Frazione
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (December 2024) |
A frazione (pl.: frazioni, cognate with English fraction) is a type of subdivision of a comune ('municipality') in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town, similar to a suburb or exurb. Most frazioni were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territorial subdivisions in the country.
In the autonomous region of the Aosta Valley, a frazione is officially called hameau in French. In South Tyrol, a frazione is called Fraktion in German and frazion in Ladin.
Description
[edit]The term is used to denote an inhabited area within a comune's territory, such as a town, village, hamlet, or locality, distinct from the capoluogo (municipal seat) due to geographical separation, historical development, or natural settlement patterns.[1] Frazioni vary in size, ranging from small villages to large towns such as Ostia (frazione of Rome), and may have some administrative and financial autonomy.[2] Subdivision of a comune is optional; some comuni have no frazioni, but others have several dozen. The comune usually has the same name of the capoluogo, but not always, in which case it is called a comune sparso.
History
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Historically, many frazioni came into being during the Fascist era, when a major effort was made to consolidate and rationalize the territorial subdivisions of the country. Sometimes, a frazione represents a former comune that was believed to be no longer viable.
Until 2000, the central government established the frazioni and defined their borders, except in the case of the five autonomous regions (see regions of Italy), where this was controlled at the regional level. By the Legislative Decree 267/2000 to implement amendments to Title V of the Italian Constitution, the individual comuni now define the frazioni within their borders.
