frazione

A frazione is a territorial subdivision of an Italian comune (municipality). It designates a populated center—such as a village, hamlet, or locality—that is part of a larger comune but does not constitute an independent municipality. Frazioni often reflect historical, geographical, or cultural identities within the surrounding area.

Legally, a frazione does not have autonomous government. Governance and administrative responsibilities lie with the comune’s mayor and council. Some comuni establish consultative bodies or representatives for frazioni, such as a consiglio di frazione or assemblea di frazione, but these bodies are not universally provided for and have no independent jurisdiction.

Frazioni are used in administrative and statistical contexts, including official population counts, land registry, postal addressing, and local planning. They help identify places within a comune and can be relevant for delivering services and planning infrastructure.

Size and composition vary widely. A frazione might be a small village with a few dozen residents or a larger settlement with its own facilities. Many comuni contain numerous frazioni; in urban areas the central town and surrounding neighborhoods may be divided into frazioni for historical or organizational purposes.

Terminology and relationships to other terms can vary. Frazione is distinct from località, a geographic term that may denote a place without implying administrative subdivision, and from terms like quartiere or rione, which refer to parts of a town and may be used informally or regionally.

In practice, the frazione serves as a useful reference for identity, administration, and statistics within Italy’s municipal structure.