Comune
Municipalities of Italy Comuni(Italian) | |
---|---|
Category | Regionalised unitary state |
Location | Italian Republic |
Number | 7,904 |
Populations | 32 (Morterone) – 2,758,454 (Rome) |
Areas | 0.1206 km2(0.0466 sq mi) (Atrani) – 1,287.36 km2(497.05 sq mi) (Rome) |
Government |
|
Subdivisions |
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Italy_-_Regions%2C_provinces_and_municipalities.svg/310px-Italy_-_Regions%2C_provinces_and_municipalities.svg.png)
Regions(black borders)
Provinces(dark gray borders)
Comuni(light grey borders)
Acomune(Italian:[koˈmuːne];pl.:comuni,Italian:[koˈmuːni]) is anadministrative divisionofItaly,roughly equivalent to atownshipormunicipality.[1]It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions (regioni) and provinces (province). Thecomunecan also have thetitle ofcittà(lit. 'city').[2]
Formedpraeter legemaccording to the principles consolidated inmedieval municipalities,[3]thecomuneis provided for by art. 114 of theConstitution of Italy.[4]It can be divided intofrazioni,which in turn may have limited power due to special elective assemblies.[5]
In the autonomous region of theAosta Valley,acomuneis officially called acomunein French.
Overview
[edit]Thecomuneprovides essential public services:registryof births and deaths,registry of deeds,and maintenance of local roads and public works.[6][7][8]Manycomunihave aPolizia Comunale(lit. 'Communal Police'), which is responsible for public order duties.[9]Thecomunealso deal with the definition and compliance with thepiano regolatore generale(lit. 'general regulator plan'), a document that regulates the building activity within the communal area.[10]
All communal structures or schools, sports and cultural structures such as communal libraries, theaters, etc. are managed by thecomuni.[11]Comunimust have their own communal statute and have a climatic and seismic classification of their territory for the purposes of hazard mitigation andcivil protection.[12]Comunialso deal with thewaste management.[13]
It is headed by amayor(sindacoorsindaca) assisted by a legislative body, theconsiglio comunale(lit. 'communal council'), and an executive body, thegiunta comunale(lit. 'communal committee').[14]The mayor and members of theconsiglio comunaleare 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 theconsiglio's seats.[15]
Thegiunta comunaleis chaired by the mayor, who appoints others members, calledassessori,one of whom serves as deputy mayor (vicesindaco).[16]The offices of thecomuneare housed in a building usually called themunicipio,orpalazzo comunale(lit. 'town hall').[17]
As of January 2021, there were 7,904comuniin Italy;[18]they vary considerably in size and population. For example, thecomuneofRome,inLazio,has an area of 1,287.36 km2(497.05 sq mi) and a population of 2,758,454 inhabitants, and is both the largest and the most populated.[19]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Corona_di_comune.svg/220px-Corona_di_comune.svg.png)
Atraniin theprovince of Salerno(Campania) was the smallestcomuneby area, with only 0.1206 km2(0.0466 sq mi),[20]andMorterone(Lombardy) is the smallest by population.[21]Many present-daycomunitrace their roots along timescales spanning centuries and at times millennia.[22][23]
The northernmostcomuneisPredoi,the southernmost oneLampedusa e Linosa,the westernmostBardonecchiaand the easternmostOtranto.[24]Thecomunewith the longest name isSan Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore,[25]while thecomuniwith the shortest name areLu,Ro,Ne,ReandVo'.[26]
The population density of thecomunivaries widely byprovinceandregion.Theprovince of Barletta-Andria-Trani,for example, has 381,091 inhabitants in 10comuni,[27]or over 39,000 inhabitants percomune;whereas theprovince of Iserniahas 81,415 inhabitants in 52comuni,[28]or 1,640 inhabitants percomune– roughly 24 times more communal units per inhabitant.
The coats of arms of thecomuniare assigned by decree of thePrime Minister of Italyby the Office of State Ceremonial and Honors, Honors and Heraldry Service (division of the Presidency of the Council born from the transformation of the RoyalConsulta Araldica,eliminated pursuant to the provisions final of theConstitution of Italy).[29]
Subdivisions
[edit]Year | Number | Population | Pop/Comune |
---|---|---|---|
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 withincomunivary according to their population size.
Comuniwith at least 250,000 residents are divided intocircoscrizioni[31](roughly equivalent to FrencharrondissementsorLondon boroughs) to which thecomunedelegates administrative functions like the running of schools, social services and waste collection; the delegated functions vary fromcomunetocomune.These bodies are headed by an elected president and a local council.
Smallercomuniusually comprise:
- A main city, town or village, that almost always gives its name to thecomune;such a place is referred to as thecapoluogo(lit. 'head-place'or'capital';cf. theFrenchchef-lieu) of thecomune;the wordcomuneis also used in casual speech to refer to the city hall.
