Località

Template:Short description Template:Italics title A località is an inhabited place in Italy that is not accorded a more significant distinction in administrative law, such as a frazione, comune, municipio, circoscrizione, or quartiere. The word is cognate to English locality. The Italian National Institute of Statistics defines località abitata (Template:Literally) as an "area of more or less size, normally known by its own name, in which are situated either grouped or scattered houses".

Three types of inhabited locality are distinguished:

• centro abitato – a group of houses with roads, squares or other small gaps between them, and public services or establishments where residents congregate for religious, educational or business purposes or for obtaining provisions
• nucleo abitato – a group of houses with at least five households, but without the type of place where residents gather, as in a centro abitato
• case sparse – houses spread over the countryside or along roads with such a distance between them that they do not form a residential nucleus

Most comuni or municipalities have several località, occasionally several dozens, while some have none. The subdivision is optional. In practice, most località are small habitations, hamlets, and occasionally a mere clump of houses.

See also

• Circoscrizione
• Frazione
• Quartiere
• Rione
  • Rioni of Rome
• Sestiere
• Terziere