The surrounding area
Piazza del Ponte takes its name from the old bridge over the Moree River, a water course that once flowed in the open air down towards the San Martino plain and of which only a stretch is still visible today, alongside the spinning mill. For centuries, the square was the heart of the town: it was here, for example, that the inhabitants celebrated the end of the Second World War in 1945. Starting in the 1950s, numerous places in Ticino were gutted to bring traffic to the heart of the villages, promoting mobility and trade. Piazza del Ponte was also affected: the river was channelled, the bridge demolished, and several buildings were destroyed.
The imposing town church
Built on a promontory that makes it look even more enormous, the church of Saints Cosmas and Damian was built in the neoclassical style between 1863 and 1875, according to a design by Luigi Fontana. It is considered the most imposing church in Ticino: in a dominant position above the wide staircase, the façade consists of a portico reminiscent of a Roman triumphal arch, surmounted by a large attic with caryatids that culminate in the bell tower. The body of St. Felician the martyr is preserved under the table of the rich Baroque altar, a precious relic that may have been extracted from the catacombs of St. Agnes in Rome and brought to Mendrisio in 1745.
The elegant Palazzo Torriani
The Della Torre or Torriani family, of Lombard origin, had lived in Mendrisio since the Middle Ages, holding important positions and administering large properties. When the Milanese destroyed their castle on the Torre hill in 1242, the family moved down into the town and built the Palazzo Torriani. The building, one of the oldest noble residences in Mendrisio, was constructed around a 13th-century nucleus and today has 74 rooms across four floors. The residence has been remodelled over the centuries but numerous ancient elements are still preserved, including three internal courtyards. From Via San Damiano, you can see a beautiful mullioned window dating back to the fifteenth century.
The Mendrisio spinning mill
As you head up from Piazza del Ponte along the road that leads to Monte Generoso, you’ll find the Mendrisio spinning mill. Today, the building houses a multipurpose cultural centre and the Cantonal Library, but in the past, it served as a silk processing plant. Thanks to the endless mulberry plantations and the widespread silkworm farming, there were as many as 32 such factories in Mendrisiotto in the nineteenth century. The Torriani-Bolzani spinning mill, built in 1869 in the heart of the town and in operation until 1931, employed 350 people, mostly women and girls. Along with the fumes, the songs the workers sung to bring a little relief from their labour spilled out from the open windows.
Meet Morsetta
Hi,
I’m Morsetta, the young explorer of the Region to be discovered. Play with me to discover some interesting things about Mendrisio…
Look ahead. At the top of the promontory is the magnificent Chiesa del Borgo.
Have you seen how many steps there are? Come on, let’s have a race…