- Outlying areas often calledfrazioni(sg.:frazione,abbreviated:fraz.;lit. 'fraction'), each usually centred on a small town or village. Thesefrazioniusually never had pasts as independent settlements, but occasionally are former smallercomuniconsolidated into a larger one. They may also represent settlements which predate thecapoluogo.The ancient town ofPollentia(today Pollenzo), for instance, is afrazioneofBra.In recent years thefrazionihave become more important due to the institution of theconsiglio di frazione(lit. 'fraction council'), a local form ofgovernmentwhich can interact with thecomuneto address local needs, requests and claims. Even smaller places are calledlocalità(abbreviated:loc.;lit. 'localities').
- Smaller administrative divisions calledmunicipi,[32]rioni,quartieri,terzieri,sestieriorcontrade,which are similar todistrictsandneighbourhoods.
Sometimes afrazionemight be more populated than thecapoluogo;and rarely, owing to unusual circumstances (like depopulation), the town hall and its administrative functions can be moved to one of thefrazioni,but thecomunestill retains the name of thecapoluogo.
In some cases, acomunemight not have the same name ofcapoluogo.In these cases, it is acomune sparso(lit. 'dispersedcomune') and thefrazionewhich hosts the town hall (municipio) is asede municipale(comparecounty seat).
Homonymy
[edit]There are not many perfect homonymouscomuni.There are only six cases in 12comuni:[33]
- Calliano:Calliano, PiedmontandCalliano, Trentino
- Castro:Castro, ApuliaandCastro, Lombardy
- Livo:Livo, LombardyandLivo, Trentino
- Peglio:Peglio, LombardyandPeglio, Marche
- Samone:Samone, PiedmontandSamone, Trentino
- San Teodoro:San Teodoro, SardiniaandSan Teodoro, Sicily
This is mostly due to the fact the name of the province or region was appended to the name of thecomunein order to avoid the confusion. Two provincial capitals share the nameReggio:Reggio nell'Emilia,the capital of theprovince of Reggio Emilia,in theEmilia-Romagnaregion, andReggio di Calabria,the capital of thehomonymous metropolitan city,in theCalabriaregion. Many other towns or villages are likewise partial homonyms (e.g.Anzola dell'EmiliaandAnzola d'Ossola,orBagnara CalabraandBagnara di Romagna).
Title of city
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Corona_di_Citt%C3%A0_Italiana.svg/220px-Corona_di_Citt%C3%A0_Italiana.svg.png)
The title ofcittà(lit. 'city') in Italy is granted tocomunithat have been awarded it by decree of theKing of Italy(until 1946) or of the provisional head of state (from 1946 to 1948) or, subsequently, of thePresident of the Republic(after 1948), on the proposal of theMinistry of the Interior,to which thecomuneconcerned sends an application for a concession, by virtue of their historical, artistic, civic or demographic importance.[2]
Thecomuniendowed with the title ofcittàusually 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."[34]
Statistics
[edit]Largestcomuniby area
[edit]The following is a list of the largestcomuniin Italy, in descending order of surface area, according toISTATdata referring to 9 October 2011.[35]Theprovincialcapitals are highlighted in bold.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/IT-Rom-kaiserforen.jpg/220px-IT-Rom-kaiserforen.jpg)
Rank | Comune | Region | Province | Area (km2) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rome | Lazio | Rome | 1,287.36 km2(497.05 sq mi) |
2 | Ravenna | Emilia-Romagna | Ravenna | 653.82 km2(252.44 sq mi) |
3 | Cerignola | Apulia | Foggia | 593.93 km2(229.32 sq mi) |
4 | Noto | Sicily | Syracuse | 554.99 km2(214.28 sq mi) |
5 | Sassari | Sardinia | Sassari | 547.04 km2(211.21 sq mi) |
6 | Monreale | Sicily | Palermo | 530.18 km2(204.70 sq mi) |
7 | Gubbio | Umbria | Perugia | 525.78 km2(203.00 sq mi) |
8 | Foggia | Apulia | Foggia | 509.26 km2(196.63 sq mi) |
9 | L'Aquila | Abruzzo | L'Aquila | 473.91 km2(182.98 sq mi) |
10 | Grosseto | Tuscany | Grosseto | 473.55 km2(182.84 sq mi) |
11 | Perugia | Umbria | Perugia | 449.51 km2(173.56 sq mi) |
12 | Ragusa | Sicily | Ragusa | 444.67 km2(171.69 sq mi) |
13 | Altamura | Apulia | Bari | 431.38 km2(166.56 sq mi) |
14 | Caltanissetta | Sicily | Caltanissetta | 421.25 km2(162.65 sq mi) |
