Ligornetto Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Ligornetto 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 Ligornetto is in the Mendrisio district and the Ticino canton. It is located near the Italian border. Ligornetto had an area of 2.0 km² (0.77 square miles). The land use was divided up as follows:
 * 58.9% - agricultural purposes
 * 22.3% - forested
 * 35.6% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 1.5% - unproductive land

History
In 789, Ligornetto was first mentioned with the name of Logurno. It was first mentioned as a municipality in 1254. Ligornetto is in the Mendrisio district and the Ticino canton. Ligornetto merged into the municipality of Mendrisio on 14 April 2013. Other former municipalities merged include:
 * Besazio
 * Ligornetto

The population history of Meride is: 1591 - 230 inhabitants 1643 - 320 inhabitants 1801 - 543 inhabitants 1850 - 795 inhabitants 1860 - 759 inhabitants 1870 - 760 inhabitants 1880 - 808 inhabitants 1888 - 812 inhabitants 1900 - 770 inhabitants 1910 - 880 inhabitants 1920 - 847 inhabitants 1930 - 860 inhabitants 1941 - 820 inhabitants 1950 - 855 inhabitants 1960 - 834 inhabitants 1970 - 970 inhabitants 1980 - 1,092 inhabitants 1990 - 1,283 inhabitants 2000 - 1,408 inhabitants 2010 - 1,713 inhabitants 2012 - 1,726 inhabitants

Per the 2000 census:
 * 74.7% were Roman Catholic
 * 7.2% were Swiss Reformed Church
 * 16.7% belong to another church

In 1483, Meride became an independent parish when it separated from the mother church at Riva San Vitale. In 1483, the parish church of San Silvestro was built above the village. In 1578, the current parish church of San Rocco was built. It was expanded in 1770 and then restored in 1969. During the 13th century, the chapel of Saint George was built.

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

The 1808 Ticino census for Ligornetto can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Ligornetto 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)