Italy has 20 regions: 15 with ordinary statute and 5 with special statute (Aosta Valley, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sicily and Sardinia). The regions are divided into 110 provinces and equivalent units, which in turn contain 7,894 comuni (municipalities). On the interactive map of Italy above, click any region to see its capital, population, area, provinces and largest cities, or type a place name in the search box to find which region it belongs to.
How to use this interactive map of Italy
- Explore a region: click or tap it on the map to open its capital, population, area, provinces, largest cities, UNESCO sites and food.
- Switch layers: use the Regions / Provinces toggle to see all 110 provinces and metropolitan cities.
- Compare data: use View by to color the map by macro-area, statute, population, density, area, GDP per capita or UNESCO sites.
- Find a place: type any of Italy's 7,894 comuni in the search box to see which province and region it is in.
- Test yourself: the Quiz gives you ten rounds to find regions, or the region of a capital city, against the clock.
- Take it with you: Export downloads the data as CSV with a citation; Printables has labelled, blank and province maps of Italy in A4 (SVG or PNG).
List of the 20 regions of Italy and their capitals
Each region has a capital (capoluogo di regione) where the regional council and government sit. Click a column heading to sort by population, area or number of provinces.
| Region | Capital | Population | Area (km²) | Provinces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont | Turin | 4,255,006 | 25,386.7 | 8 |
| Aosta Valley | Aosta | 122,554 | 3,260.8 | 1 |
| Lombardy | Milan | 10,065,694 | 23,863.1 | 12 |
| Trentino-Alto Adige | Trento | 1,090,818 | 13,604.7 | 2 |
| Veneto | Venice | 4,857,460 | 18,355.2 | 7 |
| Friuli-Venezia Giulia | Trieste | 1,193,496 | 7,933.3 | 4 |
| Liguria | Genoa | 1,511,988 | 5,417.6 | 4 |
| Emilia-Romagna | Bologna | 4,477,009 | 22,501.8 | 9 |
| Tuscany | Florence | 3,659,222 | 22,989.8 | 10 |
| Umbria | Perugia | 850,627 | 8,464.2 | 2 |
| Marche | Ancona | 1,479,832 | 9,346.0 | 5 |
| Lazio | Rome | 5,709,444 | 17,239.4 | 5 |
| Abruzzo | L'Aquila | 1,267,222 | 10,831.7 | 4 |
| Molise | Campobasso | 285,940 | 4,460.6 | 2 |
| Campania | Naples | 5,568,703 | 13,675.7 | 5 |
| Apulia | Bari | 3,865,277 | 19,542.7 | 6 |
| Basilicata | Potenza | 525,281 | 10,073.2 | 2 |
| Calabria | Catanzaro | 1,827,571 | 15,219.3 | 5 |
| Sicily | Palermo | 4,775,194 | 25,835.3 | 9 |
| Sardinia | Cagliari | 1,554,490 | 24,108.5 | 8 |
Population is ISTAT's provisional estimate for 1 January 2026, which puts Italy at 58,942,828 residents. Areas are polygon surfaces from ISTAT's 1 January 2026 boundaries and total 302,109.6 km². Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol has two capitals in practice: Trento hosts the regional government, and Bolzano is the capital of the other autonomous province. Rome is both the capital of Lazio and the national capital.
Northern, central and southern Italy
Italians and most guidebooks use a simple split of 8 northern, 4 central and 8 southern regions. It is a convention, not a legal division.
- North (8 regions, 27,574,025 people): Piedmont (Piemonte), Aosta Valley (Valle d'Aosta), Lombardy (Lombardia), Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Liguria and Emilia-Romagna.
- Centre (4 regions, 11,699,125 people): Tuscany (Toscana), Umbria, Marche and Lazio.
- South (8 regions, 19,669,678 people): Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Apulia (Puglia), Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily (Sicilia) and Sardinia (Sardegna).
The north holds 46.8% of the population, the centre 19.8% and the south, islands included, 33.4%.
ISTAT, the national statistics institute, uses five macro-areas (ripartizioni) instead, which separate the islands and move Abruzzo and Molise into the south:
- Nord-ovest (north-west): Piedmont, Aosta Valley, Lombardy and Liguria.
- Nord-est (north-east): Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Emilia-Romagna.
- Centro (centre): Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Lazio.
