Provinces of Italy

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Updates: 

The original ISO 3166-2 Newsletter I-8 was published on 2007-04-17. It had ISO codes for the new provinces of Italy. However, two of them didn't match the provincial sigle. When this was brought to the attention of the maintenance agency, they revised the codes. A corrected version of the newsletter was issued, bearing the same date; I received notification of it on 2007-05-10. (The reason I go into all this detail is that some of my readers may have saved the original newsletter, and may now be wondering why their ISO codes don't match mine.) The updated codes are shown in the table below.

Thanks to Richard Forstall for providing me with demonyms for two new provinces. Thanks to Gabriele Marcoccia for providing me with demonyms for four regions which I had not listed.

The NUTS code scheme was revised in 2003. All codes for Italy that were listed on this page have changed. The NUTS-1 level areas, known as gruppi di regioni (groups of regions) were consolidated from eleven groups into five. The new codes are shown.

Mario Pezza writes that new provinces appear on maps as of the date of the law creating them, but only become active when their first provincial council is elected. Therefore, the provinces of Barletta-Andria-Trani, Fermo, and Monza e Brianza are defined as of 2004-06-11, the date the laws were passed. The projected dates when they will become active are 2008 (Barletta), 2009-01-01 (Fermo), and 2009 (Monza). Wikipedia says that Monza will be the sole capital of Monza e Brianza. I have added these provinces to the table in anticipation.

International standard ISO 3166-2 was published on December 15, 1998. It superseded ISO/DIS 3166-2 (draft international standard). For Italy, the draft standard showed 20 regions and ignored the provinces. The final standard shows the same 20 regions with the same codes, but no longer as primary divisions of Italy. Instead, the 103 provinces are shown as the primary subdivisions.

Country overview: 

Italy struggled its way to national unification in the 19th century, except for some Italian-speaking borderlands called Italia irredenta (unredeemed Italy). In World War I, Italy chose the winning side. In reward, it achieved its main territorial ambitions: the incorporation of the South Tyrol and the area around Trieste. After World War II, as a defeated Axis power, it lost part of Trieste, and all of its colonies.

Other names of country: 

1. Danish: Italien
2. Dutch: Italië, Italiaanse Republiek (formal)
3. English: Italian Republic (formal)
4. Finnish: Italia
5. French: Italie f
6. German: Italien n
7. Icelandic: Ítalía
8. Italian: Italia f, Repubblica Italiana (formal)
9. Norwegian: Italia, Republikken Italia (formal)
10. Portuguese: Itália f, República f Italiana (formal)
11. Spanish: Italia f, República f Italiana (formal)
12. Swedish: Italien

Origin of name: 

from Vituli, name of a tribe in Apulia

Primary subdivisions: 

Italy is divided into 110 province (sing. provincia: provinces).

Note: ISO codes have not yet been assigned for the three newest provinces, Barletta-Andria-Trani, Fermo, and Monza e Brianza. I have listed the sigle automobilistiche instead. Sigle automobilistiche, or sigle de provenienza (vehicle codes, provenance codes) are used in Italy on license plates, maps, forms, etc. In the past, the ISO codes had always matched the sigle. However, in 2007, ISO pulled a switch. When assigning codes to the new Sardinian provinces created in 2001 and activated in 2005, ISO deviated from the sigle in two cases: Medio Campidano (whose sigla is VS) and Olbia-Tempio (OT).

License plates from Rome province, however, have the full name, ROMA. About 2000, when the province names changed, the sigle for Forlì-Cesena changed from FO to FC, and for Pesaro e Urbino from PS to PU. For more historical background, see the targhe  page.

Further subdivisions:

See the Communes of Italy page.

Above the province level, Italy is subdivided into twenty regione (pl. regioni: region). Officially, these are autonomous regions with ordinary statute, except for five autonomous regions with special statute (FV, SC, SD, TT, VD). Both regions and provinces are frequently used in statistical lists, and to locate places. Regions were known as compartimenti (departments) until World War II. The provinces are further subdivided into comuni (communes). There are also some groups of communes that form an intermediate administrative level, the circondari (districts). When new provinces are formed, sometimes the area of the province is a former circondaro.

