Mendrisio is the seat of the Accademia di Architettura of the university of Italian-speaking Switzerland (USI).

On 5 April 2009 it incorporated the former municipalities of Arzo, Capolago, Genestrerio, Rancate and Tremona.

Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, Mendrisio was the center of a Lombard district and grew into a town.

During the Middle Ages, several fortifications were built on the valley floor between the Porta S. Giovanni and the Moree river.

In the Late Middle Ages the Torriani family built their castle on the rocky hills above the town.

[5] In the late 15th and early 16th century, the Swiss Confederation canton of Uri began expanding down into the Leventina valley.

After a number of setbacks, by 1512 Uri and the rest of the Confederation captured the city of Lugano and incorporated the Landvogtei of Mendrisio.

Nine years later, in 1521, the Swiss Confederation established a system of shared responsibility over the Italian Bailiwicks and appointed a bailiff to manage Mendrisio.

Mendrisio remained a conquered territory with limited autonomy and rights until the 1798 French invasion and the creation of the Helvetic Republic.

[5] Despite Mendrisio's early growth, it remained a part of the large parish of Balerna until the 15th century.

[5] In the past century, the town has expanded away from the Moree river and developed a large industrial sector.

During the late 19th century, one of the first factories in town, the Torriani-Bolzani spinning mill employed about 350 women and children (over 10% of the population in 1900).

The factories brought jobs to the town and encouraged villagers to move into Mendrisio.

During the 20th century, a number of service companies opened in the town and industry began to decline.

Mendrisio's location near the Italian border means that many of the residents and workers are cross-border commuters.

In 2009, it added Arzo, Capolago, Genestrerio, Rancate and Tremona and in 2013 it expanded again with Besazio, Ligornetto and Meride.

[10] The age distribution, as of 2009[update], in Mendrisio is; 986 children or 8.5% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 1,069 teenagers or 9.2% are between 10 and 19.

[15] The historical population is given in the following chart:[5][16] Mendrisio is home to a number of Swiss heritage sites of national significance.

[17] Mendrisio is known in Italian as il magnifico borgo (the magnificent town) due to its numerous elegant historical buildings.

The city is also known for its typical Good Friday procession (included by UNESCO in the intangible world heritage lists from 2019), when a live recreation of Christ's passion is enacted (without any blood or violence), and also for the grape festival (called Sagra dell'uva) which takes place in late September.

[18] In the 2007[update] Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 4,635 registered voters in Mendrisio, of which 3,292 or 71.0% voted.

Cycling's 1971 UCI Road World Championships was held in Mendrisio 4 September 1971.

Cycling's 2009 UCI Road World Championships was held in Mendrisio from 23 to 27 September 2009.

Cadel Evans who himself lives in Mendrisio district with his family won the Gold medal of the men's event.

In the tertiary sector; 1,240 or 27.4% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 126 or 2.8% were in the movement and storage of goods, 322 or 7.1% were in a hotel or restaurant, 96 or 2.1% were in the information industry, 185 or 4.1% were the insurance or financial industry, 275 or 6.1% were technical professionals or scientists, 334 or 7.4% were in education and 1,266 or 28.0% were in health care.

Both Italy and Switzerland are major markets for refined gold which is used in the manufacture of watches and jewellery.

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

[27] From 2021 Mendrisio is home to the Department of Environment Construction and Design of the Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI).

Both are located on the Gotthard line and have regular service to Milano Centrale, Malpensa Aeroporto Terminal 2, Varese, Bellinzona, Erstfeld, and Como San Giovanni.

The Mendrisio San Martino station was built for its proximity to the industrial area and shopping centres.