Castaneda Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Castaneda Parish, Graubünden, 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 Castaneda is in the Moesa Region and in the Graubünden canton. Before 2017, the municipality was situated in the Calanca sub-district of the Moesa district, after 2017 it was part of the Moesa Region. Located at the entrance to the Val Calanca, it is located on a terrace that is part of the Misox valley. Castaneda (as of 2006) had an area of 3.9 km2 (1.5 sq mi). The land use was divided up as follows:
 * 3.8% - agricultural purposes
 * 76.6% - forested
 * 4.1% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 15.5% - unproductive land

History
In 1295, Castaneda was first mentioned. In 1851, Castaneda became an independent municipality. The Cama municipality is in the Graubünden canton.

The population history of Castaneda is: 1808 - 129 inhabitants 1850 - 188 inhabitants 1860 - 232 inhabitants 1900 - 178 inhabitants 1950 - 182 inhabitants 1960 - 151 inhabitants 1970 - 161 inhabitants 1980 - 198 inhabitants 1990 - 193 inhabitants 2000 - 221 inhabitants 2020 - 278 inhabitants

The church of San Salvatore, or later Santo Stefano, recorded in 1544, was baroque-style around 1633 and refurbished in 1932-1933. It was initially a branch church of Santa Maria in Calanca, then from 1848, it became a parish church.

Church Records
Original church records are held in the local municipal archive or civil registration office. Microfilm copies are available at the Graubünden State Archives.

Digital images of some church records are available on FamilySearch. These records have a restriction for use only at a family history center near you.

Catholic
Initially a chapel within the parish of Santa Maria in Calanca, it became an independent parish in 1848. Earlier records are found in Santa Maria. Church records begin in 1851. The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1851-1875

The following volumes are only available on microfilm at the Graubünden State Archives:
 * Family register 1776-1800

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

The following censuses are available from FamilySearch for Castaneda:
 * 1835
 * 1838
 * 1848
 * 1850
 * 1850, form C

Civil Registration
Civil registration began in 1876.

Duplicate civil registration registers are located at the Graubünden State Archives. The following records are available:
 * Both A and B registers are available through 1916-1917 and are open without restriction.
 * Family registers are available from at latest 1860 through 1910; these records are viewable but require permission to access. For more information, contact the State Archive.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Castaneda prior to 1875:

Related sources
The town's website (in Italian) can be found here.

Libraries and archives
State Archives of Graubünden

Societies
Rätische Vereinigung für Familienforschung (RVFF)

Società Genealogica della Svizzera italiana (SGSI)