View source for Italian Wikipedia

{{short description|Italian-language edition of Wikipedia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Self-reference cleanup}}
{{Circular|date=June 2025}}
}}
{{Infobox website
| name = {{Wiki favicon}} Italian Wikipedia
| logo = Wikipedia-logo-v2-it.svg
| screenshot = [[File:Italian-wikipedia-screenshot.png|280px|The Main Page of the Italian Wikipedia]]
| caption = Main page of the Italian Wikipedia in April 2021
| collapsible = yes
| url = {{URL|https://it.wikipedia.org}}
| commercial = No
| type = [[Internet encyclopedia project]]
| registration = Optional
| language = [[Italian language|Italian]]
| owner = [[Wikimedia Foundation]]
| author = Italian-language [[Wikipedia community]]
| launch_date = {{start date and age|2001|5|10|df=dmy}}
| content_license = {{nobr|[[Creative Commons licenses|Creative Commons Attribution/<br/>Share-Alike]] 4.0}} (most text also dual-licensed under [[GFDL]])<br/>Media licensing varies
}}

The '''Italian Wikipedia''' ({{langx|it|Wikipedia in italiano}}) is the [[Italian language|Italian-language]] edition of [[Wikipedia]]. This edition was created on 10 May 2001,<ref>[[mailarchive:wikipedia-l/2001-May/000116.html|New language wikis]], Wikipedia-l mailing list.</ref> and first edited on 11 June 2001. As of {{TODAY}}, it has {{NUMBEROF|ARTICLES|it|N}} articles and more than {{NUMBEROF|USERS|it|N}} registered accounts.<ref>[[:it:Speciale:Statistics]]. ''Italian Wikipedia'' (in Italian).</ref> It is the {{Ordinal|{{Wikipedia rank by size|it}}}}-largest Wikipedia by the number of articles (after the [[English Wikipedia|English]], [[Swedish Wikipedia|Swedish]], [[German Wikipedia|German]], [[Dutch Wikipedia|Dutch]], [[French Wikipedia|French]], [[Cebuano Wikipedia|Cebuano]], [[Russian Wikipedia|Russian]], and [[Spanish Wikipedia|Spanish]] editions).<ref>[[meta:List of Wikipedias|List of Wikipedias]]. ''Meta-Wiki''.</ref>

==History==
As early as March 2001, [[Jimmy Wales]], the creator and co-founder of the original English language [[Wikipedia]], had proposed the creation of parallel Wikipedia projects in other languages.<ref>[https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikipedia-l/2001-March/000048.html Alternative language wikipedias], Wikipedia-l mailing list. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140620120728/https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikipedia-l/2001-March/000048.html|date=2014-06-20}} language wikipedias</ref> The Italian-language version was among the first ones to be created, in May 2001. The original [[URL]] was {{mono|italian.wikipedia.com}}, while the standardized [[ISO 639]] address {{mono|it.wikipedia.com}} became active a few days later.<ref>[[mailarchive:wikipedia-l/2001-May/000132.html|Re: new language wikis]], Wikipedia-l mailing list.</ref> Afterwards, Wikipedia sites switched their [[Internet domain|domains]] from {{mono|wikipedia.com}} to {{mono|wikipedia.org}}. The first pages (around five hundred) were simply untranslated copies from the English-language Wikipedia; the first edits were made from 11 June 2001, onwards.

One of the earlier edits was an appeal to help [[Nupedia]]; the first entries on the Italian Wikipedia were the pages on [[Dante Alighieri]], [[Petrarch]], [[Alessandro Manzoni|Manzoni]], and other Italian writers. The edits were not numerous, and the priority was initially given to helping Nupedia; the lemmas were just twenty or thirty, and there were about ten users. With the end of the Nupedia project, the situation began to improve for the Italian Wikipedia: users started to sign in, and the functions of [[Wikipedia:Administrators|administrators]] and [[Wikipedia:Semi-protection policy|semi-protection]] were implemented. This happened by 2004; the number of articles was {{formatnum:56000}} by then.

In August 2005 the Italian Wikipedia overtook the [[Spanish Wikipedia|Spanish]] and [[Portuguese Wikipedia|Portuguese language editions]], becoming the 8th largest edition by article count. The primary reason for the rapid leap from {{formatnum:56000}} to {{formatnum:64000}} articles was an automated [[internet bot|bot]] which created stub articles on more than {{formatnum:8000}} municipalities of [[Spain]] in an operation dubbed "{{lang|it|Comuni spagnoli}}".<ref>[[:it:Wikipedia:Ultime notizie|Wikipedia:Ultime_notizie]]. ''Italian Wikipedia'' (in Italian).</ref><ref>[[:it:Progetto:Comuni spagnoli|Progetto:Geografia/Antropica/Comuni_spagnoli]]. ''Italian Wikipedia'' (in Italian).</ref>

