Documents for "Italian Political Geography":

• Éboli town (1991 pop. 33,964), in Campania, S Italy. It is an agricultural and market center. A medieval castle dominates the town. Nearby are the ruins of Eburum, which was colonized by the Greeks,...

• Abruzzi region (1991 pop. 1,249,054), 4,167 sq mi (10,793 sq km), central Italy, bordering on the Adriatic Sea in the east. L'Aquila is the capital of the region, which is divided into Chieti, L'Aquila, Pescara, and Teramo provs. (named for their capitals). Abruzzi is mostly mountainous and is crossed by three ranges of the...

• Acireale city (1991 pop. 46,199), E Sicily, Italy. Beautifully situated on a volcanic plateau near Mt. Etna and near the Ionian Sea, Acireale has been frequented since Roman times for its warm sulfur...

• Adernò see Adrano , Italy.

• Adrano town (1991 pop. 32,717), E Sicily, Italy, at the foot of Mt. Etna, near the confluence of the Simeto and Salso rivers. It is the commercial center for a region where olives and citrus fruit are...

• Aegadian Isles see Egadi Islands , Italy.

• Aegates see Egadi Islands , Italy.

• Aeolian Islands see Lipari Islands , Italy.

• Aetna volcano: see Etna , Italy.

• Agrigento Lat. Agrigentum, city (1991 pop. 55,283), capital of Agrigento prov., S Sicily, Italy, on a hill above the Mediterranean Sea. It is an agricultural market and a tourist center, but per capita income is among the...

• Alcamo city (1991 pop. 42,621), NW Sicily, Italy. It is an agricultural and industrial center and is noted for its white wine. The ruins of the ancient Greek settlement of Segesta are nearby.

• Alessandria city (1991 pop. 90,753), capital of Alessandria prov., in Piedmont, NW Italy, at the confluence of the Tanaro and Bormida rivers. It is an industrial center and agricultural market. Manufactures...

• Altamura city (1991 pop. 57,874), Apulia, S Italy. It is a commercial and agricultural center. The imposing Romanesque cathedral, with twin campaniles, was begun by Emperor Frederick II in 1232.

• Alto Adige see Trentino-Alto Adige , Italy.

• Amalfi town (1991 pop. 5,589), in Campania, S Italy, a small fishing port on the Gulf of Sorrento. Built on a mountain slope, it is also a picturesque seaside resort. According to legend, Amalfi was...

• Ancona city (1991 pop. 101,285), capital of Ancona prov., chief city of Marche region, central Italy, on a promontory in the Adriatic Sea. It is a leading Adriatic naval and commercial port, handling...

• Andria city (1991 pop. 90,063), in Apulia, S Italy. It is an agricultural and service center, handling wine, olives, and almonds. Andria was founded in the 11th cent. It was a favorite residence of...

• Antium see Anzio , Italy.

• Anzio Lat. Antium, town (1991 pop. 33,497), in Latium, central Italy, on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is a seaside resort with a fishing industry. A Volscian town, it was captured by Rome in 341 BC and became a favorite...

• Aosta city (1990 pop. 36,339), capital of Valle d'Aosta region and of Aosta prov., NW Italy, near the junction of the Great and Little St. Bernard roads. Aosta is an industrial and tourist center. It...

• Aosta, Valle d' region (1991 pop. 115,938), 1,260 sq mi (3,263 sq km), NW Italy, bordering on France in the west and on Switzerland in the north. Aosta is the capital of the region and of its only province. A high Alpine country, the Valle d'Aosta includes the Italian slopes of Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, and Monte Rosa; its highest peak is the...

• Apulia Ital. Puglia, region (1991 pop. 4,031,885), 7,469 sq mi (19,345 sq km), S Italy, bordering on the Adriatic Sea in the east and the Strait of Otranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its southern portion, a...

• Aquileia town, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, NE Italy, near the Adriatic Sea. Founded in 181 BC by the Romans, it was a stronghold against the barbarians and a trade center. Later, the town was destroyed...

• Arcole village (1987 est. pop. 4,500), Venetia, N Italy. There, in Nov., 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the Austrians in a three-day battle.