- Sud (south): Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Apulia, Basilicata and Calabria.
- Isole (islands): Sicily and Sardinia.
The north-west is the most populous macro-area with 15,955,242 residents, 27.1% of Italy. For a wider view of the country and its neighbours, see our guides to Italy and Europe.
Largest and smallest regions
By area, Sicily is the largest region at 25,835.3 km², followed by Piedmont (25,386.7 km²) and Sardinia (24,108.5 km²). Aosta Valley is the smallest at 3,260.8 km², then Molise (4,460.6 km²) and Liguria (5,417.6 km²).
By population, Lombardy leads with 10,065,694 residents, about 17.1% of Italy, ahead of Lazio (5,709,444) and Campania (5,568,703). Aosta Valley has the fewest, 122,554, then Molise with 285,940. Lombardy is also the densest region at 421.8 people per km². Aosta Valley is the sparsest at 37.6.
Regions, provinces and comuni
Italy has three layers of local government below the state.
- A region (regione) is the top layer. It has an elected council and president and legislates on health, transport, tourism and local planning.
- A province (provincia) is a subdivision of a region. Provinces manage roads, school buildings and planning across several municipalities. Large cities have a metropolitan city (città metropolitana) in place of a province.
- A comune is the municipality: a city, town or village with its own mayor. Italy has 7,894 of them (ISTAT list of 21 February 2026), from Rome with 2,745,062 residents to hamlets of a few dozen. Lombardy has the most, 1,501, and Aosta Valley the fewest, 74.
Provincial abbreviations such as MI, RM and NA are the two-letter codes on car number plates and addresses. You can browse every place by name in our alphabetical list of Italian cities and towns.
Does Italy have states?
No. Italy is a unitary republic, not a federation, so it has no states. The regions are the nearest equivalent. People searching for "states of Italy" usually want the regions, or are thinking of the pre-1861 states (Kingdom of Sardinia, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, Papal States and others) that unified into the Kingdom of Italy. Regions have real legislative power but, unlike US states, they cannot make criminal law or hold their own armed forces and courts.
The five special-statute regions
Article 116 of the Italian Constitution gives five regions "special forms and conditions of autonomy" set out in their own statutes. They keep a larger share of local tax revenue and have wider legislative powers than the 15 ordinary regions. Together they hold 8,736,552 people (14.8% of Italy) and 74,742.6 km² of land.
- Aosta Valley (Valle d'Aosta): Italian and French are both official, and special autonomous status dates from 1948. The region performs the functions of a province itself and has 74 comuni.
- Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol: built on two autonomous provinces, Trento and Bolzano. Bolzano is mainly German-speaking and Trento Italian-speaking, and the autonomy protects both language groups. See official languages in Italy and dialects in Italy.
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia: a border region with Austria and Slovenia, home to a Slovene-speaking minority and Friulian speakers.
- Sicily (Sicilia): the largest Mediterranean island and the largest Italian region by area.
- Sardinia (Sardegna): the second-largest Mediterranean island, with its own language and the Nuragic civilisation.
Two of the five are islands and three are Alpine border regions. Sicily's statute (1946) answered a strong post-war separatist movement; the three Alpine regions protect French-, German-, Ladin- and Slovene-speaking minorities.
Provinces of Italy: 110 units
"How many provinces does Italy have?" has no single answer, because the units differ by type. ISTAT's list of 21 February 2026 counts 110 province-level units:
- 82 provinces, including Nuoro, Oristano and four newly defined Sardinian provinces.
- 15 metropolitan cities: Turin, Milan, Venice, Genoa, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples, Bari, Reggio Calabria, Catania, Messina, Palermo, Cagliari and Sassari.
- 6 free municipal consortia in Sicily: Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Enna, Ragusa, Syracuse and Trapani.
- 4 regional decentralisation bodies in Friuli-Venezia Giulia (EDR): Gorizia, Pordenone, Trieste and Udine.
- 2 autonomous provinces: Trento and Bolzano.
- 1 region acting as a province: Aosta Valley.
The Metropolitan City of Rome is the most populous unit with 4,224,901 residents. Bolzano is the largest by area at 7,397.8 km², and Ogliastra in Sardinia has the fewest people, 53,722.