On 8 September 2005, the Italian Wikipedia overtook the [[Dutch Wikipedia]] and one day later, on 9 September, it passed {{formatnum:100000}} articles. On 11 September, it overtook the [[Swedish Wikipedia]], becoming the fifth-largest language edition. Again, automated scripts contributed heavily to the growth. For instance, a bot created more than {{formatnum:35000}} articles on municipalities of [[France]].<ref>[[:it:Progetto:Amministrazioni/Comuni francesi|Progetto:Comuni_della_Francia]]. ''Italian Wikipedia'' (in Italian).</ref> However, it was overtaken by the [[Polish Wikipedia|Polish edition]] on 23 September 2005.

In June 2006, Italian Wikipedia users independently created the [[:it:Template:Bio|Template:Bio]] (with "Bio" being a diminutive of {{lang|it|biografia}}, "[[biography]]"). On 23 October, the Polish version again surpassed the Italian Wikipedia by number of articles. As of 16 October 2006, the registered number of users was {{formatnum:100000}} (90 of which were administrators).

In 2007, the Italian Wikipedia adopted an ''[[m:Non-free content#Exemption Doctrine Policy|Exemption Doctrine Policy]]'', shared with other Wikipedias. In the same year, on 21 May, there were more than {{formatnum:300000}} entries. On 22 January 2008, the entries were {{formatnum:400000}}; on 3 October, they were {{formatnum:500000}}. The number of users had reached {{formatnum:250000}}.

In 2009 the Italian Wikipedia was awarded the [[Premiolino]], the oldest and most prestigious Italian journalism prize, in the new media category.

On 22 June 2010, it passed {{formatnum:700000}} articles ([[:it:Robie House|Robie House]] – 700,000th article). On 28 September 2010, the Italian Wikipedia overtook the Polish Wikipedia, becoming the 4th largest edition, though in October 2010 the numbers on both Wikipedias were very close, and as of 2011 the Polish Wikipedia was in the lead again.<ref>On 12 October 2010: {{formatnum:735444}} (pl) vs {{formatnum:735375}} (it)</ref>
On 12 May 2011, it passed {{formatnum:800000}} articles. On the same day, it overtook the Polish Wikipedia. On 12 March 2012, it passed {{formatnum:900000}} articles. On 22 January 2013, it passed {{formatnum:1000000}} articles.

In April 2016, the project had 2,233 active editors who made at least five edits in that month, and as of March 2022, the project has 121 administrators.

==2011 mass blanking protest==
{{main|DDL intercettazioni|DDL intercettazioni#Paragraph 29}}
[[File:Wikipedia Comunicato 4 ottobre 2011-en - Wikipedia 1317753339711.png|thumb|right|From 4 to 6 October 2011, a [[knowledge blackout]] was in place. During this time, all pages on the Italian Wikipedia project were redirected to this one-page Manifesto.]]
From 4 to 6 October 2011, following a decision adopted by volunteers of the Italian Wikipedia community, a [[knowledge blackout]] was in place. During this time, all of the site's articles were hidden and the website was blocked by its administrators, as a protest against the ''[[DDL intercettazioni]]'' (''Wiretapping Bill''),<ref name="Camera dei Deputati">{{cite web|url=http://www.camera.it/Camera/view/doc_viewer_full?url=http%3A//www.camera.it/_dati/leg16/lavori/stampati/pdf/16PDL0038530.pdf&back_to=http%3A//www.camera.it/126%3FPDL%3D1415-B%26leg%3D16%26tab%3D2%26stralcio%3D%26navette%3D |title=Camera dei Deputati: disegno di legge N. 1415-B |language=it |access-date=October 4, 2011 |work=Camera dei Deputat}}</ref> which was being debated at the time in the [[Camera dei Deputati|Chamber of Deputies]] of the [[Italian parliament]].<ref name="mwblog">{{cite web|url=https://blog.wikimedia.org/2011/10/04/regarding-recent-events-on-italian-wikipedia/ |title=Wikimedia blog » Blog Archive » Regarding recent events on Italian Wikipedia |date=October 4, 2011 |publisher=Blog.wikimedia.org |access-date=October 5, 2011}}</ref>

The controversy largely centered on [[DDL intercettazioni#Paragraph 29|paragraph 29]] of the proposed bill.<ref name="Italian notice">{{cite web|url=https://it.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Comunicato_4_ottobre_2011/en&oldid=43993454|title=Wikipedia:Comunicato 4 ottobre 2011 ("Communication 4 October 2011")|publisher=Italian Wikipedia |date=October 4, 2011| access-date=January 20, 2012}}</ref> According to a public statement by editors of the Italian Wikipedia:<ref name="Italian notice" />

{{blockquote|At this time, the Italian language Wikipedia may be no longer able to continue providing the service that over the years was useful to you, and that you expected to have right now. As things stand, the page you want still exists and is only hidden, but the risk is that soon we will be forced by Law to actually [[Deletion of articles on Wikipedia|delete]] it.

