Rivera is a former municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.

[2] Archeological objects and graves from the Iron Age and the Roman era have been found in Rivera.

In the Middle Ages, Rivera was part of the valley community of Carvina.

Starting in 1678, representatives from the twelve members of the Swiss Confederation in Ticino met in Casa dei landfogti before they assembled in Lugano.

The completion of the road in 1811 and the construction of the tunnel and the station led to the emergence of a new district in the flatter part of the valley.

The base station of the Monte Tamaro gondola opened in 1972 in Rivera.

[2] Rivera has an area, as of 1997[update], of 13.35 square kilometers (5.15 sq mi).

[3] The village is located in the Lugano district, in the upper Vedeggio valley along the old main road.

It consists of the village of Rivera and the hamlets of Soresina, Sorencino and Capidogno.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Tierced per fess first azure two bendlets wavy argent overall a letter R counterchanged second or coupeaux vert and third gules two tunnel holes sable issuant from base.

The black arcades represent the tunnels connecting both parts of Ticino, the Sopraceneri and Sottoceneri (over and under the Mount Ceneri).

[5] The age distribution, as of 2009[update], in Rivera is; 146 children or 9.2% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 153 teenagers or 9.6% are between 10 and 19.

[9] About 45.3% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage or a rent-to-own agreement).

[6] The historical population is given in the following chart:[2][13] The Stazione Radio Monte Ceneri (shared with Bironico) is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

[15] In the 2007[update] Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 1,022 registered voters in Rivera, of which 722 or 70.6% voted.

[18] From the 2000 census[update], 1,162 or 82.1% were Roman Catholic, while 72 or 5.1% 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.

[17] Rivera is served by the nearby Rivera-Bironico station, on the Gotthard railway.