• Arezzo city (1991 pop. 91,626), capital of Arezzo prov., Tuscany, central Italy. It is an agricultural trade center and has machine, clothing, gold, and jewelry industries. Arezzo was an Etruscan town,...

• Argirocastro see Gjirokastër , Albania.

• Ariminum see Rimini , Italy.

• Ascoli Piceno city (1991 pop. 53,591), capital of Ascoli Piceno prov., Marche region, central Italy, at the confluence of the Castellano and Tronto rivers. It is the market for a rich agricultural area and...

• Assisi town (1991 pop. 24,626), Umbria, central Italy. A religious and tourist center, it stands on a hill in the Apennines with an expansive view of the plains below. Although well known in Roman times...

• Asti city (1991 pop. 73,557), capital of Asti prov., in Piedmont, NW Italy, on the Tanaro River. It is a commercial and industrial center, noted for its sparkling wine (Asti spumante). The city, which...

• Augusta city (1991 pop. 34,189), E Sicily, Italy, on an island (formerly a peninsula) in the Ionian Sea, connected by bridge with the Sicilian mainland. It is a leading port and a fishing and industrial...

• Avellino city (1991 pop. 55,662), capital of Avellino prov., Campania, S Italy. It is an agricultural and light manufacturing center. Although damaged by earthquakes in 1930 and 1980, the city has retained...

• Aversa city (1991 pop. 54,032), Campania, S Italy. It is an agricultural and transportation center, noted for its sparkling white wine. It also produces shoes, mozzarella cheese, and other dairy and...

• Baia Lat. Baiae, village, in Campania, S Italy, on the Bay of Naples. In Roman times it was a celebrated spa and a favorite imperial residence, with sumptuous villas (1st cent. BC). There are remains of the huge...

• Bari city (1991 pop. 342,309), capital of Bari prov. and of Apulia, S Italy, on the Adriatic Sea. It is a major seaport and an industrial and commercial center. It is connected by road, rail, and ship...

• Barletta city (1991 pop. 89,527), Apulia, S Italy, on the Adriatic Sea. It is a seaport and a commercial and industrial center. Salt is mined nearby, and wine, textiles, and clothing are produced. Barletta...

• Basilicata region (1991 pop. 610,528), 3,856 sq mi (9,987 sq km), S Italy, bordering on the Tyrrhenian Sea in the southwest and on the Gulf of Taranto in the southeast. It forms the instep of the Italian "boot." Potenza is the capital of Basilicata, which is divided into Potenza and Matera provs. (named for their capitals). The region is crossed by the Lucanian Apennines; its main river is the Bradano. Because of...

• Bassano del Grappa city (1991 pop. 38,871), Venetia, NE Italy, on the Brenta River. It is an agricultural, commercial, and industrial center. Its products include grappa (a kind of brandy), metals, and textiles...

• Belluno city (1991 pop. 35,572), capital of Belluno prov., Venetia, NE Italy, on the Piave River at the foot of the Dolomites. It is an agricultural and manufacturing center. A Roman town, it later...

• Benevento city (1991 pop. 62,561), capital of Benevento prov., in Campania, S Italy. It is a trade center for wine and tobacco. It is basically an impoverished area with little industry. A leading town of...

• Bergamo city (1991 pop. 114,936), capital of Bergamo prov., in Lombardy, N Italy, in the foothills of the Alps. It is an industrial center and an agricultural market. Manufactures include machinery,...

• Bicocca, La former village, Lombardy, N Italy, now part of Milan. There, in 1522, the vicomte de Lautrec, commanding a French army and Swiss mercenaries, was defeated by a combined Milanese, Spanish, and...

• Biella city (1991 pop. 48,324), Piedmont, NW Italy. It is a major cotton and wool textile manufacturing center. Biella came under the Visconti of Milan in 1353 and under the house of Savoy in 1379. Of...

• Bisceglie city (1991 pop. 47,408), Apulia, S Italy, on the Adriatic Sea. It is a seaport, resort, and commercial center. Conquered by the Normans in the late 11th cent., the city later developed a...

• Bitonto city (1991 pop. 53,772), Apulia, S Italy. It is an agricultural market and is noted for its olive oil. The Spanish under Charles Bourbon defeated the Austrians there in 1734 during the War of the...