What changed in 2025 and 2026, and what comes next
Sardinia. ISTAT's boundaries of 1 January 2026 reflect the island's provincial reorganisation. The Sud Sardegna province is abolished. Sassari becomes a metropolitan city alongside Cagliari, and four provinces are created: Gallura Nord-Est Sardegna (code OT), Ogliastra (OG), Sulcis Iglesiente (CI) and Medio Campidano (VS). Nuoro and Oristano continue. Sardinia now has 8 units.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The four provinces of Gorizia, Pordenone, Trieste and Udine are due to return on 1 January 2027, replacing the regional decentralisation bodies set up after the old provinces were abolished. Until then the data lists them as EDR. The count of 110 will not change on that date, only the type of the four units.
The table lists every unit with its code, region, population and area.
All 110 provinces and metropolitan cities
| Province | Code | Region | Population | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alessandria | AL | Piedmont | 408,063 | 3,558.8 |
| Asti | AT | Piedmont | 207,059 | 1,510.2 |
| Biella | BI | Piedmont | 168,223 | 913.3 |
| Cuneo | CN | Piedmont | 582,109 | 6,894.8 |
| Novara | NO | Piedmont | 365,930 | 1,340.2 |
| Turin | TO | Piedmont | 2,204,779 | 6,826.9 |
| Verbano-Cusio-Ossola | VB | Piedmont | 152,677 | 2,260.9 |
| Vercelli | VC | Piedmont | 166,166 | 2,081.6 |
| Aosta Valley | AO | Aosta Valley | 122,554 | 3,260.8 |
| Bergamo | BG | Lombardy | 1,119,233 | 2,754.9 |
| Brescia | BS | Lombardy | 1,271,759 | 4,785.5 |
| Como | CO | Lombardy | 598,562 | 1,279.0 |
| Cremona | CR | Lombardy | 355,134 | 1,770.3 |
| Lecco | LC | Lombardy | 334,211 | 805.5 |
| Lodi | LO | Lombardy | 231,481 | 783.0 |
| Mantua | MN | Lombardy | 408,715 | 2,341.4 |
| Milan | MI | Lombardy | 3,253,111 | 1,575.5 |
| Monza and Brianza | MB | Lombardy | 883,396 | 405.4 |
| Pavia | PV | Lombardy | 546,023 | 2,968.5 |
| Sondrio | SO | Lombardy | 179,268 | 3,195.7 |
| Varese | VA | Lombardy | 884,801 | 1,198.3 |
| Bolzano | BZ | Trentino-Alto Adige | 542,134 | 7,397.8 |
| Trento | TN | Trentino-Alto Adige | 548,684 | 6,206.9 |
| Belluno | BL | Veneto | 197,265 | 3,610.0 |
| Padua | PD | Veneto | 934,540 | 2,144.2 |
| Rovigo | RO | Veneto | 227,183 | 1,824.1 |
| Treviso | TV | Veneto | 878,341 | 2,479.8 |
| Venice | VE | Veneto | 834,077 | 2,478.4 |
| Verona | VR | Veneto | 930,842 | 3,096.3 |
| Vicenza | VI | Veneto | 855,212 | 2,722.5 |
| Gorizia | GO | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | 138,717 | 475.1 |
| Pordenone | PN | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | 311,114 | 2,275.3 |
| Trieste | TS | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | 227,840 | 212.6 |
| Udine | UD | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | 515,825 | 4,970.3 |
| Genoa | GE | Liguria | 820,691 | 1,834.2 |
| Imperia | IM | Liguria | 209,848 | 1,155.3 |
| La Spezia | SP | Liguria | 214,539 | 881.6 |
| Savona | SV | Liguria | 266,910 | 1,546.6 |
| Bologna | BO | Emilia-Romagna | 1,024,290 | 3,702.2 |
| Ferrara | FE | Emilia-Romagna | 340,482 | 2,627.6 |
| Forlì-Cesena | FC | Emilia-Romagna | 394,337 | 2,378.4 |
| Modena | MO | Emilia-Romagna | 711,502 | 2,687.9 |
| Parma | PR | Emilia-Romagna | 457,509 | 3,447.4 |
| Piacenza | PC | Emilia-Romagna | 287,745 | 2,585.8 |
| Ravenna | RA | Emilia-Romagna | 387,743 | 1,859.3 |
