Comune
Template:Short description Template:Title language Template:Redirect Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox subdivision type
Regions (black borders)
Provinces (dark gray borders)
Template:Lang (light grey borders)
A Template:Lang (Template:IPA; Template:Plural form: Template:Lang, Template:IPA) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions (Template:Lang) and provinces (Template:Lang). The Template:Lang can also have the title of Template:Lang (Template:Literally).<ref name="camera">Template:Cite web</ref>
Formed Template:Lang according to the principles consolidated in medieval municipalities,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Template:Lang is provided for by article 114 of the Constitution of Italy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It can be divided into Template:Lang, which in turn may have limited power due to special elective assemblies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the autonomous region of the Aosta Valley, a Template:Lang is officially called a Template:Lang in French.
Overview
The Template:Lang provides essential public services: registry of births and deaths, registry of deeds, and maintenance of local roads and public works.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Many Template:Lang have a Template:Lang (Template:Literally), which is responsible for public order duties.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Template:Lang also deal with the definition and compliance with the Template:Lang (Template:Literally), a document that regulates the building activity within the communal area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
All communal structures or schools, sports and cultural structures such as communal libraries, theaters, etc. are managed by the Template:Lang.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Lang must have their own communal statute and have a climatic and seismic classification of their territory for the purposes of hazard mitigation and civil protection.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Lang also deal with the waste management.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
It is headed by a mayor (Template:Lang or Template:Lang) assisted by a legislative body, the Template:Lang (Template:Literally), and an executive body, the Template:Lang (Template:Literally).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The mayor and members of the Template:Lang are elected together by resident citizens: the coalition of the elected mayor (who needs a relative majority or an absolute majority in the first or second round of voting, depending on the population) gains three fifths of the Template:Lang's seats.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Template:Lang is chaired by the mayor, who appoints others members, called Template:Lang, one of whom serves as deputy mayor (Template:Lang).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The offices of the Template:Lang are housed in a building usually called the Template:Lang, or Template:Lang (Template:Literally).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
As of January 2021, there were 7,904 Template:Lang in Italy;<ref name="comuni">Template:Cite news</ref> they vary considerably in size and population. For example, the Template:Lang of Rome, in Lazio, has an area of Template:Convert and a population of 2,758,454 inhabitants, and is both the largest and the most populated.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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Atrani in the province of Salerno (Campania) is the smallest Template:Lang by area, with only Template:Convert,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Morterone (Lombardy) is the smallest by population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Many present-day Template:Lang trace their roots along timescales spanning centuries and at times millennia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The northernmost Template:Lang is Predoi, the southernmost one Lampedusa e Linosa, the westernmost Bardonecchia and the easternmost Otranto.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Template:Lang with the longest name is San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while the Template:Lang with the shortest name are Lu, Ro, Ne, Re and Vo'.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The population density of the Template:Lang varies widely by province and region. The province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, for example, has 381,091 inhabitants in 10 Template:Lang,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> or over 39,000 inhabitants per Template:Lang; whereas the province of Isernia has 81,415 inhabitants in 52 Template:Lang,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> or 1,640 inhabitants per Template:Lang—roughly 24 times more communal units per inhabitant.
The coats of arms of the Template:Lang are assigned by decree of the Prime Minister of Italy by the Office of State Ceremonial and Honors, Honors and Heraldry Service (division of the Presidency of the Council born from the transformation of the Royal Template:Lang, eliminated pursuant to the provisions final of the Constitution of Italy).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Subdivisions
| Year | Number | Population | Pop/Template:Lang |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1861 | 7,720 | 22,171,946 | 2,872 |
| 1871 | 8,383 | 27,295,509 | 3,256 |
| 1881 | 8,260 | 28,951,546 | 3,505 |
| 1901 | 8,263 | 32,963,316 | 3,989 |
| 1911 | 8,324 | 35,841,563 | 4,306 |
| 1921 | 9,195 | 39,396,757 | 4,285 |
| 1931 | 7,311 | 41,043,489 | 5,614 |
| 1936 | 7,339 | 42,398,489 | 5,777 |
| 1951 | 7,810 | 47,515,537 | 6,084 |
| 1961 | 8,035 | 50,623,569 | 6,300 |
| 1971 | 8,056 | 54,136,547 | 6,720 |
| 1981 | 8,086 | 56,556,911 | 6,994 |
| 1991 | 8,100 | 56,885,336 | 7,023 |
| 2001 | 8,101 | 56,995,744 | 7,036 |
| 2011 | 8,092 | 59,433,744 | 7,345 |
| 2021 | 7,904 | 59,236,213 | 7,494 |
Administrative subdivisions within Template:Lang vary according to their population size.
