Carona Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Carona 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 municipality of Carona is in the Lugano district and the Ticino canton. It is located near Lake Lugano and is between the San Salvatore and Arbostora mountains. The village of Carona and the Ciona and Torello hamlets are included in this municipality. Carona has an area of 4.8 km² (1.9 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 9.7% - agricultural purposes
 * 84.6% - forested
 * 12.0% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 1.3% - non-productive

History
In 926, Carona was first mentioned with the name of Calauna. In 1213, the Ciona hamlet was mentioned. Carona is in the Lugano district and the Ticino canton. Carona merged into the Lugano municipality on 14 April 2013. Other municipalities merged include:
 * Bogno
 * Cadro
 * Certara
 * Cimadera
 * Sonvico
 * Vacallo

The population history of Carona is: 1597 - 700 inhabitants 1696 - 557 inhabitants<br 1801 - 430 inhabitants 1850 - 421 inhabitants 1900 - 367 inhabitants 1950 - 285 inhabitants 2000 - 681 inhabitants

Per the 2000 census:
 * 59.0% were Roman Catholic
 * 12.2% were Swiss Reformed Church
 * 23.6% belong to another church

During the Middle Ages, the Romanesque Church of Santa Maria was built in Torello hamlet. After 1349, the community of Augustinians Canons from the nearby monastery supported the church. In 1425, the church of San Giorgio was first mentioned. In the 14th century, Sainte-Marthe church was built (previously known as the Church of Saints-Pierre-et-Paul). In 1624, the church of Madonna of Ongero was built.

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

The 1808 Ticino census for Carona can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Carona 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)