Mendrisio Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Mendrisio 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.



This maps shows the municipality of Mendrisio after its merger with Salorino.

Geography
The municipality of Mendrisio is in the Mendrisio district and the Ticino canton. It is the capital of the Mendrisio district. It is located at the foot of Monte Generoso. The area of Mendrisio has grown with multiple mergers of other municipalities.
 * 2004 - Salorino was added
 * 2009 - Arzo, Capolago, Genestrerio, Rancate and Tremona were added
 * 2013 - Besazio, Ligornetto and Meride were added

Mendrisio currently has an area of 31.77 km² (12.27 square miles) -- after the 2013 merger. In 1997 (before the mergers), Mendrisio had an area of 11.71 km² (4.52 square miles). The land use (1997) was divided up as follows:
 * 14.9% - agricultural purposes
 * 27.0% - forested
 * 22.1% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 0.3% - rivers & lakes
 * 0.4% - non-productive

History
Mendrisio is in the Mendrisio district and the Ticino canton. Mendrisio has grown through multiple mergers as follows:
 * Municipalities merged on 4 April 2004 include
 * Salorino
 * Municipalities merged on 5 April 2009 include
 * Arzo
 * Capolago
 * Genestrerio
 * Rancate
 * Tremona
 * Municipalities merged on 14 April 2013 include
 * Besazio
 * Ligornetto
 * Meride

The population history of Genestrerio is: 1591 - 160 inhabitants 1643 - 180 inhabitants 1769 - 260 inhabitants 1801 - 272 inhabitants 1850 - 414 inhabitants 1900 - 458 inhabitants 1950 - 394 inhabitants 2000 - 827 inhabitants

In 1578, the parish church of Saint-Antoine-le-Grand was mentioned. The current church from the 17th century was enlarged in the 19th century and then restored in 1992.

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

The 1808 Ticino census for Mendrisio can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Mendrisio 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)