Template:Lang with at least 250,000 residents are divided into Template:Lang<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (roughly equivalent to French arrondissements or London boroughs) to which the Template:Lang delegates administrative functions such as the running of schools, social services and waste collection; the delegated functions vary from Template:Lang to Template:Lang. These bodies are headed by an elected president and a local council.
Smaller Template:Lang usually comprise:
- A main city, town or village, that almost always gives its name to the Template:Lang; such a place is referred to as the Template:Lang (Template:Literally; Template:Abbrlink the French Template:Lang) of the Template:Lang; the word Template:Lang is also used in casual speech to refer to the city hall.
- Outlying areas often called Template:Lang (Template:Singular: Template:Lang, abbreviated: Template:Lang; Template:Literally), each usually centred on a small town or village. These Template:Lang usually never had pasts as independent settlements, but occasionally are former smaller Template:Lang consolidated into a larger one. They may also represent settlements which predate the Template:Lang. The ancient town of Pollentia (today Pollenzo), for instance, is a Template:Lang of Bra. In recent years the Template:Lang have become more important due to the institution of the Template:Lang (Template:Literally), a local form of government which can interact with the Template:Lang to address local needs, requests and claims. Even smaller places are called Template:Lang (abbreviated: Template:Lang; Template:Literally).
- Smaller administrative divisions called Template:Lang,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which are similar to districts and neighbourhoods.
Sometimes a Template:Lang might be more populated than the Template:Lang; and rarely, owing to unusual circumstances (such as depopulation), the town hall and its administrative functions can be moved to one of the Template:Lang, but the Template:Lang still retains the name of the Template:Lang.
In some cases, a Template:Lang might not have the same name as the Template:Lang. In these cases, it is a Template:Lang (Template:Literally) and the Template:Lang which hosts the town hall (Template:Lang) is a Template:Lang (compare county seat).
Rione
Template:See also Some towns refer to neighborhoods within a Template:Lang as a Template:Lang (Template:IPA; Template:Plural form: Template:Lang) or a Template:Lang (Template:Plural form: Template:Lang). The term originated from the administrative divisions of Rome, and is derived from the Latin word regio (Template:Plural form: regiones), 'region'. All currently extant rioni are located in Municipio I of Rome.<ref name=treccani>Template:In lang The word rione in the Treccani dictionary on-line</ref> The term has been adopted as a synonym of Template:Lang in the Italian Template:Lang.<ref name=treccani/> Terzieri, quartieri, sestieri, rioni, and their analogues are usually no longer administrative divisions of these towns, but historical and traditional communities, seen especially in towns' annual Palio.
Terziere
A Template:Lang (Template:Plural form: Template:Lang) is a subdivision of several towns in Italy. The word derives from Template:Wikt-lang (Template:Literally) and is thus used only for towns divided into three neighborhoods. Terzieri are most commonly found in Umbria, for example in Trevi, Spello, Narni and Città della Pieve; towns divided into terzieri in other regions include Lucca in Tuscany, and Ancona and Macerata in the Marches. The medieval Lordship of Negroponte, on the island of Euboea, was also divided into three distinct rulerships, which were known as terzieri.
