Riva San Vitale is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in the

canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ente ...

Ticino Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

, located in the district of

Mendrisio Mendrisio (; lmo, label= Ticinese, Mendris ) is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. Mendrisio is the seat of the Accademia di Architettura of the university of Italian-speaking Switzerland (U ...

History

Riva San Vitale is first mentioned in 774 as ''Primo Sobenno''. In 1115 it was mentioned as ''Ripa Sancti Vitalis''. The area around Riva San Vitale has probably been settled since the

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...

. Due to the number of

Roman era In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

finds, it appears that there was a significant Roman settlement. A

stele A stele ( ),Anglicized plural steles ( ); Greek plural stelai ( ), from Greek language, Greek , ''stēlē''. The Greek plural is written , ''stēlai'', but this is only rarely encountered in English. or occasionally stela (plural ''stelas'' or ...

from some time before the 3rd century AD mentions that it was made for the inhabitants of ''

vicus In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (plural ) designated a village within a rural area () or the neighbourhood of a larger settlement. During the Republican era, the four of the city of Rome were subdivided into . In the 1st century BC, Augustus ...

subinates''. In 1115, the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

abbey of S. Abbondio in

Como Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label= Comasco , or ; lat, Novum Comum; rm, Com; french: Côme) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Its proximity to Lake Como and to the Alps ...

owned property in Riva San Vitale. During the ten-year war between Como and

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

(1118–27) its port was an important base for the Comasker ships. Riva San Vitale was mentioned in the Charter of Como from 1335 as a ''

burgus A ''burgus'' (Latin, plural ''burgi '') or ''turris'' ("tower") is a small, tower-like fort of the Late Antiquity, which was sometimes protected by an outwork and surrounding ditches. Darvill defines it as "a small fortified position or w ...

''. In the

Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Ren ...

, it lost its leading position in trade to

Capolago Capolago is a village situated at the south-eastern extremity of Lake Lugano, in the Swiss canton of Ticino. Originally a municipality in its own right, Capolago is now a quarter of the municipality of Mendrisio, itself part of the district o ...

, but still enjoyed far-reaching privileges and tax exemption. In the 15th century it was a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

for a short time. The Parish Church of St. Vitale is first mentioned in 962–966. However, the church likely dates back to the

Christianization Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...

of the southern foothills of the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

. It was rebuilt in the late

Baroque style The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires includin ...

in 1756-59 and renovated in 1993–95. The

Baptistery In Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned structure surrounding the baptism ...

of San Giovanni is built on the foundations of a Roman building and is from the early Christian era (c. 500 AD). It was renovated in 1919-26 and again in 1953-55 and is the oldest fully preserved churches in Switzerland. The church of S. Croce was endowed by the Della Croce family and was built in 1582–91. It is one of the most important religious buildings of the late

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

in Switzerland. Agriculture, fisheries and brick works were once the main sources of income. In 1869 a

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from th ...

weaving plant opened in Segoma, which employed about 100 workers in 1889. In the second half of the 20th century, Riva San Vitale saw an industrial boom that was accompanied by an increase in population. In 2000, approximately three-quarters of workers in the municipality were commuters, especially going to

Lugano Lugano (, , ; lmo, label= Ticinese, Lugan ) is a city and municipality in Switzerland, part of the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino. It is the largest city of both Ticino and the Italian-speaking southern Switzerland. Lugano has a populat ...

and

Chiasso Chiasso (; lmo, Ciass ) is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. As the southernmost of Switzerland's municipalities, Chiasso is on the border with Italy, in front of Ponte Chiasso (a frazione of Co ...

. In 2005, the manufacturing sector provided 45% and the services sector 52% of all jobs. The Collegio Baragiola building was used as a secondary school from 1855 until 1925. In 1926, the Istituto Canisio, a special school for the disabled, opened in the building. In 1910, the

Mendrisio electric tramway The Mendrisio electric tramway ( it, Tram Elettrici Mendrisiensi, TEM) was a metre gauge electric tramway in the Swiss canton of Ticino. It linked the town of Chiasso with Riva San Vitale, via Balerna, Mendrisio and Capolago. It was operated by ...

opened, linking a northern terminus in Riva San Vitale with Capolago, Mendrisio,

Balerna Balerna is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. History Balerna is first mentioned in 1115 as ''Barerna''. In 844 and 865, the monastery of S. Ambrogio in Milan purchased land in the ''concilium'' o ...

and

. The section of the line in Riva San Vitale closed in 1948 and was replaced by a bus service.