• Bobbio town, in Emilia-Romagna, N central Italy. It is a commercial center and a summer resort. St. Columban founded a monastery there in 612, and during the 9th-12th cent. it was a center of European cultural life. The monastery later declined, and the invaluable manuscripts of its great library were...

• Bologna city (1991 pop. 404,378), capital of Emilia-Romagna and of Bologna prov., N central Italy, at the foot of the Apennines and on the Aemilian Way. It is a prosperous commercial and industrial center...

• Bolsena town (1991 pop. 4,064), Latium, central Italy, on picturesque Lake Bolsena, near the site of the second Volsinii. It is an agricultural and tourist center. Of note are an imposing castle (12th cent.)...

• Bolzano Ger. Bozen , city (1991 pop. 98,158), capital of Bolzano prov., in Trentino-Alto Adige, N Italy, on the Isarco River near its confluence with the Adige. It is the center of the German-speaking part of S Tyrol...

• Boscoreale town (1991 pop. 27,310), in Campania, S Italy, at the foot of Vesuvius. Roman villas have been excavated in the town. Also, a celebrated collection of gold coins, jewelry, and silverwork...

• Bozen see Bolzano , Italy.

• Brescia city (1991 pop. 194,502), capital of Brescia prov., Lombardy, N Italy. It is a commercial and highly diversified industrial center and a railroad junction. Manufactures include machinery,...

• Bressanone Ger. Brixen, town (1991 pop. 16,992), Trentino-Alto Adige, N Italy, on the Brenner Road, and at the confluence of the Isarco and Rienza rivers. Bressanone and its surrounding territory were ruled by...

• Brindisi Latin Brundisium, city (1991 pop. 95,383), capital of Brindisi prov., in Apulia, S Italy. A modern port on the Adriatic Sea, it has been noted since ancient times for its traffic with Greece and the E Mediterranean...

• Brixen see Bressanone , Italy.

• Brundisium see Brindisi , Italy.

• Burano former town, now part of Venice, in Venetia, NE Italy, built on four islets in the Lagoon of Venice. It is a fishing center and has been famous for its lace since the 15th cent.

• Busto Arsizio city (1991 pop. 77,094), Lombardy, N Italy. It is a leading center of the Italian cotton industry; metal goods and shoes are also manufactured. The Church of Santa Maria di Piazza was designed...

• Cagliari city (1991 pop. 204,237), capital of Sardinia and of Cagliari prov., S Sardinia, Italy, on the Gulf of Cagliari (an arm of the Mediterranean Sea) and at the mouth of the Mannu River. It is the...

• Calabria region (1991 pop. 2,070,203), 5,822 sq mi (15,079 sq km), S Italy, a peninsula projecting between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Ionian Sea, separated from Sicily by the narrow Strait of Messina. It...

• Caltagirone city (1991 pop. 36,898), SE Sicily, Italy. An agricultural and sulfur-mining center, it has been famous for its majolica ware since the Arab occupation (9th cent.).

• Caltanissetta city (1991 pop. 61,319), capital of Caltanissetta prov., central Sicily, Italy. It is an agricultural center and an important sulfur-producing center. Of note are the Church of Santa Maria degli...

• Campagna di Roma low-lying region surrounding the city of Rome, c.800 sq mi (2,070 sq km), Campania, central Italy. A favorite residential area in Roman times, it was later largely abandoned for centuries because...

• Campania region (1991 pop. 5,191,468), 5,249 sq mi (13,595 sq km), central Italy, extending from the Apennines W to the Tyrrhenian Sea and from the Garigliano River S to the Gulf of Policastro. It includes...

• Campobasso city (1991 pop. 50,941), capital of Molise and of Campobasso prov., S central Italy. It is an agricultural and industrial center. Manufactures include cement, soap, textiles, and cutlery. In the...

• Canosa di Puglia Lat. Canusium, city (1991 pop. 31,240), Apulia, S Italy, on the Ofanto River. It is a commercial and agricultural center. The city flourished under the Romans and was noted for its wool and its fine vases, many...

• Canossa village, in Emilia-Romagna, N central Italy, in the Apennines. There are ruins of the 10th-century castle of the powerful feudal family that took its name from the place. In the 10th and 11th...