| Reggio Emilia | RE | Emilia-Romagna | 532,157 | 2,291.1 |
| Rimini | RN | Emilia-Romagna | 341,244 | 922.0 |
| Arezzo | AR | Tuscany | 333,269 | 3,233.0 |
| Florence | FI | Tuscany | 988,494 | 3,513.5 |
| Grosseto | GR | Tuscany | 214,863 | 4,503.5 |
| Livorno | LI | Tuscany | 324,893 | 1,215.1 |
| Lucca | LU | Tuscany | 379,957 | 1,774.2 |
| Massa-Carrara | MS | Tuscany | 186,637 | 1,154.6 |
| Pisa | PI | Tuscany | 419,588 | 2,445.1 |
| Pistoia | PT | Tuscany | 290,867 | 964.2 |
| Prato | PO | Tuscany | 261,152 | 365.8 |
| Siena | SI | Tuscany | 259,502 | 3,820.8 |
| Perugia | PG | Umbria | 635,988 | 6,337.0 |
| Terni | TR | Umbria | 214,639 | 2,127.2 |
| Ancona | AN | Marche | 461,613 | 1,963.8 |
| Ascoli Piceno | AP | Marche | 200,202 | 1,228.5 |
| Fermo | FM | Marche | 166,772 | 863.1 |
| Macerata | MC | Marche | 301,689 | 2,779.5 |
| Pesaro and Urbino | PU | Marche | 349,556 | 2,511.2 |
| Frosinone | FR | Lazio | 460,266 | 3,247.0 |
| Latina | LT | Lazio | 567,130 | 2,258.7 |
| Rieti | RI | Lazio | 149,335 | 2,750.2 |
| Rome | RM | Lazio | 4,224,901 | 5,367.5 |
| Viterbo | VT | Lazio | 307,812 | 3,616.0 |
| Chieti | CH | Abruzzo | 369,059 | 2,599.6 |
| L'Aquila | AQ | Abruzzo | 286,765 | 5,047.3 |
| Pescara | PE | Abruzzo | 311,563 | 1,230.4 |
| Teramo | TE | Abruzzo | 299,835 | 1,954.3 |
| Campobasso | CB | Molise | 207,723 | 2,925.4 |
| Isernia | IS | Molise | 78,217 | 1,535.2 |
| Avellino | AV | Campania | 393,093 | 2,806.0 |
| Benevento | BN | Campania | 257,968 | 2,080.4 |
| Caserta | CE | Campania | 909,493 | 2,652.6 |
| Naples | NA | Campania | 2,954,847 | 1,180.2 |
| Salerno | SA | Campania | 1,053,302 | 4,956.6 |
| Bari | BA | Apulia | 1,218,073 | 3,863.0 |
| Barletta-Andria-Trani | BT | Apulia | 375,933 | 1,543.3 |
| Brindisi | BR | Apulia | 373,631 | 1,861.7 |
| Foggia | FG | Apulia | 587,785 | 7,007.9 |
| Lecce | LE | Apulia | 761,927 | 2,799.1 |
| Taranto | TA | Apulia | 547,928 | 2,467.7 |
| Matera | MT | Basilicata | 187,754 | 3,478.9 |
| Potenza | PZ | Basilicata | 337,527 | 6,594.3 |
| Catanzaro | CZ | Calabria | 338,160 | 2,415.6 |
| Cosenza | CS | Calabria | 667,134 | 6,709.5 |
| Crotone | KR | Calabria | 161,765 | 1,735.6 |
| Reggio Calabria | RC | Calabria | 510,590 | 3,208.4 |
| Vibo Valentia | VV | Calabria | 149,922 | 1,150.2 |
| Agrigento | AG | Sicily | 407,041 | 3,053.8 |
| Caltanissetta | CL | Sicily | 243,501 | 2,138.3 |
| Catania | CT | Sicily | 1,067,550 | 3,573.6 |
| Enna | EN | Sicily | 151,525 | 2,574.7 |
| Messina | ME | Sicily | 594,074 | 3,266.9 |
| Palermo | PA | Sicily | 1,195,307 | 5,009.5 |
| Ragusa | RG | Sicily | 323,144 | 1,623.9 |
| Syracuse | SR | Sicily | 382,450 | 2,124.8 |
| Trapani | TP | Sicily | 410,602 | 2,469.7 |
| Cagliari | CA | Sardinia | 534,219 | 4,311.5 |
| Gallura North-East Sardinia | OT | Sardinia | 159,460 | 3,407.1 |
| Medio Campidano | VS | Sardinia | 89,155 | 1,517.6 |
| Nuoro | NU | Sardinia | 142,241 | 3,991.4 |
| Ogliastra | OG | Sardinia | 53,722 | 1,855.6 |
| Oristano | OR | Sardinia | 146,785 | 2,991.4 |
| Sassari | SS | Sardinia | 311,128 | 4,286.7 |
| Sulcis Iglesiente | CI | Sardinia | 117,780 | 1,747.2 |
Regions with their main cities
To find the region for any city, town or village, type its name in the map's search box: "Which region is Florence in?" returns Tuscany, and the result shows the province too. Each region page on the map lists its five largest comuni.
