Melano Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Melano 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 Melano is in the Lugano district and the Ticino canton. It is located at the foot of Monte Generoso on the eastern shore of Lake Lugano. Melano (as of 1997) had an area of 4.57 km² (1.76 square miles). The land use was divided up as follows:
 * 4.0% - agricultural purposes
 * 73.9% - forested
 * 16.3% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 5.7% - unproductive land

History
In 799, Melano was first mentioned with the name of Mellani. In 1192, as Melano. Melano is in the Lugano district and the Ticino canton. Melano merged into the municipality of Val Mara on 10 April 2022. Other former municipalities merged include:
 * Maroggia
 * Rovio

The population history of Melano is: 1591 - 100 inhabitants 1702 - 193 inhabitants 1769 - 205 inhabitants 1801 - 351 inhabitants 1850 - 368 inhabitants 1860 - 454 inhabitants 1870 - 508 inhabitants 1880 - 533 inhabitants 1890 - 583 inhabitants 1900 - 584 inhabitants 1910 - 619 inhabitants 1920 - 464 inhabitants 1930 - 472 inhabitants 1941 - 490 inhabitants 1950 - 529 inhabitants 1960 - 661 inhabitants 1970 - 893 inhabitants 1980 - 856 inhabitants 1990 - 907 inhabitants 2000 - 1,102 inhabitants 2010 - 1,306 inhabitants

Per the 2000 census:
 * 82.1% were Roman Catholic
 * 5.0% were Swiss Reformed Church
 * 11.3% belong to another church

Until 1591, Melano belonged to the Riva San Vitale parish church when it became an independent parish. In the 15th century, the Parish Church of Saint-André was built. It was rebuilt in 1846 and restored in 1992. In 1634, the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Castelletto was built. It was restored in 1985.

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

The 1808 Ticino census for Melano can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Melano 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)