At the NUTS-2 level, Trentino-Alto Adige is divided into two codes: ITD1 for Provincia Autonoma Bolzano/Bozen and ITD2 for Provincia Autonoma Trento.

NUTS-1 regions, significant only for statistical purposes, are as follows.

Territorial extent: 

1. The region of Sardinia corresponds to the island of Sardinia. Any province in Sardinia region lies mainly on the island of Sardinia, although it may include other nearby islands. The same is true of Sicily.
2. The regions of Venezia, Venezia Giulia e Zara, and Venezia Tridentina together were sometimes called Tre Venezie (the three Venetias), or Triveneto. They correspond to the modern regions of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Veneto, plus some territory in Croatia and Slovenia.
3. Agrigento includes the Pelagian Islands: Lampedusa, Linosa, and the tiny islet of Lampione.
4. Arezzo includes an exclave within Pesaro e Urbino, which consequently is also an exclave of Tuscany region within Marche. It's part of Badia Tedalda commune.
5. Benevento includes an exclave within Avellino, constituting the commune of Pannarano.
6. Cagliari includes the islands of Sant' Antíoco and San Pietro.
7. Caltanissetta includes an exclave within Palermo, constituting the commune of Resuttano.
8. Como includes a small exclave within the canton of Ticino, Switzerland, constituting the commune of Campione d'Italia.
9. Enna includes a tiny exclave within Caltanissetta.
10. Foggia includes the Tremiti islands: San Domino, San Nicola, Caprara, Pianosa, etc.
11. Gorizia includes islands in the Laguna di Grado, as far west as the inlet of Porto Buso.
12. Grosseto includes the islands of Giglio, Giannutri, and the Formiche di Grosseto.
13. Latina includes the islands of Ponza, Palmarola, Ventoténe, Zamone, and other nearby islands.
14. Livorno includes most of the Tuscan Archipelago, including the islands of Elba, Capraia, Montecristo, Pianosa, and Gorgona.
15. Matera includes an exclave within Potenza, part of Tricárico commune.
16. Messina includes the Aeolian (Lipari) Islands, of which the largest are Lipari, Salina, Vulcano, Stromboli, Filicudi, Alicudi, and Panarea.
17. When Monza e Brianza becomes a separate province, Milan will include an exclave of Lentate sul Severo, surrounded by Como and Monza e Brianza.
18. Naples includes the islands of Ischia, Capri, Prócida, and other nearby islands.
19. Oristano includes the island of Mal di Ventre.
20. Palermo includes an exclave within Agrigento, part of Bisacquino commune.
21. Perugia includes an exclave within Pesaro e Urbino (which consequently is also an exclave of Umbria region within Marche), part of Città di Castello commune.
22. Rimini includes a tiny exclave within Pesaro e Urbino (and barely touching San Marino; consequently also an exclave of Emilia-Romagna region within Marche), part of Verucchio commune.
23. Sassari includes neighboring islands such as Asinara, Maddalena, Caprera, Spargi, Tavolara, Molara, Santo Stefano, Santa Maria, Rázzoli, and Budelli.
24. Terni includes an exclave on the border between Perugia and Siena, part of Fabro commune.
25. Trapani includes the islands of Pantelleria, Maréttimo, and the Égadi islands (Favignana, Lévanzo, etc.).
26. Udine includes islands in the Laguna di Marano, as far east as Santa Andrea.
27. Viterbo includes a small exclave on the border between Rieti and Terni, part of Gallese commune.

