Cademario Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Cademario 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
As of 1997, Cademario has an area of 3.96 square kilometers (1.53 sq mi). The municipality is situated in the Lugano district, in the upper Malcantone valley. It includes the village of Cademario and the hamlets of Renera and Bogno. Bordering municipalities are Aranno, Bioggio and Iseo, in the Alto Malcantone area.

The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 15.9% - agricultural purposes
 * 78.3% - forested
 * 8.3% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 0.5% - rivers or lakes
 * 2.3% - unproductive land

History
The first mention of Cademario is in 1163 as Cademerio. In 1335, it was mentioned as Cadelmario Superiore to distinguish it from Cadelmario Inferiore, which was Bosco Luganese.

The population history of Cademario is: 1599 - 500 inhabitants 1696 - 370 inhabitants 1801 - 331 inhabitants 1900 - 347 inhabitants 1950 - 422 inhabitants 1990 - 474 inhabitants 2000 - 596 inhabitants

Besides Bosco Luganese, which separated from Cademario in 1783, the primitive municipality also included Bioggio and perhaps Gaggio. Around the year 1000, the bishop of Côme owned property and rights here, which were then ceded, at least in part, to the Comasque monastery of Saint-Abonde, whose abbot owned a house in Cademario. The origin of the St. Ambrose church should date back to an earlier period, since its dedication to the Milanese saint dates back to the High Middle Ages. Over the centuries it underwent profound changes: it was enlarged, raised, provided with new frescoes, instead of facing south-east, it was reoriented to the north. The existing parish, built at the beginning of the 17th century, was enlarged and consecrated again in 1833.

According to records from 1571, Bironico Parish was part of the Agno Pieve. The Pieve was formed from the following parishes: In Swiss territory -

In what is now Italian territory. With the exception of Cremenaga, all these parishes were separated from Agno by 1633.

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

The 1808 Ticino census for Cademario can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Cademario 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)