Quartiere
A Template:Lang (Template:IPA; Template:Plural form: Template:Lang) is a territorial subdivision, properly used, for towns divided into four neighborhoods (Template:Lang; Template:Literally) by the two main roads. It has been later used as a synonymous of neighbourhood, and an Italian town can be now subdivided into a larger number of quartieri. The Swiss town of Lugano (in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino) is also subdivided into quarters.<ref>Lugano quartieri</ref>
The English word quarter to mean an urban neighbourhood (e.g. the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana) is derived from the cognate old French word quartier.
Sestiere
A Template:Lang (Template:Plural form: Template:Lang) is a subdivision of certain Italian towns and cities. The word is from Template:Lang (Template:Literally), so it is thus used only for towns divided into six districts. The best-known example is the sestieri of Venice, but Ascoli Piceno, Genoa, Milan and Rapallo, for example, were also divided into sestieri. The medieval Lordship of Negroponte, on the island of Euboea, was also at times divided into six districts, each with a separate ruler, through the arbitration of Venice, which were known as sestieri. The island of Crete, a Venetian colony (the Kingdom of Candia) from the Fourth Crusade, was also divided into six parts, named after the sestieri of Venice herself, while the capital Candia retained the status of a comune of Venice. The island of Burano north of Venice is also subdivided into sestieri.
A variation of the word is occasionally found: the comune of Leonessa, for example, is divided into Template:Lang or sixths.
Homonymy
There are not many perfect homonymous Template:Lang. There are only five cases in 10 Template:Lang:<ref>Template:In lang Complete list and infos on Comuni-italiani.it</ref>
- Castro: Castro, Apulia and Castro, Lombardy
- Livo: Livo, Lombardy and Livo, Trentino
- Peglio: Peglio, Lombardy and Peglio, Marche
- Samone: Samone, Piedmont and Samone, Trentino
- San Teodoro: San Teodoro, Sardinia and San Teodoro, Sicily
This is mostly due to the fact the name of the province or region was appended to the name of the Template:Lang in order to avoid the confusion. Two provincial capitals share the name Template:Lang: Reggio nell'Emilia, the capital of the province of Reggio Emilia, in the Emilia-Romagna region, and Reggio di Calabria, the capital of the homonymous metropolitan city, in the Calabria region. Many other towns or villages are likewise partial homonyms (e.g. Anzola dell'Emilia and Anzola d'Ossola, or Bagnara Calabra and Bagnara di Romagna).
Title of city
The title of Template:Lang (Template:Literally) in Italy is granted to Template:Lang that have been awarded it by decree of the King of Italy (until 1946) or of the provisional head of state (from 1946 to 1948) or, subsequently, of the President of the Republic (after 1948), on the proposal of the Ministry of the Interior, to which the Template:Lang concerned sends an application for a concession, by virtue of their historical, artistic, civic or demographic importance.<ref name="camera"/>
The Template:Lang endowed with the title of Template:Lang usually carry the golden crown above their coat of arms, except with different provisions in the decree approving the coat of arms or in the presence). "The crown of the city ([...]) is formed by a golden circle opened by eight city gates (five visible) with two cordoned walls on the margins, supporting eight towers (five visible) joined by curtain walls, all in gold and black walled."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Statistics
Largest Template:Lang by area
The following is a list of the largest Template:Lang in Italy, in descending order of surface area, according to ISTAT data referring to 9 October 2011.<ref name="istat">Template:Cite web</ref> The provincial capitals are highlighted in bold.
Smallest Template:Lang by area
The following is a list of the smallest Template:Lang in Italy, in ascending order of surface area, according to ISTAT data referring to 9 October 2011.<ref name="istat"/>
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Highest Template:Lang by altitude
The following is a list of the first Template:Lang by altitude, in descending order.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The indicated altitude coincides with the height above sea level of the town hall.
Largest Template:Lang by population
List of the first Template:Lang by population in descending order, according to ISTAT data updated to 28 February 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The regional capitals are in bold.