15 | Venice | Veneto | Venice | 415.90 km2(160.58 sq mi) |
16 | Viterbo | Lazio | Viterbo | 406.23 km2(156.85 sq mi) |
17 | Ferrara | Emilia-Romagna | Ferrara | 405.16 km2(156.43 sq mi) |
18 | Andria | Apulia | Barletta-Andria-Trani | 402.89 km2(155.56 sq mi) |
19 | Matera | Basilicata | Matera | 392.09 km2(151.39 sq mi) |
20 | Città di Castello | Umbria | Perugia | 387.32 km2(149.55 sq mi) |
21 | Gravina in Puglia | Apulia | Bari | 384.74 km2(148.55 sq mi) |
22 | Arezzo | Tuscany | Arezzo | 384.70 km2(148.53 sq mi) |
23 | Olbia | Sardinia | Sassari | 383.64 km2(148.12 sq mi) |
24 | Caltagirone | Sicily | Catania | 383.38 km2(148.02 sq mi) |
25 | Manciano | Tuscany | Grosseto | 372.51 km2(143.83 sq mi) |
26 | Enna | Sicily | Enna | 358.75 km2(138.51 sq mi) |
27 | Manfredonia | Apulia | Foggia | 354.54 km2(136.89 sq mi) |
28 | Spoleto | Umbria | Perugia | 348.14 km2(134.42 sq mi) |
29 | Corigliano-Rossano | Calabria | Cosenza | 346.56 km2(133.81 sq mi) |
30 | Cortona | Tuscany | Arezzo | 342.97 km2(132.42 sq mi) |
Smallestcomuniby area
[edit]The following is a list of the smallestcomuniin Italy, in ascending order of surface area, according toISTATdata referring to 9 October 2011.[35]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Piazzetta_-_panoramio_%287%29.jpg/220px-Piazzetta_-_panoramio_%287%29.jpg)
Rank | Comune | Region | Province | Area (km2) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Atrani | Campania | Salerno | 0.1206 km2(0.0466 sq mi) |
2 | Miagliano | Piedmont | Biella | 0.6678 km2(0.2578 sq mi) |
3 | Fiorano al Serio | Lombardy | Bergamo | 1.0601 km2(0.4093 sq mi) |
4 | Conca dei Marini | Campania | Salerno | 1.1281 km2(0.4356 sq mi) |
5 | Roccafiorita | Sicily | Messina | 1.1682 km2(0.4510 sq mi) |
6 | Solza | Lombardy | Bergamo | 1.2278 km2(0.4741 sq mi) |
7 | Maslianico | Lombardy | Como | 1.2885 km2(0.4975 sq mi) |
8 | San Lorenzo al Mare | Liguria | Imperia | 1.2886 km2(0.4975 sq mi) |
9 | Crosio della Valle | Lombardy | Varese | 1.4407 km2(0.5563 sq mi) |
10 | Ferrera di Varese | Lombardy | Varese | 1.5265 km2(0.5894 sq mi) |
11 | Casavatore | Campania | Naples | 1.5267 km2(0.5895 sq mi) |
12 | Piario | Lombardy | Bergamo | 1.5451 km2(0.5966 sq mi) |
14 | Vajont | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | Pordenone | 1.5860 km2(0.6124 sq mi) |
15 | Arizzano | Piedmont | Verbano-Cusio-Ossola | 1.5995 km2(0.6176 sq mi) |
16 | Longone al Segrino | Lombardy | Como | 1.6045 km2(0.6195 sq mi) |
17 | Viganò | Lombardy | Lecco | 1.6049 km2(0.6197 sq mi) |
18 | Brunello | Lombardy | Varese | 1.6200 km2(0.6255 sq mi) |
19 | Camparada | Lombardy | Monza e Brianza | 1.6337 km2(0.6308 sq mi) |
20 | Caines | Trentino-Alto Adige | South Tyrol | 1.6345 km2(0.6311 sq mi) |
21 | Curti | Campania | Caserta | 1.6894 km2(0.6523 sq mi) |
22 | Castel Rozzone | Lombardy | Bergamo | 1.7066 km2(0.6589 sq mi) |
23 | Lozza | Lombardy | Varese | 1.7100 km2(0.6602 sq mi) |
24 | Aci Bonaccorsi | Sicily | Catania | 1.7243 km2(0.6658 sq mi) |
25 | Calvignasco | Lombardy | Milan | 1.7272 km2(0.6669 sq mi) |
26 | Ventotene | Lazio | Latina | 1.7454 km2(0.6739 sq mi) |
27 | Lirio | Lombardy | Pavia | 1.7457 km2(0.6740 sq mi) |
28 | Masciago Primo | Lombardy | Varese | 1.8082 km2(0.6981 sq mi) |
29 | Montello | Lombardy | Bergamo | 1.8156 km2(0.7010 sq mi) |
30 | Carzano | Trentino-Alto Adige | Trentino | 1.8202 km2(0.7028 sq mi) |
Highestcomuniby altitude
[edit]The following is a list of the firstcomuniby altitude, in descending order.[36]The indicated altitude coincides with the height abovesea levelof the town hall.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Chiesa_di_Sant%27Antonio_Abate_-_Champlas_du_Col.jpg/220px-Chiesa_di_Sant%27Antonio_Abate_-_Champlas_du_Col.jpg)
Largestcomuniby population
[edit]List of the firstcomuniby population in descending order, according toISTATdata updated to 28 February 2022.[37]Theregionalcapitals are in bold.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Milano%2C_Duomo_with_Milan_Cathedral_and_Galleria_Vittorio_Emanuele_II%2C_2016.jpg/220px-Milano%2C_Duomo_with_Milan_Cathedral_and_Galleria_Vittorio_Emanuele_II%2C_2016.jpg)
Comuniby demographic ranges