In 17 regions the capital is also the largest comune. Three are exceptions: Veneto, whose capital Venice (249,385) is smaller than Verona (255,139); Abruzzo, where Pescara (118,487) is larger than L'Aquila (70,803); and Calabria, where Reggio Calabria (167,925) is larger than the capital Catanzaro (82,708).
The regions also differ in what they offer a visitor. Lombardy has the lakes (see lakes in Italy), Lazio and Campania the densest concentration of Roman sites (see ruins in Italy), and every region has its own festivals, covered in traditions in Italy.
Frequently asked questions
How many regions does Italy have?
Italy has 20 regions: 15 ordinary-statute regions and 5 special-statute regions (Aosta Valley, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sicily and Sardinia).
What is the largest region of Italy?
Sicily is the largest region by area at 25,835.3 km², just ahead of Piedmont at 25,386.7 km².
What is the smallest region of Italy?
Aosta Valley is the smallest region by area (3,260.8 km²) and by population (122,554). Molise is second smallest on both counts.
Which region has the most people?
Lombardy, with 10,065,694 residents on 1 January 2026, about 17.1% of Italy. Lazio is second with 5,709,444.
How many provinces does Italy have?
Italy has 110 province-level units: 82 provinces, 15 metropolitan cities, 6 Sicilian free municipal consortia, 4 Friuli-Venezia Giulia decentralisation bodies, 2 autonomous provinces (Trento and Bolzano) and the Aosta Valley, which has no province.
Which Italian regions have special statute?
Aosta Valley, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sicily and Sardinia. Their autonomy is set by Article 116 of the Constitution.
What region is Florence, Venice or Naples in?
Florence is in Tuscany, Venice is in Veneto and Naples is in Campania. Each is also the regional capital. Use the search box on the map for any other place.
What is the difference between a region and a province?
A region is the top level of local government with its own legislative council. A province is a subdivision of a region that handles roads, school buildings and area planning. Italy has 20 regions and 110 province-level units.
How many comuni does Italy have?
Italy has 7,894 comuni according to ISTAT's list of 21 February 2026. Lombardy has the most (1,501) and Aosta Valley the fewest (74).
Is Sicily a region of Italy?
Yes. Sicily (Sicilia) is one of Italy's five special-statute regions and its largest by area. Palermo is the capital, and the region has 9 province-level units: 3 metropolitan cities (Palermo, Catania and Messina) and 6 free municipal consortia.
Sources and methodology
- Population: ISTAT, resident population on 1 January 2026, provisional estimate (stima) until the December census release. Region, province and comune figures come from one file, so they sum exactly.
- Comuni and provinces: ISTAT list of Italian municipalities, updated 21 February 2026 (7,894 comuni, 110 province-level units). Mergers after that date are not reflected.
- Area: ISTAT administrative boundaries at 1 January 2026, taken as polygon surface. These can differ slightly from the "superficie territoriale" figures in other ISTAT tables.
- Boundaries and map: ISTAT boundaries via the openpolis geojson-italy dataset. ISTAT, openpolis and Eurostat data are licensed CC BY 4.0.
- UNESCO: 62 World Heritage properties in Italy after the July 2026 session. A property that spans several regions, such as the Dolomites, counts once in Italy's total of 62 and once in each region it touches, so regional counts add up to more than 62. Aosta Valley and Molise have none.
- Regional classifications: the north, centre and south split follows common usage. The five macro-areas are ISTAT's.
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