The Pieve of Riva San Vitale

Riva San Vitale was one of the oldest centers of the

diocese of Como The Diocese of Como ( la, Dioecesis Comensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in northern Italy. It was established in the Fourth Century. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of ...

, to which it belonged until 1884/88. From here, Christianity spread into the Ticino. Together with the Pieves of Balerna and Uggiate (Como) in the 12th century, the parish formed a consortium. A canon priest is first mentioned in 1190, when Lafrancus de Mellano (died 1254) is called to that position. The number of resident and non-resident canons, is difficult to determine. In 1190 and 1321 two are mentioned. In 1786,

Pope Pius VI Pope Pius VI ( it, Pio VI; born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to his death in August 1799. Pius VI condemned the French Revoluti ...

dissolved the college of canons. Originally the Pieve included Rovio, Bissone, Meriden, Tremona, Brusino, Arsizio, Rancate, Arzo, Besazio, Melano, Arogno, Maroggia and Saltrio (Varese). The Pieve was also a secular administrative unit which, in contrast to the church, included Capolago after 1416, but not Saltrio. In 1170 it was part of the county of Seprio, and in the 13th century it was under the city of Como. At the beginning of the 15th century it formed, together with the Pieves of Agno, Balerna and Capriasca, the Lugano Valley Community. In 1517, under

Swiss Confederation ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

rule, it became part of the

bailiwick A bailiwick () is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and once also applied to territories in which a privately appointed bailiff exercised the sheriff's functions under a royal or imperial writ. The bailiwick is probably modelled on th ...

. The Pieve of Riva San Vitale was represented both at the General Conference of the valley (which had power over financial and tax matters as well the salt supply), and in the ''Landschaftsrat'', the valley's administrative body. After the failed attempt on 15 February 1798 for the bailiwick of Lugano to join the

Cisalpine Republic The Cisalpine Republic ( it, Repubblica Cisalpina) was a sister republic of France in Northern Italy that existed from 1797 to 1799, with a second version until 1802. Creation After the Battle of Lodi in May 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte organiz ...

, the Pieve formed the Republic of Riva San Vitale. The Republic only existed a few weeks, from 23 February until 16 March 1798. In 1803 the Pieve of Riva San Vitale was added to the district of Lugano and divided into two sections, Ceresio and Riva San Vitale. In 1814 they became part of the district of Mendrisio.

Geography

Riva San Vitale has an area, , of . Of this area, or 19.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 73.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, or 14.7% is settled (buildings or roads), or 1.3% is either rivers or lakes and or 0.5% is unproductive land. Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 2.3% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 9.7% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.7%. Out of the forested land, 71.2% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.0% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 5.9% is used for growing crops, while 4.0% is used for orchards or vine crops and 9.7% is used for alpine pastures. Of the water in the municipality, 0.7% is in lakes and 0.7% is in rivers and streams. The municipality is located in the Mendrisio district, on the southern end of

Lake Lugano __NOTOC__ Lake Lugano ( it, Lago di Lugano or , from la, Ceresius lacus; lmo, Lagh de Lugan) is a glacial lake which is situated on the border between southern Switzerland and northern Italy. The lake, named after the city of Lugano, is situated ...

and at the foot of Monte San Giorgio. It consists of the village of Riva San Vitale and the

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

of Poiana.

Coat of arms

The

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The ...

of the municipal

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

is ''Gules an arm issuant from dexter armoured argent embowed holding a sword hilted and pommed or.''

Demographics

Riva San Vitale has a population () of . , 16.4% of the population are resident foreign nationals.Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Superweb database - Gemeinde Statistics 1981-2008
accessed 19 June 2010 Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 10.4%.
accessed 3 February 2011 Most of the population () speaks

Italian language Italian (''italiano'' or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. Together with Sardinian, Italian is the least divergent language from Latin. Spoken by about 8 ...