• Canusium see Canosa di Puglia , Italy.

• Caprera island, 6 sq mi (15.5 sq km), NE Sardinia, Italy, in the Strait of Bonifacio. It was the residence (1856-82) of Garibaldi, who is buried there.

• Capri Lat. Capreae, island (1987 est. pop. 7,750), 4 sq mi (10.4 sq km), Campania, S Italy, in the Bay of Naples off the tip of the Sorrento Peninsula. It is an international tourist center, celebrated for its...

• Capua town (1991 pop. 18,845), Campania, S Italy, on the Volturno River. It is an agricultural center and occupies the site of ancient Casilinum. Ancient Capua, situated 3 mi (4.8 km) to the southeast, where Santa Maria Capua Vetere (1991 pop. 31,396) now lies, was a Roman town strategically located on the Appian Way. During the second of...

• Carrara city (1991 pop. 67,197), Tuscany, N central Italy, near the Ligurian Sea. It is the most important center of the Italian marble industry; the famous white Carrara marble is quarried in the nearby Alpi Apuane. With Massa, the city constituted the principality, later duchy, of Massa and Carrara (15th-19th cent.). Carrara has...

• Casale Monferrato or Casale, city (1991 pop. 38,962), Piedmont, NW Italy, on the Po River. Manufactures include cement, electrical appliances, and farm machinery, and much wine is produced in the region. It became the capital...

• Caserta city (1991 pop. 69,027), capital of Caserta prov., Campania, S central Italy. It is an agricultural, commercial, and growing industrial center, and a transportation junction. The surrender of the...

• Cassano d'Adda town (1991 pop. 16,260), Lombardy, N Italy, on the Adda River. It is an agricultural and market center. At Cassano d'Adda the French under Vendôme defeated the imperial forces under Prince Eugene...

• Cassino town (1991 pop. 32,787), in Latium, central Italy, in the Apennines, on the Rapido River. It is a commercial and agricultural center, and the site of a Fiat auto assembly plant. The peace between...

• Castel Gandolfo town (1991 pop. 6,784), in Latium, central Italy, in the Alban Hills, overlooking Lake Albano. Possibly occupying the site of ancient Alba Longa, it is the papal summer residence. The papal palace...

• Castellammare di Stabia city (1991 pop. 68,720), in Campania, S Italy, on the Bay of Naples. A summer resort and spa, it has thermal mineral springs that have been used since Roman times. It is also a commercial and...

• Castrogiovanni see Enna , Italy.

• Catania city (1991 pop. 333,075), capital of Catania prov., E Sicily, Italy, on the Gulf of Catania, an arm of the Ionian Sea, and at the foot of Mt. Etna. It is a busy port and a major commercial,...

• Catanzaro city (1991 pop. 96,614), capital of Catanzaro prov. and of Calabria, S Italy, on a hill above the Ionian Sea. It is a commercial center, with flour mills and distilleries. Employment opportunities...

• Cefalù town (1991 pop. 13,882), N Sicily, Italy, a port on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is a commercial and fishing center and a seaside resort. Formerly known as Cephaloedium, it made an alliance with...

• Cerignola city (1991 pop. 55,052), Apulia, S Italy. It is an agricultural center and a transportation junction. The city suffered a severe earthquake in 1731 and was largely rebuilt. Nearby, in 1503, the...

• Cesena city (1991 pop. 88,487), in Emilia-Romagna, N central Italy, on the Sávio River. It is an agricultural market, food-processing center, and base for sulfur mines and metal production. Cesena...

• Chiavenna town (1991 pop. 7,365), Lombardy, N Italy. It is a commercial center and transportation junction. Historically a strategic point, it commands both the Splügen and Maloja passes between Italy and...

• Chieti city (1991 pop. 55,876), capital of Chieti prov., Abruzzi region, central Italy, on the Pescara River, near the Adriatic Sea. It is a commercial and industrial center. Manufactures include...

• Chioggia city (1991 pop. 53,179), Venetia, NE Italy, on a small island at the southern end of the Lagoon of Venice (an arm of the Gulf of Venice), connected to the mainland by a bridge. It is an important...

