A variety of
units of measurement
A unit of measurement is a definite magnitude of a quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law, that is used as a standard for measurement of the same kind of quantity. Any other quantity of that kind can be expressed as a multi ...
were used in the various independent
Italian states
Italy, up until the Italian unification in 1861, was a conglomeration of city-states, republics, and other independent entities. The following is a list of the various Italian states during that period. Following the fall of the Western Roman Em ...
and Italian dependencies of foreign empires up to the unification 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 ...
in the 19th century. The units to measure length, volume, mass, etc., could differ widely between countries or between towns in a country (e.g. Rome and Ancona), but usually not between a country and its capital.
The
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia,The name of the state was originally Latin: , or when the kingdom was still considered to include Corsica. In Italian it is , in French , in Sardinian , and in Piedmontese . also referred to as the Kingdom of Savoy-S ...
included the island of Sardinia and the continental areas of Piedmont (with the capital Turin) and Liguria (with Genoa). The
Kingdom of Naples included the island of Sicily (with Palermo). The
Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia
The Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia ( la, links=no, Regnum Langobardiae et Venetiae), commonly called the "Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom" ( it, links=no, Regno Lombardo-Veneto, german: links=no, Königreich Lombardo-Venetien), was a constituent land ...
was part of the
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence ...
, which also shared ruling family with
Modena,
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second mos ...
and
Tuscany
it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Citizenship
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 = Italian
, demogra ...
(capital Florence). The
Papal States
The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...
included the areas of
Latium
Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire.
Definition
Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil ( Old Latium) on w ...
(with the capital Rome),
Umbria
it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, ...
,
Romagna (with Bologna) and
the Marches
Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...
(with Ancona).
![Tabella conversione metrica 1860 MG 7771](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Tabella_conversione_metrica_1860_MG_7771.jpg)
Milan adopted the
metric system
The metric system is a system of measurement that succeeded the decimalised system based on the metre that had been introduced in France in the 1790s. The historical development of these systems culminated in the definition of the Interna ...
in 1803, during the
Napoleonic wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, albeit reusing names of older units. After the
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
, the various Italian states reverted to their original systems of measurements.
In 1845 Sardinia passed legislation to
introduce the metric system within five years. In 1859 Lombardy (but not Venetia) was annexed. In 1860 Parma, Modena, Tuscany, Umbria, Romagna and the Marches, and the Two Sicilies (Naples) were assimilated into Sardinia and under the ''Law 132 of 28 July 28, 1861'' the metric system became the official system of measurement throughout the (this year)
Italian kingdom. The last to be incorporated were Venetia (1866), and the rest of the Papal States (1870).
For historical Roman measurements see
Ancient Roman units of measurement
The ancient Roman units of measurement were primarily founded on the Hellenic system, which in turn was influenced by the Egyptian system and the Mesopotamian system. The Roman units were comparatively consistent and well documented.
Length
T ...
. The following is a list of units before the adoption of the metric system as well as local names for metric-based units.
Over time many unit names were reused for metric units, adding an unnecessary obstacle to the system change. These units are marked with
€. They are also placed after the traditional.
Length
Units varied from one province or city to another. In the north the atomo was the smallest unit.
Dedicated use: # architect's † commercial ‡ mercer's
Mass
One libbra (pound) differed between 307 and 398 g.
Several countries used both a light and a heavy pound.
Dedicated use: # gold ∆ silver § jewels † apothecaries' ‡ silk @ spices, drugs and pigments ¥ commercial ¢ oil ship cargoes: Σ grain flour etc § salt
Area
Dedicated use: # architect's
Volume (dry)
Dry and wet capacity (volume) were usually two separate systems, but a few units were universally handled, mostly in countries that had had experience with the metric system. (One of the sources do not state what subsystem they are handling).
Dedicated use: # firewood † grain ‡ salt ∆ oats and legumes Σ coal
Volume (liquids)
There are also a unit cantara: no specifics.
Dedicated use: # wine † spirits ‡ oil
Notes
References
{{Systems of measurement
Italian culture
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 ...