(2,089 or 91.1%), with

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

being second most common (117 or 5.1%) and

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

being third (24 or 1.0%). There is 1 person who speaks Romansh. , the gender distribution of the population was 48.9% male and 51.1% female. The population was made up of 1,008 Swiss men (40.5% of the population), and 210 (8.4%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,082 Swiss women (43.5%), and 190 (7.6%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality 890 or about 38.8% were born in Riva San Vitale and lived there in 2000. There were 648 or 28.3% who were born in the same canton, while 199 or 8.7% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 491 or 21.4% were born outside of Switzerland. In there were 20 live births to Swiss citizens and 3 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 17 deaths of Swiss citizens and 2 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 3 while the foreign population increased by 1. There were 3 Swiss men and 4 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 12 non-Swiss men and 2 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was a decrease of 1 and the non-Swiss population change was a decrease of 4 people. This represents a population growth rate of -0.2%. The age distribution, , in Riva San Vitale is; 209 children or 8.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 291 teenagers or 11.7% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 255 people or 10.2% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 319 people or 12.8% are between 30 and 39, 476 people or 19.1% are between 40 and 49, and 328 people or 13.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 300 people or 12.0% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 210 people or 8.4% are between 70 and 79, there are 102 people or 4.1% who are over 80.01.02.03 Popolazione residente permanente
accessed 23 November 2010 , there were 938 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 1,142 married individuals, 119 widows or widowers and 93 individuals who are divorced.STAT-TAB Datenwürfel für Thema 40.3 - 2000
accessed 2 February 2011 , there were 924 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.4 persons per household. There were 247 households that consist of only one person and 44 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 926 households that answered this question, 26.7% were households made up of just one person and 17 were adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 230 married couples without children, 359 married couples with children There were 50 single parents with a child or children. There were 21 households that were made up unrelated people and 2 households that were made some sort of institution or another collective housing. there were 472 single family homes (or 67.5% of the total) out of a total of 699 inhabited buildings. There were 192 multi-family buildings (27.5%), along with 18 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (2.6%) and 17 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (2.4%). Of the single family homes 8 were built before 1919, while 74 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (100) were built between 1919 and 1945.Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB - Datenwürfel für Thema 09.2 - Gebäude und Wohnungen
accessed 28 January 2011 there were 1,137 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 4 rooms of which there were 361. There were 24 single room apartments and 307 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 913 apartments (80.3% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 215 apartments (18.9%) were seasonally occupied and 9 apartments (0.8%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.6 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0%. The historical population is given in the following chart: Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8) ImageSize = width:1200 height:210 PlotArea = height:150 left:100 bottom:50 right:100 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:3000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:500 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:100 start:0 PlotData= color:yellowgreen width:30 mark:(line,white) align:center bar:1591 from:start till:500 text:"500" bar:1643 from:start till:517 text:"517" bar:1719 from:start till:600 text:"600" bar:1801 from:start till:611 text:"611" bar:1850 from:start till:851 text:"851" bar:1860 from:start till:913 text:"913" bar:1870 from:start till:1014 text:"1,014" bar:1880 from:start till:1149 text:"1,149" bar:1888 from:start till:1106 text:"1,106" bar:1900 from:start till:1333 text:"1,333" bar:1910 from:start till:1355 text:"1,355" bar:1920 from:start till:1109 text:"1,109" bar:1930 from:start till:1119 text:"1,119" bar:1941 from:start till:1145 text:"1,145" bar:1950 from:start till:1166 text:"1,166" bar:1960 from:start till:1358 text:"1,358" bar:1970 from:start till:1607 text:"1,607" bar:1980 from:start till:1837 text:"1,837" bar:1990 from:start till:2181 text:"2,181" bar:2000 from:start till:2292 text:"2,292" bar:2010 from:start till:2490 text:"2,490" bar:2020 from:start till:2654 text:"2,654"

Heritage sites of national significance

The Baptistery of S. Giovanni, the Bianchi House, the Church of S. Croce and the Palazzo della Croce are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance. The entire town of Riva San Vitale is part of the

Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites The Federal Inventory of Heritage Sites (ISOS) is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage. Sites of national importance Types The types are based on t ...

. File:03BattisteroRivaSVitale.jpg , Baptistry of S. Giovanni File:Riva San Vitale Affreschi 03.jpg, Interior of the Baptistry of S. Giovanni File:San Vitale Church Interior.jpg, Interior of the Baptistry of S. Giovanni File:05SCroceRivaSVitale.JPG , Church of S. Croce

Politics

In the '' Gran Consiglio'' election, there were a total of 1,698 registered voters in Riva San Vitale, of which 1,249 or 73.6% voted. 29 blank ballots and 4 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,216 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD+GenGiova which received 358 or 29.4% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT (with 214 or 17.6%), the LEGA (with 190 or 15.6%) and the SSI (with 189 or 15.5%).Elezioni cantonali: Gran Consiglio, Consiglio di Stato
accessed 23 November 2010 In the ''Consiglio di Stato'' election, 19 blank ballots and 7 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,223 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD which received 366 or 29.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA (with 241 or 19.7%), the PLRT (with 205 or 16.8%) and the PS (with 186 or 15.2%). In the

2007 federal election This electoral calendar 2007 lists the national/federal direct elections held in 2007 in the de jure and de facto sovereign states and their dependent territories. Referendums are included, although they are not elections. By-elections are not ...

