Contra Parish, Ticino, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Contra 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, Tenero-Contra has an area of 3.69 square kilometers (1.42 sq mi).

The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 27.4% - agricultural purposes
 * 45.5% - forested
 * 36.0% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 1.9% - rivers or lakes
 * 1.9% - unproductive land

History
The first mention of Comano was in 1159 as Cumano.

The population history of Comano is: 1643 - 595 inhabitants 1670 - 323 inhabitants 1808 - 246 inhabitants 1850 - 334 inhabitants 1900 - 405 inhabitants 1910 - 458 inhabitants 1950 - 441 inhabitants 2000 - 1594 inhabitants

In the Middle Ages, the monastery of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro in Pavia possessed at Comano, mentioned as early as 726, with meadows, fields and vineyards, The cathedral chapter of Como owned vineyards and woodlots (1297-1299, 1335) and the hospital of Saint Mary of Lugano (1421) also had land. The Church of St. Mary of the Purification was mentioned as early as 1359. Comano Parish from 1468, included Savosa (until 1576), Cureglia (1594), Canobbio (1643), Porza (1647), Vezia (1571-1653).

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

The 1808 Ticino census for Contra can be accessed here.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Contra 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)