''Circoscrizione'' (; : ''circoscrizioni'') can refer to two different administrative units of Italy. One is an electoral district approximating to the English
constituency
An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...
, but typically the size of a province or region, depending on the election. The other is a subdivision of city ''
comuni
A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'', roughly equivalent to the
municipal arrondissements of Paris or the
London boroughs
The London boroughs are the current 32 local authority districts that together with the City of London make up the administrative area of Greater London, England; each is governed by a London borough council. The present London boroughs wer ...
.
Electoral district
For Senate elections, there are 20 ''circoscrizioni'' corresponding to the
regions of Italy
The regions of Italy () are the first-level administrative divisions of the Italy, Italian Republic, constituting its second Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, #Autonomous regio ...
.
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
* ''
Frazione''
* ''
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 ' ...
''
* ''
Quartiere
A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the title of ().
Formed a ...
''
* ''
Rione
A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the title of ().
Formed a ...
''
**
''Rioni'' of Rome
* ''
Sestiere
A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the title of ().
Formed a ...
''
* ''
Terziere
A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the title of ().
Formed a ...
''
References
{{Coord missing, Italy
Subdivisions of Italy
de:Bezirk#Stadtbezirk