Minusio Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Minusio 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 Minusio is in the Locarno district and the Ticino canton. It is located east of Locamo on the shores of Lake Maggiore. Minusio municipality includes the village of Minusio and sections of Ceresole, Mappo and Mondacce hamlets. Minusio (as of 2004/2009 survey) had an area of 5.86 km² (2.26 square miles). The land use was divided up as follows:
 * 8.9% - agricultural purposes
 * 55.2% - forested
 * 33.9% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 2.0% - rivers or lakes

History
In 1061, Minusio was first mentioned with the name of Menuxio and in 1200 as Menuxio. Its German name was Maniss. In 1313, Minusio separated from Mergoscia Minusio is in the Locarno district and the Ticino canton.

The population history of Minusio is: 1597 - 410 inhabitants 1683 - 400 inhabitants 1795 - 593 inhabitants 1850 - 894 inhabitants 1900 - 1,162 inhabitants 1950 - 2,771 inhabitants 1960 - 3,663 inhabitants 1990 - 5,968 inhabitants 2000 - 6,428 inhabitants

Per the 2000 census:
 * 67.6% were Roman Catholic
 * 12.7% were Swiss Reformed Church
 * 14.0% belong to another church

In 1798, Minusio became an independent parish and a provost in 1949. At the end of the 15th century, the parish church of Saint-Roch was built. It was then completely rebuilt between 1795 to 1801. In 1313, the Church of Saint Cyr in Rivapiana was first mentioned. An extention was added during the 19th century. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Sainte-Marie-des-Grâces church was erected. In the 18th century, the Holy Cross Chapel was built. In 1630, the oratory of the Virgin of the Seven Sorrows was built.

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

The 1808 Ticino census for Minusio can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Minusio 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)