[edit]The data is updated as of 1 January 2021.[38]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Map_of_population_density_in_Italy_%282011_census%29_alt_colours.jpg/330px-Map_of_population_density_in_Italy_%282011_census%29_alt_colours.jpg)
Demographic range | Comuni | 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
[edit]The data is updated as of 1 January 2021.[38]
Demographic range | Number ofcomuni | 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
[edit]- 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 inItalian-speaking areas of the countryare calledcomuni
References
[edit]- ^"Italian communes ordered alphabetically".Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^ab"Testo unico delle leggi sull'ordinamento degli enti locali"(in Italian).Retrieved4 May2022.
- ^"CONSUETUDINE"(in Italian).Retrieved6 May2022.
- ^"La Costituzione - Articolo 114"(in Italian).Retrieved6 May2022.
- ^"DECRETO N. 15 DEL 14/11/2019"(PDF)(in Italian).Retrieved6 May2022.
- ^"Gli adempimenti degli uffici Anagrafe"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"Poteri e compiti degli enti proprietari delle strade"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"Settore Lavori pubblici e manutenzione della città"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"Cosa fa polizia locale"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"Che cos'è un piano regolatore?"(in Italian).Retrieved6 May2022.
- ^"Cultura"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"Protezione Civile del Comune di Prato"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"I Comuni, per i rifiuti prodotti nel proprio territorio, a quali vincoli normativi sono soggetti in merito a raccolta e trasporto?"(in Italian).Retrieved6 May2022.
- ^"Funzioni e competenze del consiglio comunale"(in Italian). Archived fromthe originalon 26 August 2022.Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"SISTEMA ELETTORALE COMUNI"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"Funzioni della Giunta"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"Municipio"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^ab"Regioni italiane"(in Italian).Retrieved30 April2022.
- ^"Alcune curiosità sui comuni italiani"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"Atrani: le tante facce del più piccolo comune italiano"(in Italian). Archived fromthe originalon 8 February 2022.Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"Comune che" vince "non si cambia: 29 abitanti, Morterone è ancora il più piccolo d'Italia"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"I comuni nel Medioevo: nascita e sviluppo tra 1200 e 1300"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"Il modello cittadino in epoca romana"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"Luoghi d'Italia da primato"(in Italian).Retrieved6 May2022.
- ^"Comuni con i nomi più lunghi".Archivedfrom the original on 12 April 2019.Retrieved1 April2020.
- ^"Curiosità e nomi particolari"(in Italian).Retrieved6 May2022.
- ^"Provincia di Barletta-Andria-Trani"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"Provincia di Isernia"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"Ufficio del cerimoniale di Stato e per le Onorificenze"(in Italian).Retrieved4 May2022.
- ^"Comuni dal 1861".www.comuniverso.it.Retrieved19 March2017.
- ^"Circoscrizioni di decentramento comunale"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"L'affluenza, municipio per municipio, a Milano, Roma e Napoli: ecco quali zone hanno votato di più"(in Italian).Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^(in Italian)Complete list and infos on Comuni-italiani.it
- ^"Caratteristiche tecniche degli emblemi araldici"(in Italian).Retrieved4 May2022.
- ^ab"La superficie dei comuni, delle province e delle regioni italiane"(in Italian).Retrieved4 May2022.
- ^"Comuni italiani per altitudine"(in Italian).Retrieved4 May2022.
- ^"Statistiche demografiche ISTAT".Archived fromthe originalon 6 October 2021.Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^ab"Comuni per fasce demografiche"(in Italian).Retrieved4 May2022.
External links
[edit]- Associazione Nazionale Comuni Italiani(in Italian)
Media related toMunicipalities in Italyat Wikimedia Commons
The dictionary definition ofcomuneat Wiktionary