Riva San Vitale is a municipality in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland, located in the district of Mendrisio.

A stele from some time before the 3rd century AD mentions that it was made for the inhabitants of vicus subinates.

In 1115, the Benedictine abbey of S. Abbondio in Como owned property in Riva San Vitale.

During the ten-year war between Como and Milan (1118–27) its port was an important base for the Comasker ships.

In the Late Middle Ages, it lost its leading position in trade to Capolago, but still enjoyed far-reaching privileges and tax exemption.

The Baptistery of San Giovanni is built on the foundations of a Roman building and is from the early Christian era (c. 500 AD).

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, Mendrisio and Chiasso.

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

[5] Riva San Vitale was one of the oldest centers of the diocese of Como, to which it belonged until 1884/88.

A canon priest is first mentioned in 1190, when Lafrancus de Mellano (died 1254) is called to that position.

[6] 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.

At the beginning of the 15th century it formed, together with the Pieves of Agno, Balerna and Capriasca, the Lugano Valley Community.

[6] Riva San Vitale has an area, as of 1997[update], of 5.97 square kilometers (2.31 sq mi).

[7] The municipality is located in the Mendrisio district, on the southern end of Lake Lugano and at the foot of Monte San Giorgio.

[10] The age distribution, as of 2009[update], in Riva San Vitale was 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.

The entire town of Riva San Vitale is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

[17] In the 2007[update] Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 1,698 registered voters in Riva San Vitale, of which 1,249 or 73.6% voted.

[18] In the 2007 federal election (National Council) the most popular party was the PPD which received 28% of the vote.

[19] In the 2011[update] Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 1,802 registered voters in Riva San Vitale, of which 1,258 or 69.81% voted.

[21] In the 2011 federal election (National Council) the most popular party was the PPD which received 28.61% of the vote.

[22] In the 2015[update] Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 1,865 registered voters in Riva San Vitale, of which 1,340 or 71.85% voted.

[24] In the 2015 federal election (National Council) the most popular party was the PPD which received 26.72% of the vote.

[25] In the 2019[update] Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 1,924 registered voters in Riva San Vitale, of which 1,219 or 63.36% voted.

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.

Buses of the Autolinea Mendrisiense provide a link to the station, as well as services to Brusino Arsizio, Mendrisio and Porto Ceresio.

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

[30] A branch of an American university, Virginia Tech's Steger Center for International Scholarship, is located in a historic villa in Riva San Vitale.

[35] Housed in the 250-year-old Villa Maderni, the provides various academic programs for the undergraduate and graduate students of Virginia Tech.