Today, unfortunately, the very pillars on which Wikipedia has been built—neutrality, freedom, and verifiability of its contents—are likely to be heavily compromised by paragraph 29 of a law proposal, also known as "DDL intercettazioni" (Wiretapping Act). This proposal, which the Italian Parliament is currently debating, provides, among other things, a requirement to all websites to publish, within 48 hours of the request and without any comment, a correction of any content that the applicant deems detrimental to his/her image.

Unfortunately, the law does not require an evaluation of the claim by an impartial third judge—the opinion of the person allegedly injured is all that is required, in order to impose such correction to any website. Hence, anyone who feels offended by any content published on a blog, an online newspaper and, most likely, even on Wikipedia would have the right for a statement ("correction") to be shown, unaltered, on the page, aimed to contradict and disprove the allegedly harmful contents, regardless of the truthfulness of the information deemed as offensive, and its sources.}}

The bill allowed for a fine of between €9,500 and €12,000.<ref name="guardian">Hooper, John (27 September 2011). [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/sep/27/italy-bloggers-protest-right-reply-bill "Italy's bloggers to protest over 'fascist' right to reply bill"]. ''[[The Guardian]]''. Retrieved 6 October 2011.</ref>

This was the first time that a Wikipedia had blanked all its content to protest.<ref>[[:it:Wikipedia:Comunicato 4 ottobre 2011/en|Official announcement (English version)]]; permanent link: https://it.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Comunicato_4_ottobre_2011&oldid=43934170.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2011/10/04/news/wikipedia_in_bianco_contro_le_intercettazioni-22703312/ |title=Intercettazioni, Wikipedia protesta – Homepage in bianco: "Inaccettabile ddl" |language=it |work=[[la Repubblica]] |date=October 4, 2011 |access-date=October 4, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006035622/http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2011/10/04/news/wikipedia_in_bianco_contro_le_intercettazioni-22703312/ |archive-date=2011-10-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/241149/wikipedia_hides_italian_language_edition_to_protest_new_law.html |title=Wikipedia Hides Italian Language Edition to Protest New Law &#124; PCWorld Business Center |publisher=Pcworld.com |date= October 4, 2011|access-date=October 5, 2011}}</ref> The [[Wikimedia Foundation]] officially supported the decision of the Italian Wikipedia by a statement released the same day.<ref name="mwblog"/> {{As of|2011|10|05|df=dmy}} the manifesto, which replaced the Italian Wikipedia, had been viewed approximately 8 million times.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stats.grok.se/it/201110/Wikipedia%3AComunicato_4_ottobre_2011 |title=Wikipedia article traffic statistics |publisher=Stats.grok.se |access-date=October 5, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008173429/http://stats.grok.se/it/201110/Wikipedia:Comunicato_4_ottobre_2011 |archive-date=October 8, 2011 }}</ref> On 6 October 2011, the website content was restored, with a banner across the top of each page explaining the reason for the protest.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gqt7W7Fn1fKrfqU1cPF0Mr6M-R3w?docId=CNG.c05571d1da8b533f5fbbc6407b4da20d.1b1 |title=AFP: Wikipedia in Italian reopens after media law protest |access-date=September 19, 2016 |archive-date=June 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609080105/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gqt7W7Fn1fKrfqU1cPF0Mr6M-R3w?docId=CNG.c05571d1da8b533f5fbbc6407b4da20d.1b1 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Other shutdowns==
[[File:Wikipédia italien protestation.PNG|thumb|right|The main page on 18 January 2012. The body text reads, "The Italian Wikipedia welcomes and expresses its solidarity with the protests of its colleagues on the English Wikipedia against the Stop Online Piracy act and the PROTECT IP Act. These bills, if approved by the U.S. Congress, would limit the freedom of the web and the very survival of Wikipedia."]]
On 18 January 2012, the [[English Wikipedia]] was [[Protests against SOPA and PIPA|shut down for 24 hours]], following a decision by contributors to protest against two bills being examined by the [[Congress of the United States]]: the [[Stop Online Piracy Act]] and the [[Protect Intellectual Property Act]]. On that day, the Italian Wikipedia redirected users from its own main page to a black page with a message of support for the decision of the English encyclopedia. Users could then click to access the Italian encyclopedia's content normally.

