 1298. It was modified in 1566 and then rebuilt multiple times over the years. It was renovated in 1975 and 1980. In 1565, the Capuchin monastery was founded. It was relocated to Lugano in 1653 and adopted the name of Holy Trinity convent.

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

The 1808 Ticino census for Sorengo can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Sorengo 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)