• Chiusi Lat. Clusium, Etruscan Chamars, town (1991 pop. 9,103), in Tuscany, central Italy, in the Apennines. Chiusi was one of the 12 sovereign towns of ancient Etruria; its semilegendary king Lars Porsena is said to have marched from there against Rome (c.500 BC). The town was taken by Rome (c.225 BC). Many Etruscan ruins have been found, including tombs dating from the 5th cent. BC, and there is an...

• Civitavecchia city (1991 pop. 51,201), in Latium, W central Italy, on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The harbor, favored by Trajan (early 2d cent. AD), is still the chief port of Rome. It also handles traffic for the...

• Clusium see Chiusi , Italy.

• Como city (1991 pop. 87,059), capital of Como prov., Lombardy, N Italy, at the southwest end of Lake Como, near the Swiss border. It is an important tourist center and is noted for its silk industry...

• Cortina d'Ampezzo town (1991 pop. 7,109), in Venetia, NE Italy, in the heart of the Dolomites. It is an international winter sports center with a large tourism industry. The 1956 winter Olympic games were held there....

• Cortona town (1991 pop. 22,598), Tuscany, central Italy. It is an agricultural and tourist center. One of the 12 important Etruscan cities, Cortona later (310 BC) united with Rome. The town passed to...

• Cosenza city (1991 pop. 86,664), capital of Cosenza prov., Calabria, S Italy, at the confluence of the Busento and Crati rivers. It is an agricultural and secondary industrial center. Manufactures,...

• Cotrone see Crotona.

• Cremona city (1991 pop. 74,113), capital of Cremona prov., Lombardy, N Italy, on the Po River. It is an agricultural market and an industrial center that produces processed food and fabricated metals...

• Crotone see Crotona.

• Cuneo city (1991 pop. 55,794), capital of Cuneo prov., Piedmont, NW Italy, on the Stura River, near the Maritime Alps. It is an agricultural and light industrial center and a transportation junction...

• Custoza or Custozza , village, Venetia, N Italy, near Verona. It was the scene of an Austrian victory over Sardinia in 1848 (see Risorgimento ) and of an Austrian victory over Italy in 1866 (see Austro-Prussian...

• Ecnomus, Cape see Licata , Italy.

• Egadi Islands or Aegadian Isles , Lat. Aegates, archipelago (1987 est. pop. 5,000), c.15 sq mi (40 sq km), W Sicily, Italy, in the Mediterranean Sea. The chief islands are Favignana, Maretti-mo, and Levanzo. Fishing is the main occupation, and...

• Elba island, 86 sq mi (223 sq km), Tuscany, central Italy, in the Tyrrhenian Sea, 6 mi (9.7 km) from the Italian mainland, part of the Tuscan Archipelago. Iron ore has been mined there since Etruscan...

• Emilia-Romagna region (1991 pop. 3,909,512), 8,542 sq mi (22,124 sq km), N central Italy, bordering on the Adriatic Sea in the east. Bologna is the capital of the region, which is divided into eight provinces named for their capitals. Bologna, Ferrera, Modena, Parma, Piacenza, and Reggio nell' Emilia provs. are in Emilia, and Forlì and...

• Enna town (1991 pop. 28,273), capital of Enna prov., central Sicily, Italy. It is an agricultural market, resort, and sulfur-mining center. In ancient times Enna was devoted to the cult of Ceres. It...

• Ercolano formerly Resina , city (1991 pop. 61,233), Campania, S Italy, on the Bay of Naples. Situated on the site of ancient Herculaneum , it has fine villas and gardens and produces leather goods, buttons,...

• Esquiline hill: see Rome before Augustus and Roman Empire under Rome.

• Este town (1991 pop. 17,668), in Venetia, NE Italy. It is an agricultural and light manufacturing center. The ancient Ateste, it was a center of civilization (10th-2d cent. BC) of which many important...

• Fabriano town (1991 pop. 28,721), in the Marche, central Italy, in the Apennines. It is an agricultural and industrial center. Paper has been made there since the 13th cent. The local school of painting,...

• Faenza city (1991 pop. 54,139), in Emilia-Romagna, N central Italy, on the Lamone River. A special kind of richly colored ceramic, called faience or majolica, has been made there since the 12th cent.;...