Origins of names: 

1. Abruzzi: unknown, may be related to Latin aper: boar or abruptus: steep
2. Alessandria: after Pope Alexander III
3. Ancona: Ancient Greek ankon: bent arms, for the shape of two promontories
4. Avellino: Latin Abellinum: pertaining to Abella, a city in Campania
5. Bari: possibly from Ancient Greek baris: fortified house
6. Basilicata: Ancient Greek basilikos: royal; former name Lucania is from Latin lucus: woods
7. Benevento: named Maleventum prior to 268 B.C., when it was changed to Beneventum (Latin bene: good, eventum: fortune); however, Maleventum probably came from mal: height, not malus: bad
8. Bolzano: possibly from Bautianum: Bautius's plantation
9. Brindisi: brention: stag's head
10. Cagliari: Greek Karalis, from pre-Indo-European kar: rock
11. Calabria: from Calaber, ethnic name
12. Caltanissetta: diminutive of Caltanissa, said to be from Arabic Kal`at: castle, an-Nisa': of women
13. Campania: Latin campania: countryside, fields
14. Campobasso: Italian for low field
15. Caserta: Italian casa: house, erta: elevated, for a castle overlooking it
16. Crotone: possibly from Ancient Greek kroton: castor-oil plant
17. Cuneo: Latin cuneus: corner (between the Gesso and Stura Rivers)
18. Emilia: from Latin Æmilia Regio, the destination of the Via Æmilia, whose construction began under consul Marcus Æmilius Lepidus
19. Ferrara: probably Latin ferraria: iron smithy
20. Florence: from Latin Florentia: flowering place
21. Foggia: Italian dialect for ditch
22. Forlì: Latin forum Livii: city of Livius (Roman consul Marcus Livius Salinator)
23. Friuli: Latin Forum Julium: city of Julius Caesar
24. Gorizia: Slovenian Gorica: little mountain
25. Grosseto: possibly place of the grossi (type of fig trees)
26. Imperia: after the river Impero; created in 1923 by the union of Porto Maurizio and Oneglia
27. L'Aquila: Italian for "the eagle"
28. Latina: renamed from Littoria in 1945 to avoid Fascist overtones; located in northern Latium
29. Lazio: Latin Latium: broad plain
30. Liguria: from Liguri, ethnic name
31. Lodi: Latin Laude Pompeia: mention of Pompey, after Cneius Pompeius Strabo
32. Lombardy: from ethnic name Langobardi, meaning men with long beards (or axes)
33. Macerata: Latin for pisé, or rammed earth, because that method of construction was used
34. Marche: Italian for march (buffer state)
35. Messina: after the Greek region of Messinia, because of colonists from there
36. Milan: Gallic medio: middle, lanon: inhabited place, through Latin Mediolanum
37. Modena: possibly from Etruscan mutna: tomb
38. Naples: Ancient Greek nea: new, polis: city
39. Padua: probably from Padus, the Latin name of the Po River
40. Palermo: Ancient Greek pan: all, hormos: anchorage (i.e. good harbor)
41. Pescara: Medieval Latin piscaria: fish market
42. Piacenza: Latin placentia: pleasure
43. Piedmont: piedmont, or foothills, of the Alps
44. Pisa: possibly pre-Indo-European pisa: wetland
45. Pistoia: from Latin pistor: grinder of grain
46. Ravenna: possibly pre-Indo-European rava: torrent
47. Romagna: land of the Romans, as it remained part of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire after the fall of Rome
48. Sicily: from ethnic name Sikeloi
49. Syracuse: named for a swamp
50. Trapani: Ancient Greek drepanon: scythe, for the shape of a promontory
51. Trentino-Alto Adige: Alto Adige means the upstream part of the Adige River
52. Trieste: probably from an Indo-European root meaning market
53. Turin: Latin Augusta Taurinorum, from the ethnic name Taurini
54. Tuscany: Latin Tuscus: having to do with the Etruscans
55. Valle d'Aosta: Valley of Aosta (city). Aosta comes from Latin Augusta prætoria Salassorum. It was a colony founded by emperor Augustus to house his pretorian guard, in the land of the Salassi.
56. Venetia, Venice: land of the Veneti (ethnic name)

Change history: 

