''Circoscrizione'' (; plural: ''circoscrizioni'') can refer to two different administrative units of
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. One is an electoral district approximating to the English ''
constituency
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger State (polity), state (a country, administrative region, ...
'' but typically the size of a province or region, depending on the election. The other is a subdivision of city ''
comuni
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
'' roughly equivalent to the
municipal arrondissements of Paris or the
London borough
The London boroughs are the 32 local authority districts that together with the City of London make up the administrative area of Greater London; each is governed by a London borough council. The present London boroughs were all created at ...
s.
Electoral district
For Senate elections, there are 20 ''circoscrizioni'' corresponding to the
regions of Italy
The regions of Italy ( it, regioni d'Italia) are the first-level administrative divisions of the Italian Republic, constituting its second NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, five of which have higher autonomy than the rest. U ...
.
For elections to the Chamber of Deputies, some of the regions are split in two, and Lombardy in three, to make 26 ''circoscrizioni''.
For elections to the European Parliament, Italy is split into 5 ''circoscrizioni'', typically of 4–5 regions joined.
Until the electoral reforms in 2005, ''circoscrizioni'' for national elections were divided into ''collegi uninominali'' which elected one deputy or Senator and thus were directly equivalent to a constituency in the British sense.
Municipal district
District councils started to appear in the 1960s, but municipal ''circoscrizioni'' were formally recognised in law in 1976, and their powers extended in 1990. From 2010 they are allowed only in cities with a population of at least 250,000. Each ''circoscrizione'' now need to have at least 30,000 residents, and typically corresponds to historic divisions of a city, but could contain multiple ''frazioni'', ''località'' or ''quartieri''.
The ''comune'' delegates functions to the ''circoscrizioni''. These vary from city to city, but may include schools, social services and waste collection.
See also
*
Contrade
A (plural: ) is a subdivision (of various types) of Italian city, now unofficial. Depending on the case, a will be a ''località'', a ''rione'', a ''quartiere'' (''terziere'', etc.), a '' borgo'', or even a suburb. The best-known are the 1 ...
*
Frazione
A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...
*
Località
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 ''loc ...
*
Rione
A (; plural: ) is a neighbourhood in several Italian cities. A is a territorial subdivision. The larger administrative subdivisions in Rome are the , with the being used only in the historic centre. The word derives from the Latin , the 14 su ...
**
Rioni of Rome
A rione of Rome (, pl. ''rioni'') is a traditional administrative division of the city of Rome. "Rione" is an Italian term used since the 14th century to name a district of a town. The term was born in Rome, originating from the administrative div ...
*
Quartiere
A (; plural: ) is a territorial subdivision of certain Italian towns. The word derives from (‘fourth’) and was thus properly used only for towns divided into four neighborhoods by the two main roads. It has been later used as a synonymous ...
*
Sestiere
A (plural: ) is a subdivision of certain Italian towns and cities. The word is from (‘sixth’), so it is thus used only for towns divided into six districts. The best-known example is the ''sestieri'' of Venice, but Ascoli Piceno, Genoa, M ...
*
Terziere
A (plural: ) is a subdivision of several towns in Italy. The word derives from (‘third’) and is thus used only for towns divided into three neighborhoods. ''Terzieri'' are most commonly met with in Umbria, as for example at Trevi, Spello, N ...
{{Coord missing, Italy
Subdivisions of Italy
de:Bezirk#Stadtbezirk