Italian units of measurement


A variety of units of measurement were used in the various independent Italian states and Italian dependencies of foreign empires up to the unification of Italy in the 19th century. The units to measure length, volume, mass, etc., could differ widely between countries or between towns in a country, but usually not between a country and its capital.
The Kingdom of Sardinia included the island of Sardinia and the continental areas of Piedmont and Liguria. The Kingdom of Naples included the island of Sicily. The Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia was part of the Austrian Empire, which also shared ruling family with Modena, Parma and Tuscany. The Papal States included the areas of Latium, Umbria, Romagna and the Marches.
Milan adopted the metric system in 1803, during the Napoleonic Wars, albeit reusing names of older units. After the Congress of Vienna, the various Italian states reverted to their original systems of measurements.
In 1845 Sardinia passed legislation to introduce the metric system within five years. In 1859 Lombardy was annexed. In 1860 Parma, Modena, Tuscany, Umbria, Romagna and the Marches, and the Two Sicilies were assimilated into Sardinia and under the Law 132 of 28 July 28, 1861 the metric system became the official system of measurement throughout the Italian kingdom. The last to be incorporated were Venetia, and the rest of the Papal States.
For historical Roman measurements, see Ancient Roman units of measurement. The following is a comprehensive list of units used prior to the adoption of the metric system, along with the local names assigned to metric-based units after the system change.
Over time, many traditional unit names were repurposed to denote metric-based units. This practice introduced an additional layer of complexity, making the transition to the metric system unnecessarily cumbersome. These units are marked with €. They are also placed after the traditional.

Length

Units varied from one province or city to another. In the north the atomo was the smallest unit.
Dedicated use: # architect's † commercial ‡ mercer's

Lombardy–Venetia

1 punto = 12 atomi
1 oncia = 12 punti
1 piede = 12 diti
1 piede = 435.185 mm
1 braccio = 12 once
1 braccio = 2 piedi
1 miglio€ = 1 km

Milan

1 dito = 36.27 mm
1 oncia = 12 punti
1 piede = 12 diti
1 piè = 15.61 in
1 braccio = 12 once = 594.94 mm
1 trabucco = 6 piedi
1 miglio = 3000 braccii = 1784.81 m
1 atomo€ = 1 mm
1 dito€ = 1 cm
1 palmo€ = 1 dm
1 metro€ = 1 m

Venice

1 linea = 10 decimi
1 piede = 348 mm
1 piede = 12 once = 347.735 mm
1 piè = 13.69 in
1 braccio = 683 mm
1 cavezzo = 6 piedi = 2.08641 m
1 miglio = 1000 passi = 1738.67 m

Modena

1 cavezzo = 6 piedi
1 piè = 20.593 in
1 braccio = 22.741 in

Naples

1 oncia = 5 minuti
1 decima = 10 centesimi = 26.455 mm
1 palmo = 10 decime = 12 once = 264.55 mm
1 palmo = 10 decime
1 palmo = 12 once = 10.381 in
1 canna = 10 palmi = 2.646 m
1 canna = 10 palmi = 2.6455 m
1 canna† = 8 palmi
1 canna = 8 palmi
1 pertica = palmi
1 miglio = 7000 palmi = 1.147 miles
1 miglio = 1000 passi = 1855.11 m

Sicily

1 palmo = 9.5297 in
1 canna = 2.06480 m
1 canna = 8 palmi
1 canna = 8 palmi = 2.06479 m
1 cortena = 4 canne
1 corda = 4 cortene = 33.037 m
1 miglio = 45 corde = 1486.66 m

Palermo

1 canna = 10 palmi = 2.065 m

Papal States

1 palmo# = 12 once = 8.79 in
1 palmo† = 8.796 in
1 palmo‡ = 8.347 in
1 palmo mercantile† = 24.908 cm
1 palmo architettonica# = 22.319 cm
1 palmo d'ara = 12.500 cm
1 once# = 10 decimi
1 pie# = 16 once = 11.72 in
1 pié = 11.592 in
1 braccia da mercante† = 67 cm
1 braccia par le tele‡ = 63.5 cm
1 braccia d'ara = 75 cm
1 canna = 78.4 in
1 canna# = 10 palmi
1 canna# = 7 1/2 piedi = 2.23190 m
1 canna mercantile† = 8 palmi = 1.99263 m
1 canna architettonica# = 10 palmi = 2.2319 m
1 canna d'ara = 9 palmi = 1.125 m
1 catena# = 10 stajoli = palmi
1 miglio = 1000 passi = 1487.93 m

Rome

1 oncia# = 10 decimi = 18.6 mm
1 piede = 297.587 mm
1 braccio = 30.732 in
1 canna = 10 palmi = 2.234 m

Ancona

1 pié = 15.384 in
1 braccio = in

Bologna

1 piede = 38 cm
1 braccio = 64 cm

Parma

1 punto = 12 atomi
1 oncia = 12 punti
1 braccio di legno = 12 once
1 braccio = 21.344 in
1 pertica = 6 braccia
1 piè = 22.428 in

Sardinia

1 punto = 12 atomi
1 oncia = 12 punti
1 piè liprando = 12 once = 20.228 in
1 canna = 8 palmi = 2.1 m
1 miglio = piedi liprando = 1.3835 mile

Piedmont

1 raso = 14 oncie
1 piede manuale = piede liprando
1 piede manuale = 8 once = 342.511 mm
1 trabucco = 6 piedi liprandi = 3.096 m
1 trabucco = 6 piedi liprandi
1 pertica = 2 trabucci
1 pertica = 12 piedi liprandi = 6.16519 m
1 miglio = 800 trabucchi = 2466.08 m

Turin

1 piede = 293 mm
1 raso = 14 oncie
1 raso = 0.6 m
1 trabucco = 6 piedi liprandi
1 pertica = 2 trabucci

Genoa

1 palmo = once
1 palmo = 248 mm
1 piè manuale = piè liprando
1 braccio = palmi
1 braccio = 28 once = 581.22 mm
1 canna = about 9 palmi
1 canna piccola = 9 palmi = 2.24186 m
1 canna = 10 palmi = 2.49095 m
1 canna grossa = 12 palmi = 2.98914 m

Tuscany

1 quattrino = 4 denari = 9.728 mm
1 soldo = 12 denari
1 palmo = 10 soldi = 11.49 in
1 braccio = 2 palmi
1 canna = 4 braccia
1 canna = 5 braccii = 2.91825 m
1 canna# = 5 braccia
1 canna† = 4 braccia = 2.3346 m
1 canna = 5 bracchia
1 miglio = braccia = 1.0277 mile
1 miglio = braccii = 1653.67 m

Florence

1 braccio = 2 palmi = 583 mm

Mass

One libbra differed between 307 and 398 g.
Several countries used both a light and a heavy pound.
Dedicated use: # gold ∆ silver § jewels † apothecaries' ‡ silk @ spices, drugs and pigments ¥ commercial ¢ oil ship cargoes: Σ grain flour etc § salt

Lombardy–Venetia

1 denaro#∆ = 24 grani
1 oncia#∆ = 24 denari
1 marco#∆ = 8 once = 7.5562 troy ounce
1 marco di zecca = 8 once
1 denaro€ = 10 grani
1 grosso€ = 10 denari
1 oncia€ = 10 grossi
1 libbra metrica€ = 10 once = 1 kg
1 rubbio€ = 10 libbre

Milan

1 grano∆‡ = 50.998 mg
1 marco = 234.997 g
1 libbra piccola = 12 once = 326.793 g
1 libbra grossa = 28 once
1 libbra grossa = 28 once = 763 g
1 libbra da olio¢ = 32 once
1 rubbio = 8.17 kg
1 fascio = 10 peso = 87.14 kg
1 grano€ = 1 dg
1 denar€ = 1 g
1 denaro€ = 1 g
1 grosso€ = 1 dag
1 oncia€ = 1 hg
1 libbra nuova€ = 1 kg
1 rubbio = 10 kg
1 quintale€ = 10 rubbi
1 quintale€ = 10 miriagrammi = 100 kg
1 centinajo metrico€ = 100 kg

Venice

1 marco = 238.499 g
1 libbra sottile = 301 g
1 libbra sottile = 301.23 g
1 libbra grossa = 12 once = 477 g
1 libbra grossa = 12 once = 476.999 g
1 centinaio sottile = 100 libbre = 30.123 kg
1 centinajo = 100 libbre sottile
1 centinajo = 100 libbre grossa

Trieste

Austrian, but not part of Lombardy-Venetia.
1 funto = 1 Wiener Pfund
1 centinaji = 100 funti
1 migliajo = 10 centinaji

Modena

1 oncia = 16 ferlini
1 libbra = 12 once = 0.7044 lb
1 libbra = 340.457 g
1 peso = 25 libbre = 8.2 kg

Naples

1 scrupolo† = 20 accini
1 trapeso#∆‡@ = 20 accini
1 drachma† = 3 scrupoli
1 dramma#∆‡@ = 3 trapesi
1 oncia† = 10 drachme
1 oncia#∆‡@ = 10 dramme
1 libbra = 12 once = 0.321 kg
1 libbra = 12 once = 0.70722 lb
1 libbra† = 12 once
1 libbra#∆‡@ = 12 once
1 libbra‡@ = 320.759 g
1 rotolo = 861 g
1 rotolo = libbre
1 rotolo di puglia = 1000 trappesi = 890.997 g
1 cantaio piccolo = 32.076 kg
1 cantaro = 100 rotoli = 89.100 kg
1 cantaio grosso¢ = 89.1 kg

Sicily

1 taro = 20 grani
1 onza# = 70 tarì = 26.4473 g
1 libbra = 12 oncie = 0.70723 lb
1 rotolo = 30 once = 12 once alla grossa = 793.42 g
1 rottolo sottile = 30 oncie = 1.76 lb
1 rottolo grosso = 38 oncie = 1.925 lb
1 cantaro = 79.15 kg
1 cantaro = 100 rotoli = 79.342 kg

Palermo

1 libbra = 12 once = 317 g
1 libbra = 317.368 g
1 cantaro = 100 rotoli = 79.34 kg

Papal States

1 denaro = 24 grani
1 oncia = 24 denari
1 libbra = 12 once
1 centinaio = 100 libbre = 33.907 kg
1 rubbio§ = 600 libbre
1 rubbioΣ = 640 libbre
1 rubbio = 720 libbre