1. 1920-07-16: Treaty of Saint-Germain took effect. Territory was transferred from several provinces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to Italy. The southern part of Tyrol province (about half) and a small part of Carinthia became Venezia Tridentina region, consisting of Trento province. Most of Coastland (Küstenland) province and the enclave of Zara in Dalmatia were annexed to Venezia region, becoming the provinces of Gorizia, Pola, and Trieste.
2. 1920-11-12: Treaty of Rapallo signed, by which Fiume (Rijeka) became a free state, and Italy received two groups of Adriatic islands: in the north, Cherso (Cres), Lussin (Lošinj), and some smaller islands; in the south, Lagosta (Lastovo), Pelagosa (Palagruža), and others.
3. 1923: Name of city and province of Porto Maurizio changed to Imperia. Name of Udine province, but not its capital, changed to Friuli.
4. 1924-01-27: City of Fiume, and most of the Free State, annexed to Italy by treaty with Yugoslavia, becoming the province of Fiume in the region of Venezia.
5. 1927: Nuoro province formed from parts of Cagliari and Sassari. Pistoia province split from Florence. Name of city and province of Girgenti changed to Agrigento. Name of city and province of Castrogiovanni changed to Enna.
6. ~1927: Aosta province split from Turin. Bolzano province split from Trento. Brindisi and Taranto provinces split from Lecce. Castrogiovanni province formed from parts of Caltanissetta and Catania. Frosinone and Viterbo provinces split from Rome. La Spezia and Savona provinces split from Genoa. Matera province split from Potenza. Pescara province formed from parts of Chieti and Teramo. Ragusa province split from Syracuse. Rieti and Terni provinces split from Perugia; Rieti province transferred from Umbria region to Lazio. Varese province split from Como. Vercelli province split from Novara.
7. 1934: Littoria province split from Rome.
8. ~1935: Venezia region split into Venezia Euganea and Venezia Giulia e Zara regions. The latter consisted of Fiume, Gorizia, Pola, and Trieste provinces.
9. ~1937: Name of Taranto province, but not its capital, changed to Ionio.
10. 1937: Name of Pola province, but not its capital, changed to Istria.
11. 1938: Name of Massa-Carrara province, and its capital Massa, changed to Apuania.
12. ~1939: Asti province split from Alessandria. Name of Fiume province, but not its capital, changed to Carnaro. Name of Basilicata region changed to Lucania.
13. ~1945: Massa city, Massa-Carrara, Taranto, and Udine provinces, and Basilicata region restored to their pre-war names. Name of Littoria city and province changed to Latina.
14. 1946-05-15: Sicily became an autonomous region with special statute.
15. 1947-02-10: Peace treaty signed. Four small areas transferred from Piedmont and Liguria regions to France. An area around Trieste was made into the Free Territory of Trieste. It consisted of Zone A, containing Trieste itself, under U.S.-British allied military administration, and Zone B, under Yugoslavian military administration. Venezia Giulia e Zara region (except for small part of Gorizia province and the Free Territory of Trieste) transferred to Yugoslavia.
16. 1947: Name of Venezia Tridentina region changed to Trentino-Alto Adige.
17. 1948: Name of Emilia region changed to Emilia-Romagna.
18. 1948-02-26: Valle d'Aosta region, consisting of the province of Aosta, split from Piedmont. It and Sardinia and Trentino-Alto Adige became autonomous regions with special statute.
19. 1954-10-25: Zone A of Free Territory of Trieste annexed to Italy as the province of Trieste.
20. 1963-01-31: Venezia Euganea region (capital Venice) split into Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto. Friuli-Venezia Giulia, an autonomous region with special statute, consisted of the provinces of Gorizia, Trieste, and Udine.
21. ~1965: Abruzzi and Molise region (capital L'Aquila) split into Abruzzi region and Molise region.
22. ~1969: Pordenone province split from Udine.
23. 1974-07-16: Oristano province formed from parts of Cagliari and Nuoro.
24. ~1979: Isernia province split from Campobasso.
25. 1992-03-06: Biella province split from Vercelli.
26. 1992-03-27: Prato province split from Florence.
27. 1996-01-01: New provinces created: Crotone and Vibo Valentia split from Catanzaro; Lecco formed from part of Como and smaller part of Bergamo; Lodi split from Milan; Rimini split from Forlì; Verbania split from Novara. Several of these had previously been circondari.
28. ~2000: Name of Forlì province changed to Forlì-Cesena; name of Verbania province changed to Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.
29. 2001-07-12: Law passed, creating four new provinces in Sardinia region. Carbonia-Iglesias and Medio Campidano provinces split from Cagliari (former HASC code IT.CA). Ogliastra split from Nuoro (IT.NU). Olbia-Tempio formed from parts of Nuoro and Sassari (IT.SS). Parts of Nuoro transferred to Cagliari and Oristano (IT.OR). The new provinces became active following the elections of 2005-05-22 to 23. In earlier plans, Olbia-Tempio would have been named Gallura, and Carbonia-Iglesias would have been Sulcis-Iglesiente. A map of the changes appears on this Sardinia  page.
30. 2004-06-11: Three new provinces created. In Apulia region, Barletta-Andria-Trani was formed from parts of Bari (former HASC code IT.BA; 2001 population, 1,559,662; area, 5,139 km.²) and Foggia (IT.FG, 690,992, 7,192). In Marche, Fermo was split from Ascoli-Piceno (IT.AP, 369,371, 2,089). In the Lombardy region, Monza e Brianza was split from Milan (IT.MI, 3,707,210, 1,985). Their creation was approved by the Chamber of Deputies on 2003-10-29; passed by the Senate on 2004-05-19 (2004-05-12 in the case of Monza e Brianza); signed by the President on 2004-06-11; and published in the Official Gazette on 2004-06-15.
31. 2006-12: Provisional sigla of Medio Campidano changed from MD to VS.