• Fano city (1991 pop. 53,909), in the Marche, central Italy, on the Adriatic Sea. It is a fishing port, a seaside resort, and an agricultural and silk-manufacturing center. An important town in Roman...

• Fermo town (1991 pop. 35,311), in the Marche, central Italy, on a hill in the Apennines, near the Adriatic Sea. Leather and cotton goods are manufactured, and it has a noted bronze foundry. An ancient...

• Ferrara city (1991 pop. 138,015), capital of Ferrara prov., in Emilia-Romagna, N Italy. It is a rich industrial and agricultural center, located on a low-lying, marshy plain that has much reclaimed land...

• Fiesole town (1991 pop. 15,096), Tuscany, central Italy. The villas and gardens of this tourist center are beautifully situated on a hill overlooking the Arno valley and the city of Florence. An ancient...

• Firenze see Florence , Italy.

• Florence Ital. Firenze, city (1991 pop. 403,294), capital of Tuscany and of Firenze prov., central Italy, on the Arno River, at the foot of the Apennines. Florence, the jewel of the Italian Renaissance, is one of the...

• Foggia city (1991 pop. 156,268), capital of Foggia prov., in Apulia, S Italy. It is a transportation and industrial center and the main wheat market of S Italy. It is a highly diversified secondary...

• Foligno city (1991 pop. 53,202), in Umbria, central Italy. It is a commercial and industrial center and a railroad junction. Manufactures include machinery, transport equipment, paper, and textiles...

• Forlì city (1991 pop. 109,541), capital of Forlì prov., Emilia-Romagna, N central Italy. It is a prosperous agricultural and industrial center. Manufactures include silk, rayon, clothing, machinery,...

• Frascati town (1991 pop. 20,123), in Latium, central Italy. Beautifully situated in the Alban Hills near the site of ancient Tusculum, it has been a popular summer resort since Roman times. It is famous...

• Friuli historic region, now divided between Friuli-Venezia Giulia , NE Italy, and Slovenia. It extends from the E Alps to the Adriatic and includes, in the east, a fertile plain and a section of the Karst...

• Friuli-Venezia Giulia region (1991 pop. 1,197,666), 3,031 sq mi (7,850 sq km), NE Italy, bordering on Austria in the north and on Slovenia in the east. Trieste is the capital of the region, which is divided into Gorizia, Pordenone, Trieste, and Udine provs. (named for their capitals). It extends from the E Alps in the north to the Adriatic Sea in the...

• Görz see Gorizia , Italy.

• Gaeta town (1991 pop. 22,334), in Latium, central Italy, a seaport on a high promontory in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It was a favorite resort of the ancient Romans and was a prosperous duchy from the 9th to...

• Gela city (1991 pop. 61,319), S Sicily, Italy, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is a port, industrial center, and seaside resort. Petrochemicals are produced nearby, and petroleum is refined in the city...

• Genoa Ital. Genova, city (1991 pop. 678,771), capital of Genoa prov. and of Liguria, NW Italy, on the Ligurian Sea. Beautifully situated on the Italian Riviera , it is the chief seaport of Italy and rivals Marseilles, France, as the leading Mediterranean port. It is an outlet for the Po Valley and for central Europe and handles extensive passenger and...

• Genova see Genoa , Italy.

• Girgenti see Agrigento , Italy.

• Gorizia Ger. Görz (gûrts), city (1991 pop. 38,505), capital of Gorizia prov., Friuli-Venezia Giulia, NE Italy, on the Isonzo River and on the Slovenian border. It is an industrial, commercial, transport, and tourist...

• Gradisca d'Isonzo town, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, NE Italy, on the Isonzo River, near the Slovenian border. It is an agricultural center. The town was founded (late 15th cent.) by Venice as a fortress against the...

• Grado see Aquileia , Italy.

• Grosseto city (1991 pop. 71,257), central Italy, capital of Grosseto prov., Tuscany region, on the Ombrone River near the Tyrrhenian Sea. Situated in the reclaimed Maremma area, it is an agricultural market....

• Guastalla town (1991 pop. 13,354), Emilia-Romagna, N Italy, on the Po River. It is an agricultural and industrial center. Probably founded in the 7th cent., Guastalla was held by various lords and in 1539...