On 10 July 2012, when the [[Russian Wikipedia]] was closed to protest [[State Duma]]’s debating of amendments to the law "On information" ([[Russian State Duma Bill 89417-6|Law Project No. 89417-6]]), the Italian Wikipedia displayed a site-wide banner supporting the protest.<ref>[https://it.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Sitenotice&diff=next&oldid=50604322 MediaWiki:Sitenotice]"Wikipedia in lingua italiana approva ed esprime solidarietà verso la protesta dei colleghi dell'edizione in lingua russa contro una proposta di legge in discussione alla Duma di Stato. Tale proposta di legge, se approvata, permetterebbe al governo russo di creare una blacklist per impedire l'accesso a determinati siti internet, al pari del Great Firewall cinese."</ref>
{{blockquote|The Italian Wikipedia approves of, and is in solidarity with, the Russian Wikipedia's protest against the proposed law being debated in the Duma. This change in the law, if approved, would permit the Russian government to create a blacklist preventing access to specific websites, like the [[Internet censorship in the People's Republic of China|Great Chinese Firewall]].}}

In November 2012, messages appeared on the Italian Wikipedia protesting the [[Italian Senate]]'s [http://www.senato.it/leg/16/BGT/Schede_v3/Ddliter/testi/38848_testi.htm Bill #3491], [http://www.senato.it/japp/bgt/showdoc/frame.jsp?tipodoc=Emend&leg=16&id=681527&idoggetto=709641 3204], [http://www.senato.it/japp/bgt/showdoc/frame.jsp?tipodoc=Emend&leg=16&id=681524&idoggetto=709641 3.400] and especially [http://www.senato.it/japp/bgt/showdoc/frame.jsp?tipodoc=Emend&leg=16&id=681530&idoggetto=709641 3.207].<ref>[[:it:Wikipedia:Comunicato 24 ottobre 2012/en]]</ref>

[[File:Italian Wikipedia shut down.png|thumb|Screenshot of Italian Wikipedia on 3 July 2018]]
From 3 to 5 July 2018, to protest the [[Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market]], the Italian Wikipedia displayed a site-wide banner supporting the protest, and disabled all searches and contributions.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-07-03 |title=Italy Wikipedia shuts down in protest at EU copyright law |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44696302 |access-date=2022-10-27}}</ref>

[[File:Wikipedia_screenshot_25-03-2019.png|thumb|Message shown on Italian Wikipedia on 25 March 2019]]
From 25 March 2019 for the following 24 hours, Italian Wikipedia contents were not accessible, replaced by a message encouraging the readers to contact their European Parliament representatives to vote against Article 11 and Article 13 of the European Copyright Directive to be discussed on 26 May.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-25 |title=Comunicati stampa/Blocco Wikipedia – Wikimedia Italia |url=https://wiki.wikimedia.it/wiki/Comunicati_stampa/Blocco_Wikipedia |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331134832/https://wiki.wikimedia.it/wiki/Comunicati_stampa/Blocco_Wikipedia |archive-date=2019-03-31 |access-date=2022-10-27 |website=wiki.wikimedia.it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Porro |first=Gabriele |date=2019-03-25 |title=Wikipedia Italia oscurata contro la riforma europea del copyright |trans-title=Wikipedia Italy blacked out against the European copyright reform |url=https://www.wired.it/internet/web/2019/03/25/wikipedia-italia-oscurata-protesta-copyright/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326170327/https://www.wired.it/internet/web/2019/03/25/wikipedia-italia-oscurata-protesta-copyright/ |archive-date=2019-03-26 |access-date=2022-10-27 |website=Wired Italia |language=it-IT}}</ref>

== Features ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2008}}
* The Italian Wikipedia currently accepts free images licensed under the [[GFDL]] and [[Creative Commons]]. Fair use images have been rejected since April 2006 due to potential copyright problems, and many of them were subsequently replaced during 2007 with equivalents which follow Italian law.
* The Italian Wikipedia has used automated scripts to create articles, much like the English Wikipedia.
* Administrators are elected through a vote; a minimal [[quorum]] of 65–70 voters and 80% of support votes are required if the request is to be considered successful. Any administrator is automatically open to recall after a year of service. The community then decides whether to let them keep the role or not with a vote. Administrators who have been inactive (have not used any administrative tools such as the "delete" or "block" buttons) for six months automatically lose their privileges.
* Unlike English Wikipedia or Russian Wikipedia, there are optional disclaimers that may be displayed in the articles.

==References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Italian Wikipedia}}
{{InterWiki|code=it}}

{{Wikipedia}}
{{Wikipedias}}
{{Wikipedias in Romance languages}}

[[Category:Wikipedias in Romance languages]]
[[Category:Encyclopedias in Italian|Wikipedia]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 2001]]
[[Category:Italian-language websites|Wikipedia]]