( National Council) the most popular party was the PPD which received 28% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the PLRT (17%), the LEGA (15.2%) and the PS (13.5%). In the federal election, a total of 982 votes were cast, and the

voter turnout In political science, voter turnout is the participation rate (often defined as those who cast a ballot) of a given election. This can be the percentage of registered voters, eligible voters, or all voting-age people. According to Stanford Univ ...

was 56.1%. In the '' Gran Consiglio'' election, there were a total of 1,802 registered voters in Riva San Vitale, of which 1,258 or 69.81% voted. 22 blank ballots and 3 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,233 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD+GenGiova which received 304 or 24.66% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA (with 245 or 19.87%), the SSI (with 218 or 17.68%) and the PLRT (with 191 or 15.49%). In the ''Consiglio di Stato'' election, 24 blank ballots and 7 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,227 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD which received 325 or 26.49% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA (with 316 or 25.75%), the SSI (with 185 or 15.08%) and the PLRT (with 181 or 14.75%). In the 2011 federal election ( National Council) the most popular party was the PPD which received 28.61% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the LEGA (20.17%), the PLRT (15.52%) and the SSI (9.41%). In the federal election, a total of 1,065 votes were cast, and the

was 59.04%. In the '' Gran Consiglio'' election, there were a total of 1,865 registered voters in Riva San Vitale, of which 1,340 or 71.85% voted. 41 blank ballots and 6 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,293 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD+GenGiova which received 303 or 23.43% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA (with 302 or 23.36%), the SSI (with 235 or 18.17%) and the PLRT (with 187 or 14.46%). In the ''Consiglio di Stato'' election, 38 blank ballots and 12 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,291 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the LEGA which received 349 or 27.03% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PPD (with 289 or 22.39%), the SSI (with 226 or 17.51%) and the PLRT (with 181 or 14.02%). In the 2015 federal election ( National Council) the most popular party was the PPD which received 26.72% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the LEGA (26.16%), the PLRT (13.88%) and the PS (11.99%). In the federal election, a total of 1,082 votes were cast, and the

was 58.61%. In the '' Gran Consiglio'' election, there were a total of 1,924 registered voters in Riva San Vitale, of which 1,219 or 63.36% voted. 48 blank ballots and 8 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,163 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PPD+GenGiova which received 238 or 20.46% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the LEGA (with 235 or 20.21%), the SSI (with 231 or 19.86%) and the PLRT (with 172 or 14.79%). In the ''Consiglio di Stato'' election, 59 blank ballots and 8 null ballots were cast, leaving 1,152 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the LEGA which received 317 or 27.52% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PPD (with 236 or 20.49%), the SSI (with 216 or 18.65%) and the PLRT (with 173 or 15.02%) In the 2019 federal election ( National Council) the most popular party was the PPD which received 24.18% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the LEGA (17.55%), the PLRT (13.37%) and the PS (9.80%). In the federal election, a total of 1,006 votes were cast, and the

was 53.85%.

Economy

, Riva San Vitale had an unemployment rate of 3.25%. , there were 31 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 9 businesses involved in this sector. 322 people were employed in the

secondary sector In macroeconomics, the secondary sector of the economy is an economic sector in the three-sector theory that describes the role of manufacturing. It encompasses industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in construc ...

and there were 43 businesses in this sector. 370 people were employed in the

tertiary sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...

, with 72 businesses in this sector. There were 1,099 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 39.3% of the workforce. the total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 656. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 32, of which 18 were in agricultureand 14 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 343, of which 214 or (62.4%) were in manufacturing and 120 (35.0%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 281. In the tertiary sector; 69 or 24.6% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 10 or 3.6% were in the movement and storage of goods, 30 or 10.7% were in a hotel or restaurant, 5 or 1.8% were in the information industry, 5 or 1.8% were the insurance or financial industry, 26 or 9.3% were technical professionals or scientists, 101 or 35.9% were in education and 8 or 2.8% were in health care. , there were 843 workers who commuted into the municipality and 817 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.0 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 35.1% of the workforce coming into Riva San Vitale are coming from outside Switzerland, while 0.4% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work.Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Statweb
accessed 24 June 2010 Of the working population, 9.5% used public transportation to get to work, and 62.1% used a private car. , there was one hotel in Riva San Vitale.