• Gubbio town (1991 pop. 30,792), in Umbria, central Italy. It is an agricultural and tourist center and has long been known for its ceramics. Originally an Umbrian town (coins and the Iguvine Tables were found there), it later flourished under the Romans. Gubbio was a powerful free commune in the 11th-12th cent., came under the dukes of Urbino in 1384, and was held by the papacy from 1624 to...

• Iglesias town (1991 pop. 30,134), SW Sardinia, Italy. The zinc and lead mines of the region have been famous since the 13th cent. The influence of Pisa, which controlled Iglesias in the Middle Ages, is...

• Imola city (1991 pop. 62,567), Emilia-Romagna, N central Italy, on the Aemilian Way. It is an agricultural and market center, known for its ceramics. A Roman town ( Forum Cornelii ), it later (11th cent.) became a free commune. The city was subsequently ruled by tyrants (including the Visconti and the Sforza) until it passed to the papacy in the early 16th cent. Landmarks...

• Imperia city (1991 pop. 40,708), capital of Imperia prov., Liguria, NW Italy, on the Ligurian Sea. Located on the Italian Riviera, it is a port and winter resort. The cathedral (1780-1832) dominates the...

• Ischia volcanic island (1991 pop. 16,013), 18 sq mi (47 sq km), Campania, S Italy, in the Tyrrhenian Sea between the Gulf of Gaeta and the Bay of Naples. Known as the Emerald Isle, it is a health resort...

• Italy Ĭt´elē , Ital. Italia, officially Italian Republic, republic (2005 est. pop. 58,103,000), 116,303 sq mi (301,225 sq km), S Europe. It borders on France in the northwest, the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea in the...

• Ivrea city (1991 pop. 24,704), Piedmont, NW Italy, on the Dora Baltea River. It is a commercial and industrial center, and it is the headquarters of Olivetti, an important Italian company. Manufactures...

• Lampedusa island, 8 sq mi (20.7 sq km), S Sicily, Italy, in the Mediterranean Sea between Malta and Tunisia, the largest of the Pelagie Islands and Italy's southernmost territory. Il Porto is the only town...

• L'Aquila or L'Aquila degli Abruzzi , city (1991 pop. 66,813), capital of L'Aquila prov. and of Abruzzi, central Italy, on the Pescara River. It is an agricultural and industrial center, and a summer resort. A motorway that connects...

• Latina city (1991 pop. 106,203), capital of Latina prov., in Latium, central Italy, near the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is an industrial, commercial, and agricultural center. Manufactures include tires,...

• Latium Ital. Lazio, region (1990 pop. 5,170,672), 6,642 sq mi (17,203 sq km), central Italy, extending from the Apennines westward to the Tyrrhenian Sea. Rome is the capital of the region, which is divided into Frosinone, Latina, Rieti, Rome, and Viterbo provs. (named for their capitals). The region is mostly hilly and mountainous, with a narrow coastal...

• Lecce city (1991 pop. 100,884), capital of Lecce prov., Apulia region, S Italy. It is an industrial and agricultural center. Manufactures include machinery, ceramics, food products, and wine. A Greek...

• Leghorn see Livorno , Italy.

• Legnano city (1991 pop. 50,018), Lombardy, NW Italy, near Milan. Manufactures of this important industrial center include plastics, steel, machinery, and textiles. Near Legnano the Lombard League defeated...

• Licata city (1991 pop. 41,300), S Sicily, Italy, on the Mediterranean Sea at the mouth of the Salso River. Licata is a seaport, seaside resort, and commercial and industrial center. Sulfur and asphalt...

• Lido di Venezia long, narrow, sandy island in Venetia, Italy, separating the lagoon of Venice from the Adriatic. It has a beautiful beach and is one of the most fashionable bathing resorts in Europe.

• Liguria region (1991 pop. 1,676,282), 2,098 sq mi (5,434 sq km), NW Italy, extending along the Ligurian Sea and bordering France on the west. The generally mountainous region has a steep, narrow coastal...

• Lipari Islands formerly Aeolian Islands , Ital. Isole Eolie, volcanic island group (1991 pop. 10,382), 44 sq mi (114 sq km), Messina prov., NE Sicily, Italy, in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The group includes Lipari (14.5 sq mi/37.6 sq km), an exporter of pumice and...