Other names of subdivisions: 

Regions:

1. Abruzzi: Abruzos (Portuguese, Spanish); Abruzzen (German); Abruzzes (French); Abruzzo (variant)
2. Apulia: Apulien (German); Pouilles, Pouille (French); Puglia (Italian, Portuguese); Puglie (Italian-variant)
3. Basilicata: Basilicate (French); Lucania (obsolete)
4. Calabria: Calabre (French); Calabrie (Italian-variant); Kalabrien (German)
5. Campania: Campanha (Portuguese); Campanie (French); Kampanien (German)
6. Emilia-Romagna: Emilia (Italian-obsolete); Emilia-Romaña (Spanish); Émilie-Romagne (French)
7. Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Friaul-Venetien (German); Frioul-Vénétie Julienne (French); Friuli-Venecia Julia (Spanish)
8. Lazio: Lacio (Spanish); Lácio (Portuguese); Latium (French, German, variant)
9. Liguria: Ligurie (French); Ligurien (German)
10. Lombardy: Lombardei (German); Lombardie (French); Lombardia (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish)
11. Marche: Marca (Spanish); Marches (French); Marches, The Marches (variant); Marken (German)
12. Molise: Molisa (Spanish)
13. Piedmont: Piamonte (Spanish); Piemont (German); Piémont (French); Piemonte (Italian, Portuguese)
14. Sardinia: Cerdeña (Spanish); Sardaigne (French); Sardegna (Italian); Sardenha (Portuguese); Sardinië (Dutch); Sardinien (German)
15. Sicily: Sicile (French); Sicilia (Italian, Spanish); Sicilië (Dutch); Sizilien (German)
16. Trentino-Alto Adige: Trentin-Haut Adige (French); Trentino-Alto Adigio (Spanish); Trentino-South Tirol (variant); Trentino-Südtirol (German); Venezia Tridentina (obsolete)
17. Tuscany: Toscana (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish); Toscane (French); Toskana (German)
18. Umbria: Ombrie (French); Umbrien (German)
19. Valle d'Aosta: Aostatal (German); Aosta Valley (variant); Val d'Aoste, Vallée d'Aoste (French)
20. Veneto: Venecia (Spanish); Venetia (variant); Vénétie (French); Venetien (German); Venezia Euganea (obsolete)