Transport

Capolago-RivaSV20080721Y194 14-M8 13-M11

Riva San Vitale is served by the

Capolago-Riva San Vitale railway station Capolago-Riva San Vitale railway station ( it, Stazione di Capolago-Riva San Vitale) is a railway station in the Swiss canton of Ticino. The station is in the village of Capolago, part of the municipality of Mendrisio, but, as its name suggests, ...

on the

Gotthardbahn The Gotthard railway (german: Gotthardbahn; it, Ferrovia del Gottardo) is the Swiss trans-alpine railway line from northern Switzerland to the canton of Ticino. The line forms a major part of an important international railway link between nort ...

railway, which is situated about away in the adjoining community of Capolago. Buses of the Autolinea Mendrisiense provide a link to the station, as well as services to Brusino Arsizio, Mendrisio and

Porto Ceresio Porto Ceresio (Varesino: ''Pòrt Cerési'') is a '' comune'' (municipality) on Lake Lugano in the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northwest of Milan and about northeast of Varese, on the border with Switzer ...

Religion

From the , 1,914 or 83.5% were

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

, while 86 or 3.8% belonged to the

Swiss Reformed Church The Protestant Church in Switzerland (PCS), (EKS); french: Église évangélique réformée de Suisse (EERS); it, Chiesa evangelica riformata in Svizzera (CERiS); rm, Baselgia evangelica refurmada da la Svizra (BRRS) formerly named Federation o ...

. Of the rest of the population, there were 7 members of an Orthodox church (or about 0.31% of the population), there were 4 individuals (or about 0.17% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church, and there were 11 individuals (or about 0.48% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 7 (or about 0.31% of the population) who were

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

ic. There were 7 individuals who were

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

, 14 individuals who were

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

and 2 individuals who belonged to another church. 133 (or about 5.80% of the population) belonged to no church, are

agnostic Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficien ...

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

, and 107 individuals (or about 4.67% of the population) did not answer the question.

Education

In Riva San Vitale about 932 or (40.7%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 231 or (10.1%) have completed additional higher education (either

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

or a ''

Fachhochschule A ''Fachhochschule'' (; plural ''Fachhochschulen''), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied art ...

''). Of the 231 who completed tertiary schooling, 51.1% were Swiss men, 30.3% were Swiss women, 13.4% were non-Swiss men and 5.2% were non-Swiss women. In Riva San Vitale there were a total of 428 students (). The Ticino

education system The educational system generally refers to the structure of all institutions and the opportunities for obtaining education within a country. It includes all pre-school institutions, starting from family education, and/or early childhood education ...

provides up to three years of non-mandatory

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

and in Riva San Vitale there were 59 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the municipality, 117 students attended the standard primary schools and 4 students attended the special school. In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two-year middle school followed by a two-year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four-year program to prepare for higher education. There were 114 students in the two-year middle school and 2 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 52 students were in the four-year advanced program. The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college. In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student). There were 31 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 44 who attend part-time. The professional program lasts three years and prepares a student for a job in engineering, nursing, computer science, business, tourism and similar fields. There were 5 students in the professional program. , there were 321 students in Riva San Vitale who came from another municipality, while 95 residents attended schools outside the municipality. A branch of an American university,

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...

's Steger Center for International Scholarship, is located in a historic

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became ...

in Riva San Vitale. Formerly known as the Center for European Studies and Architecture (CESA), it is Virginia Tech's European campus center and base for operations and support of its programs in the region."Virginia Tech renames its primary facility abroad for former President Charles W. Steger" http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2014/06/062414-caus-stegercenter.html; "Center for European Studies and Architecture at Virginia Tech" http://www.oired.vt.edu/cesa/index.htm Housed in the 250-year-old Villa Maderni, the provides various academic programs for the undergraduate and graduate students of Virginia Tech. The main offering of the Steger Center is its semester-long student residence program. In this program, students live in the municipality, attend classes in the Villa Maderni learning facilities, and participate in field trips around Europe that complement the academic program. The university also offers summer study-abroad programs at the center.

References

{{Authority control Cities in Switzerland Cultural property of national significance in Ticino Populated places on Lake Lugano