Arvigo Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Arvigo 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 former municipality of Arvigo is in the Calanca sub-district of the Moesa district and the Graubünden canton. It includes the village of Arvigo and the hamlets of Landarenca. It is located in the narrow Calanca Valley (south part of the canton). Many places can only be reached on foot or with an aerial cable.

Arvigo (prior to 2015) has an area of 17.0 km² (6.6 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 11.9% - agricultural purposes
 * 53.4% - forested
 * 1.5% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 33.1% - non-productive

History
In 1453, Arvigo was first mentioned by the name of Arvicho. Arvigo is in the Moesa district and the Graubünden canton.

Since 1980, Arvigo includes the hamlets of Landarenca. Arvigo merged into the Calanca municipality on 1 January 2015. Other municipalities merged include:
 * Braggio
 * Cauco
 * Selma

The population history of Arvigo is: 1691 - 400 inhabitants 1733 - 352 inhabitants 1850 - 110 inhabitants 1900 - 226 inhabitants 1950 - 152 inhabitants 1960 - 131 inhabitants 1970 - 150 inhabitants 1980 - 112 inhabitants 1990 - 115 inhabitants 2000 - 92 inhabitants 2010 - 97 inhabitants 2013 - 87 inhabitants

In 1453, the parish church of Saint-Laurent was mentioned. It was restored in the 17th and the 19th centuries. In 1590, a chapel was built in Arvigo. In 1611, Arvigo became a parish. In the 17th century, the Chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Douleurs was mentioned. In 1710, the Chapel of Saint-Jean-Népomucène was mentioned.

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 FamilySearch center near you.

Catholic
Church records begin in 1678. The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1678-1817; Status animarum 1683, 1732

The following volumes are only available on microfilm at the Graubünden State Archives:
 * Baptisms, confirmations 1838-1902; marriages, burials 1838-1875

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

The following censuses are available from FamilySearch for Arvigo:
 * 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 Arvigo 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)