Balerna is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.

[3] In 844 and 865, the monastery of S. Ambrogio in Milan purchased land in the concilium of Castel S. Pietro which would have included Balerna.

In the 12th century some decimani (tithe collectors) and the monastery of S. Abbondio in Como owned land and associated rights in Balerna.

Balerna, together with Riva and Uggiate, formed a consorzio (a common property group) in the 12th century.

Politically the municipalities of Chiasso, Boffalora, Pedrinate, Seseglio, Novazzano, Coldrerio, Villa, Castel San Pietro, Vacallo and the Valle di Muggio part of the Pieve of Balerna.

In 1499 it passed into the hands of Count Bartolomeo Crivelli, but it was occupied in the same year by the French.

The decree of Aarau on 30 May 1798 combined it with Mendrisio as part of the Helvetic Republic.

The section of the line in Balerna closed in 1950 and was replaced by a bus service.

[4] Balerna has an area, as of 1997[update], of 2.57 square kilometers (0.99 sq mi).

The municipal area, crossed by transit axes of the Gotthard line, also includes the settlements of Caslaccio, Mercole, S.Antonio, Bisio, Pontegana, Passeggiata.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Azure a Maltese cross gules.

[8] The age distribution, as of 2009[update], in Balerna is; 313 children or 9.1% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 345 teenagers or 10.1% are between 10 and 19.

[9] The historical population is given in the following chart:[3][14] The collegiate church complex of S. Vittore, Magazzini Generali and the ruins of the medieval castle at Pontegana are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance.

[15] The ruins of this medieval castle are located on small hill between Balerna and Chiasso in the village of Pontegana.

Between 789 and 810, Ragifrit and Ragipert de Pontegano are mentioned as owning a nearby manor house.

Between the late 12th and the early 15th century, knights of Pontegana are mentioned in contemporary documents.

In the federal election, a total of 1,175 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 51.6%.

[17] In the 2007[update] Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 2,331 registered voters in Balerna, of which 1,515 or 65.0% voted.

[9] There were 1,519 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 41.8% of the workforce.

[20] From the 2000 census[update], 2,926 or 85.7% were Roman Catholic, while 120 or 3.5% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.

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.

The professional program lasts three years and prepares a student for a job in engineering, nursing, computer science, business, tourism and similar fields.