Italian communes

The comune (IPA: [koˈmuːne]; plural: comuni, IPA: [koˈmuːni]) is a basic administrative division in Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality.

The comune provides many of the basic civil functions: registry of births and deaths, registry of deeds, and contracting for local roads and public works.

It is headed by a mayor (sindaco) assisted by a legislative body, the consiglio comunale (communal council), and an executive body, the giunta comunale (communal committee). The mayor and members of the consiglio comunale are elected together by resident citizens: the coalition of the elected mayor (who needs an absolute majority in the first or second round of voting) gains three fifths of the consiglio's seats. The giunta comunale is chaired by the mayor, who appoints others members, called assessori, one of whom is named his deputy (vicesindaco). The offices of the comune are housed in a building usually called the municipio, or palazzo comunale.

As of February 2017 there were 7,982 comuni in Italy; they vary considerably in area and population. For example, the comune of Rome (Lazio) has an area of 1,307.71 km² and a population of 2,761,477, and is both the largest and the most populated comune in Italy; Fiera di Primiero (Province of Trento) is the smallest comune by area, with only 0.15 km², and Pedesina (Province of Sondrio) is the smallest by population, with only 34 inhabitants.

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