Provinces:

1. Agrigento: Agrigente (French); Girgenti (obsolete)
2. Alessandria: Alejandría (Spanish); Alexandrie (French)
3. Ancona: Ancône (French)
4. Aosta: Aoste (French); Val d'Aosta, Valle d'Aosta (variant)
5. Barletta-Andria-Trani: provincia dell'Ofanto (Italian-informal)
6. Benevento: Bénévent (French)
7. Bergamo: Bergame (French)
8. Bologna: Bologne (French); Bolonha (Portuguese); Bolonia (Spanish)
9. Bolzano: Bozen, Südtirol (German)
10. Caserta: Caserte (French)
11. Catania: Catane (French)
12. Como: Côme (French)
13. Cremona: Crémone (French)
14. Cuneo: Coni (French)
15. Ferrara: Ferrare (French)
16. Florence: Firenze (Italian); Florença (Portuguese); Florencia (Spanish); Florens (Swedish); Florenz (German)
17. Foggia: Capitanata (obsolete)
18. Forli: Forlì (Italian)
19. Imperia: Porto Maurizio (obsolete)
20. L'Aquila: Aquila (variant)
21. La Spezia: Spezia (variant)
22. Latina: Littoria (obsolete)
23. Livorno: Leghorn (obsolete); Liorna (Spanish); Livourne (French)
24. Lucca: Lucques (French)
25. Genoa: Gênes (French); Genova (Italian); Gênova (Portuguese); Génova (Spanish); Genua (German, Swedish)
26. Gorizia: Görz (German)
27. Mantua: Mantoue (French); Mantova (Italian, Spanish, Swedish)
28. Massa-Carrara: Apuania (obsolete); Massa-Carrare (French); Massa e Carrara (variant)
29. Messina: Messine (French)
30. Milan: Mailand (German); Milán (Spanish); Milano (Italian, Swedish); Milão (Portuguese)
31. Modena: Modène (French); Módena (Spanish)
32. Naples: Nápoles (Portuguese, Spanish); Napoli (Italian); Neapel (German, Swedish)
33. Novara: Novare (French)
34. Padua: Padoue (French); Padova (Italian, Swedish)
35. Palermo: Palerme (French)
36. Parma: Parme (French)
37. Pavia: Pavie (French)
38. Perugia: Pérouse (French); Perúgia (Portuguese)
39. Pesaro e Urbino: Pesaro-et-Urbino (French); Pesaro-Urbino (variant); Pésaro y Urbino (Spanish)
40. Piacenza: Plaisance (French)
41. Pisa: Pise (French)
42. Ragusa: Raguse (French)
43. Ravenna: Rávena (Spanish); Ravenne (French)
44. Reggio di Calabria: Reggio Calabria (variant); Reggio de Calabre (French)
45. Reggio nell'Emilia: Reggio d'Émilie (French)
46. Rome: Rom (Danish, German, Swedish); Roma (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish)
47. Salerno: Salerne (French)
48. Siena: Sienne (French)
49. Syracuse: Siracusa (Italian, Spanish, Swedish); Syrakus (German)
50. Taranto: Ionio (obsolete); Tarent (German); Tarente (French)
51. Trento: Trente (French); Trient (German)
52. Treviso: Trévise (French)
53. Trieste: Triest (German)
54. Turin: Torino (Italian); Turim (Portuguese)
55. Udine: Friuli (obsolete)
56. Venice: Venecia (Spanish); Venedig (German, Swedish); Veneza (Portuguese); Venezia (Italian); Venise (French)
57. Verbano-Cusio-Ossola: Verbania (variant)
58. Vercelli: Verceil (French)
59. Verona: Vérone (French)
60. Vicenza: Vicence (French)
61. Viterbo: Viterbe (French)

Population history: