Provinces of Italy


The provinces of Italy are the second-level administrative divisions of the Italian Republic, on an intermediate level between a municipality and a region. Since 2015, provinces have been classified as "institutional bodies of second level".
There are currently 110 institutional bodies of second level in Italy, including 82 ordinary provinces, 2 autonomous provinces, 4 regional decentralization entities, 6 free municipal consortia, and 15 metropolitan cities, as well as the Aosta Valley region.
Italian provinces correspond to the regions of Italy|NUTS 3 regions].

Overview

A province of the Italian Republic is composed of many municipalities. Usually several provinces together form a region; the region of Aosta Valley is the sole exception—it is not subdivided into provinces, and provincial functions are exercised by the region.
The three main functions devolved to provinces are:
The number of provinces in Italy has been steadily growing in recent years, as many new ones are carved out of older ones. Usually, the province's name is the same as that of its capital city.
According to the 2014 reform, each province is headed by a President assisted by a legislative body, the Provincial Council, and an executive body, the Provincial Executive. President and members of Council are elected together by mayors and city councilors of each municipality of the province. The Executive is chaired by the President who appoint others members, called assessor. Since 2015, the President and other members of the council will not receive a salary.
In each province, there is also a Prefect, a representative of the central government who heads an agency called prefettura-ufficio territoriale del governo. The Questor is the head of State Police in the province and his office is called questura. There is also a provincial police force depending from local government, called provincial police.
The Aosta Valley region is not divided into provinces due to its size, but straight to the comune level.
South Tyrol and Trentino are autonomous provinces, unlike all other provinces they have the same legislative powers as regions and are not subordinated to Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, the region they are part of.

Type

Based on the most recent legislation, contained in the law of 7 April 2014 n. 56, the council and the presidents of the provinces of the regions with ordinary statute are elected by restricted suffrage by the mayors and councilors of the province's municipalities, while in the metropolitan cities, the equivalent of the president of the province is the mayor of the capital, called "metropolitan mayor".
There are other types of entities similar to the provinces in the regions with special statutes: the free municipal consortia in Sicily and the Sardinian provinces are governed by extraordinary commissioners appointed by the respective regional administrations, the autonomous provinces of Trentino-Alto Adige each elect its own president, and finally, in Aosta Valley, the functions of the province are carried out by the regional administration.

List of provinces

List

Note: the data is updated as of 1 June 2025.
TypeProvinceCapitalCodeRegionMacroregionComuniEstablished
AgrigentoAgrigentoAGSicilyInsular416,181136431861
AlessandriaAlessandriaALPiedmontNorth-West409,3921151871861
AnconaAnconaANMarcheCentre464,419237471861
AostaAostaAOAosta ValleyNorth-West124,08938741927
ArezzoArezzoARTuscanyCentre336,501104361861
Ascoli PicenoAscoli PicenoAPMarcheCentre203,425166331861
AstiAstiATPiedmontNorth-West209,3901391181935
AvellinoAvellinoAVCampaniaSouth402,9291441181861
BariBariBAApuliaSouth1,230,158318411861
Barletta-Andria-TraniBarletta, Andria, TraniBTApuliaSouth381,091247102004
BellunoBellunoBLVenetoNorth-East199,70455611866
BeneventoBeneventoBNCampaniaSouth266,716128781861
BergamoBergamoBGLombardyNorth-West1,103,5564012431861
BiellaBiellaBIPiedmontNorth-West170,724187741992
BolognaBolognaBOEmilia-RomagnaNorth-East1,015,608274551861
BresciaBresciaBSLombardyNorth-West1,255,7092622051861
BrindisiBrindisiBRApuliaSouth381,946205201927
CagliariCagliariCASardiniaInsular542,470115721861
CaltanissettaCaltanissettaCLSicilyInsular253,688119221861
CampobassoCampobassoCBMoliseSouth212,87973841861
CasertaCasertaCECampaniaSouth901,9033401041861
CataniaCataniaCTSicilyInsular1,074,089301581861
CatanzaroCatanzaroCZCalabriaSouth344,439143801861
ChietiChietiCHAbruzzoSouth375,2151441041861
ComoComoCOLombardyNorth-West596,4564661481861
CosenzaCosenzaCSCalabriaSouth676,1191011501861
CremonaCremonaCRLombardyNorth-West352,2421991131861
CrotoneCrotoneKRCalabriaSouth164,05995271992
CuneoCuneoCNPiedmontNorth-West581,798842471861
EnnaEnnaENSicilyInsular157,69061201927
FermoFermoFMMarcheCentre169,710197402004
FerraraFerraraFEEmilia-RomagnaNorth-East342,061130211861
FlorenceFlorenceFITuscanyCentre998,431284411861
FoggiaFoggiaFGApuliaSouth602,39486611861
Forlì-CesenaForlìFCEmilia-RomagnaNorth-East392,642165301861
FrosinoneFrosinoneFRLazioCentre472,559146911927
Gallura North-East SardiniaOlbia and Tempio PausaniaSardiniaInsular158,92347262025
GenoaGenoaGELiguriaNorth-West823,612449671861
GoriziaGoriziaGOFriuli-Venezia GiuliaNorth-East139,070293251923
GrossetoGrossetoGRTuscanyCentre217,84648281861
ImperiaImperiaIMLiguriaNorth-West209,244181661861
IserniaIserniaISMoliseSouth81,41553521970
L'AquilaL'AquilaAQAbruzzoSouth290,811581081861
La SpeziaLa SpeziaSPLiguriaNorth-West215,887245321924
LatinaLatinaLTLazioCentre566,224251331934
LecceLecceLEApuliaSouth776,230277961861
LeccoLeccoLCLombardyNorth-West333,569414841992
LivornoLivornoLITuscanyCentre328,996271191861
LodiLodiLOLombardyNorth-West227,343290601992
LuccaLuccaLUTuscanyCentre383,957216331861
MacerataMacerataMCMarcheCentre307,410111551861
MantuaMantuaMNLombardyNorth-West406,061173641866
Massa-CarraraMassaMSTuscanyCentre189,836164171861
MateraMateraMTBasilicataSouth192,64055311927
Medio CampidanoSanluri and VillacidroSardiniaInsular90,69460282025
MessinaMessinaMESicilyInsular603,9801851081861
MilanMilanMILombardyNorth-West3,241,8132,0581331861
ModenaModenaMOEmilia-RomagnaNorth-East703,696262471861
Monza and BrianzaMonzaMBLombardyNorth-West870,1132,146552004
NaplesNaplesNACampaniaSouth2,986,7452,533921861
NovaraNovaraNOPiedmontNorth-West362,925271871861
NuoroNuoroNUSardiniaInsular201,51736741927
OgliastraLanusei and TortolìSardiniaInsular53,03231222025
OristanoOristanoORSardiniaInsular152,41851871974
PaduaPaduaPDVenetoNorth-East932,6294351021866
PalermoPalermoPASicilyInsular1,208,819241821861
ParmaParmaPREmilia-RomagnaNorth-East449,628130441861
PaviaPaviaPVLombardyNorth-West535,8011801861861
PerugiaPerugiaPGUmbriaCentre645,506102591861
Pesaro and UrbinoPesaroPUMarcheCentre353,272138501861
PescaraPescaraPEAbruzzoSouth313,882255461927
PiacenzaPiacenzaPCEmilia-RomagnaNorth-East283,742110461861
PisaPisaPITuscanyCentre417,983171371861
PistoiaPistoiaPTTuscanyCentre290,245301201927
PordenonePordenonePNFriuli-Venezia GiuliaNorth-East310,634137501968
PotenzaPotenzaPZBasilicataSouth352,490531001861
PratoPratoPOTuscanyCentre265,26972571992
RagusaRagusaRGSicilyInsular314,910194121927
RavennaRavennaRAEmilia-RomagnaNorth-East386,643208181861
Reggio CalabriaReggio CalabriaRCCalabriaSouth523,791163971861
Reggio EmiliaReggio EmiliaREEmilia-RomagnaNorth-East527,140230421861
RietiRietiRILazioCentre151,33555731927
RiminiRiminiRNEmilia-RomagnaNorth-East337,777390271992
RomeRomeRMLazioCentre4,231,4517891211870
RovigoRovigoROVenetoNorth-East230,763127501866
SalernoSalernoSACampaniaSouth1,065,9672151581861
SassariSassariSSSardiniaInsular314,57073662025
SavonaSavonaSVLiguriaNorth-West269,752174691927
SienaSienaSITuscanyCentre263,80169351861
SondrioSondrioSOLombardyNorth-West178,79856771861
South TyrolBolzanoBZTrentino-South TyrolNorth-East534,912721161927
Sulcis IglesienteCarbonia and IglesiasSardiniaInsular116,84178232025
SyracuseSyracuseSRSicilyInsular386,071182211861
TarantoTarantoTAApuliaSouth561,958228291924
TeramoTeramoTEAbruzzoSouth301,104154471861
TerniTerniTRUmbriaCentre219,946103331927
TrapaniTrapaniTPSicilyInsular418,277169251861
TrentoTrentoTNTrentino-South TyrolNorth-East542,166871661923
TrevisoTrevisoTVVenetoNorth-East880,417355941866
TriesteTriesteTSFriuli-Venezia GiuliaNorth-East230,6891,08661923
TurinTurinTOPiedmontNorth-West2,219,2063253121861
UdineUdineUDFriuli-Venezia GiuliaNorth-East521,1171051341866
VareseVareseVALombardyNorth-West880,0937341381927
VeniceVeniceVEVenetoNorth-East843,545341441866
Verbano-Cusio-OssolaVerbaniaVBPiedmontNorth-West154,92669741992
VercelliVercelliVCPiedmontNorth-West166,58480821927
VeronaVeronaVRVenetoNorth-East927,810300981866
Vibo ValentiaVibo ValentiaVVCalabriaSouth152,193146501992
VicenzaVicenzaVIVenetoNorth-East854,9623141141866
ViterboViterboVTLazioCentre308,83085601927
TotalItaly————59,236,2131967,904—

Data

Sardinia — following the outcome of the regional referendums of 2012 it was decreed that such institutions should be reformed or abolished by March 2013. In January 2014 the Sardinian Regional Administrative Court declared "unconstitutional" the abolition of the Sardinian provinces, which occurred in 2013. In 2016, Sardinian provinces were reformed by Sardinia regional executive: Cagliari became a metropolitan city; the provinces Olbia-Tempio, Ogliastra, Medio Campidano, and Carbonia-Iglesias were abolished. In 2017, Regional council of Sardinia approved the institution of a new province, South Sardinia. It was formed by the municipalities of province of Cagliari that did not join to metropolitan city of Cagliari, and those which formed the provinces of Medio Campidano and Carbonia Iglesias. South Sardinia was disestablished on 1 June 2025 and the other reinstated, some with different names, and Sassari made a metropolitan city.Sicily — provinces were replaced by six free municipal consortia in 2013 and three metropolitan cities in 2015.Friuli-Venezia Giulia — in 2016, the regional council of Friuli-Venezia Giulia approved a law which abolished the four provinces that formed the region, and replaced them by 18 territorial unions of municipalities. In 2019, the regional council of Friuli-Venezia Giulia rebranded the four provinces as the four regional decentralization entities, with their own competences, powers, and capital.Metropolitan cities — in 2015, 14 metropolitan cities replaced the provinces of Bari, Bologna, Cagliari, Catania, Florence, Genoa, Messina, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Rome, Turin, and Venice.

History

National unification

In 1861, at the birth of the Kingdom of Italy, there were 59 provinces. However, at that time the national territory was smaller than the current one: regions of Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, and Lazio were not included in the kingdom.
In 1866, following the Third Independence War, territories of Veneto, Friuli and Mantua were annexed. There were therefore nine more provinces: Belluno, Mantua, Padua, Rovigo, Treviso, Venice, Verona, Vicenza, and Udine, all previously part of the Austrian Empire. Eventually, in 1870, following the union of Rome and its province from the Papal States, the provinces rose in number to 69.
After the World War I, new territories were annexed to Italy. The province of Trento was created in 1923. Provinces of La Spezia and Trieste in 1923, while Ionio in 1924.
In 1924 the new provinces of Fiume, Pola, and Zara were created, increasing the total number of provinces in Italy to 76.

Interwar period

In 1927, after a royal charter, a general province rearrangement took place. 17 new provinces were created: Aosta, Vercelli, Varese, Savona, Bolzano, Gorizia, Pistoia, Pescara, Rieti, Terni, Viterbo, Frosinone, Brindisi, Matera, Ragusa, Castrogiovanni, Nuoro. In the same year, the province of Caserta was dissolved, Girgenti was renamed Agrigento, and the institution of circondari, sub-provincial wards created before the unification, was abolished.
In 1930 Spezia became La Spezia, while in 1931 Bari delle Puglie became Bari. Province of Littoria was created in 1934, and the province of Asti in 1935. In 1939 the province of Aquila degli Abruzzi became the province of L'Aquila, and in 1940 the province of Friuli was renamed the province of Udine.
Following the annexation of a part of Yugoslavia in 1941, during the World War II, the province of Zara was enlarged and joined the Governorate of Dalmatia, while in the occupied central part of the present-day Slovenia the new province of Ljubljana was created. This lasted only until 1945, when Yugoslavia regained the lost territories after the end of the World War II.

After World War II

In 1945, after the end of the World War II, the province of Aosta changed its name to Aosta Valley and Littoria to Latina; the new province of Caserta was recreated.
With the Paris Peace Treaties, signed on 10 February 1947, Italy lost the provinces of Fiume, Pola, and Zara, and part of the provinces of Trieste and Gorizia.
Moreover, the province of Trieste was occupied by United States and British forces. The Italian Republic therefore had 91 provinces at its birth. The province of Ionio was renamed as Taranto in 1951, and in 1954 the province of Trieste was returned to Italy.

Recent history

The province of Pordenone was created in 1968, the province of Isernia in 1970, and the province of Oristano in 1974. In a reorganization in 1992 eight provinces were created: Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Biella, Lecco, Lodi, Rimini, Prato, Crotone, and Vibo Valentia, while Forlì was renamed as Forlì-Cesena.
Four new provinces were created in Sardinia in 2001, with effect from 2005: Olbia-Tempio, Ogliastra, Medio Campidano, and Carbonia-Iglesias. In 2004 three further provinces were created: Monza and Brianza, Fermo, and Barletta-Andria-Trani, making a total of 110 provinces.
YearProvinces
186159
186668
187069
192375
192476
192792
193493
193594
194195
194494
194593
194791
195492
196893
197094
197495
1992103
2001107
2004110
2016107

In May 2012, a referendum abolished the eight provinces of Sardinia, and this suppression was to take effect on 1 March 2013. On 6 July 2012, new plans were published to reduce the number of provinces by around half. In January 2014 the Sardinian Regional Administrative Court declared "unconstitutional" the abolition of the Sardinian provinces.
In 2014 the Delrio Law transformed the provinces of Italy in a reduced number of broader administrative entities.
In 2014 the Friuli-Venezia Giulia of Debora Serracchiani was the first Italian region to pass a law for abolishing its provinces, while implementing the national reform in the local administrative level. The Friuli region has multiplied four provinces in 18 unions of the Italian administrative unit called comune. After rejection of the 2016 Italian constitutional referendum, the provinces of Italy were still kept alive under provisions of the Delrio Constitutional Law to be merged in a smaller number of union of provinces.

Former provinces

Historical abolished provinces

Provinces of Istria, Kvarner, and Dalmatia

Provinces established during World War II

Colonial provinces

Theoretical provinces

Controversies

Provinces are often deemed useless by their critics, and many proposals were made in the 2010s to eliminate them. The difficulty of changing the Constitution of Italy and the opposition of groups of politicians and citizens halted any proposal of reform.
In 2013, during his speech to the Chamber of Deputies, Enrico Letta, the newly appointed Prime Minister of Italy, announced that a revision of the second part of the constitution was needed, in order to change the bicameral parliamentary system and to abolish the provinces. The proposal, presented during the Renzi government, was rejected in the 2016 Italian constitutional referendum held on 4 December.