Template:Lang by demographic ranges
The data is updated as of 1 January 2021.<ref name="tuttitalia">Template:Cite web</ref>
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| Demographic range | Template:Lang | Population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Residents | % | |
| more than 500,000 inhab. | 6 | 0.08% | 7,170,310 | 12.10% |
| from 250,000 to 499,999 inhab. | 6 | 0.08% | 1,874,966 | 3.16% |
| from 100,000 to 249,999 inhab. | 32 | 0.40% | 4,749,945 | 8.02% |
| from 60,000 to 99,999 inhab. | 58 | 0.73% | 4,446,634 | 7.50% |
| from 20,000 to 59,999 inhab. | 404 | 5.11% | 13,253,362 | 22.37% |
| from 10,000 to 19,999 inhab. | 698 | 8.83% | 9,662,013 | 16.31% |
| from 5,000 to 9,999 inhab. | 1,179 | 14.92% | 8,331,631 | 14.06% |
| from 3,000 to 4,999 inhab. | 1,087 | 13.75% | 4,222,171 | 7.13% |
| from 2,000 to 2,999 inhab. | 921 | 11.65% | 2,258,907 | 3.81% |
| from 1,000 to 1,999 inhab. | 1,520 | 19.23% | 2,213,443 | 3.74% |
| from 500 to 999 inhab. | 1,101 | 13.93% | 811,919 | 1.37% |
| less than 500 inhab. | 892 | 11.29% | 262,265 | 0.44% |
| Total | 7,904 | 100.00% | 59,257,566 | 100.00% |
Demographic ranges by macroregion
The data is updated as of 1 January 2021.<ref name="tuttitalia"/>
| Demographic range | Number of Template:Lang | Resident population | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | Centre | South | North | Centre | South | |
| more than 500,000 inhab. | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2,804,841 | 2,783,809 | 1,581,660 |
| from 250,000 to 499,999 inhab. | 3 | 1 | 2 | 907,910 | 359,755 | 607,301 |
| from 100,000 to 249,999 inhab. | 17 | 5 | 10 | 2,503,474 | 749,523 | 1,496,948 |
| from 60,000 to 99,999 inhab. | 16 | 16 | 26 | 1,289,906 | 1,253,707 | 1,903,021 |
| from 20,000 to 59,999 inhab. | 158 | 78 | 168 | 4,974,716 | 2,647,385 | 5,631,261 |
| from 10,000 to 19,999 inhab. | 353 | 115 | 230 | 4,824,497 | 1,655,230 | 3,182,286 |
| from 5,000 to 9,999 inhab. | 672 | 155 | 352 | 4,723,268 | 1,139,230 | 2,469,133 |
| from 3,000 to 4,999 inhab. | 620 | 141 | 326 | 2,404,254 | 549,864 | 1,268,053 |
| from 2,000 to 2,999 inhab. | 501 | 100 | 320 | 1,229,705 | 242,581 | 786,621 |
| from 1,000 to 1,999 inhab. | 793 | 182 | 545 | 1,155,222 | 270,306 | 787,915 |
| from 500 to 999 inhab. | 627 | 110 | 364 | 458,324 | 82,312 | 271,283 |
| less than 500 inhab. | 622 | 64 | 206 | 175,415 | 19,431 | 67,419 |
| Total | 4,385 | 968 | 2,551 | 27,451,532 | 11,753,133 | 20,052,901 |
See also
- Regions of Italy
- Metropolitan cities of Italy
- Provinces of Italy
- List of municipalities of Italy
- List of renamed municipalities in Italy
- Alphabetical list of municipalities of Italy
- Fusion of municipalities of Italy
- Municipalities of Switzerland – those in Italian-speaking areas of the country are called Template:Lang
- Circoscrizione
- Frazione
- Località
- Rioni of Rome
References
Bibliography
External links
Template:Commons category Template:Wiktionary
Template:Italy topics Template:Articles on third-level administrative divisions of countries Template:Types of administrative country subdivision Template:Authority control