• Littoria see Latina , Italy.

• Livorno Brit. Leghorn, city (1991 pop. 167,512), capital of Livorno prov., Tuscany, central Italy, on the Ligurian Sea and on the Aurelian Way. It is a busy commercial, industrial, and tourist center and is one of the...

• Lodi city (1991 pop. 42,250), Lombardy, N Italy, on the Adda River, near Milan. It is an important dairy and light industrial center. The city is located near the site of ancient Laus Pompeia, which...

• Lombardy Ital. Lombardia, region (1991 pop. 8,856,069), c.9,200 sq mi (23,830 sq km), N Italy, bordering on Switzerland in the north. Milan is the capital of the region, which is divided into the provinces...

• Loreto town (1991 est. pop. 10,780), in the Marche, central Italy, on a hill overlooking the Adriatic Sea. It has silk industries and is a famous place of pilgrimage. According to legend, the Holy House...

• Lucca city (1991 pop. 87,100), capital of Lucca prov., Tuscany, N central Italy, near the Ligurian Sea. It is a commercial and industrial center and an agricultural market (olive oil, wine, and...

• Lucera town (1991 pop. 35,615), Apulia, S Italy. It is an agricultural and industrial center. Already important in the 4th cent. BC, the town was destroyed by the Byzantines in the 7th cent. AD It was...

• Macerata town (1991 pop. 43,040), capital of Macerata prov., in the Marche, central Italy. It is an agricultural and light industrial center. Macerata was ruled by the papacy from the mid-15th cent. to...

• Magenta town (1991 pop. 23,667), Lombardy, N Italy, near Milan. Manufactures include matches, textiles, and machinery. At the Ticino River nearby, the French and the Sardinians won a decisive victory...

• Mantua Ital. Mantova, city (1991 pop. 53,065), capital of Mantova prov., Lombardy, N Italy, bordered on three sides by lakes formed by the Mincio River. It is an agricultural, industrial, and tourist center...

• Marche or the Marches, region (1991 pop. 1,429,205), 3,742 sq mi (9,692 sq km), E central Italy, extending from the eastern slopes of the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea. Ancona is the capital of the region, which is divided into the provinces of Ancona, Ascoli Piceno, Macerata, and Pesaro e Urbino (named after their chief cities). The Marche is mostly hilly or...

• Maremma coastal area in Tuscany, central Italy, along the Tyrrhenian Sea and extending E to the Apennines. A flourishing region in Etruscan and early Roman times, it became marshy and was largely...

• Marengo village, Piedmont, NW Italy, near Alessandria. It was the site of a famous battle (June 14, 1800) between the French under Napoleon Bonaparte and the Austrians under Melas. Melas had almost won...

• Marsala city (1991 pop. 80,177), W Sicily, Italy, a port on the Mediterranean Sea, located on Cape Boeo. It is noted for its sweet wine. The ancient Lilybaeum , it was later renamed Marsah al Allah [port of...

• Massa city (1991 pop. 66,737), capital of Massa-Carrara prov., Tuscany, N central Italy, near the Ligurian Sea. Marble is quarried, and chemicals, metals, and machinery are produced there. From the 15th...

• Matera city (1991 pop. 54,919), capital of Matera prov., in Basilicata, S Italy, in the Apennines. It is an agricultural and industrial center with woolen textile mills and ceramics and food-processing...

• Mediolanum see Milan , Italy.

• Melfi town (1991 pop. 15,757), in Basilicata, S Italy. It is an agricultural and tourist center noted for its wine. In 1041 it was made the first capital of the Norman county of Apulia. At Melfi Emperor...

• Mentana town (1991 pop. 30,360), in Latium, central Italy. On Nov. 3, 1867, Garibaldi was defeated there by French and papal troops during his unsuccessful campaign to capture nearby Rome.

• Messana see Messina , Italy.

• Messina city (1991 pop. 231,693), capital of Messina prov., NE Sicily, Italy, on the Strait of Messina, opposite the Italian mainland. It is a busy seaport and a commercial and light industrial center...

• Milan Ital. Milano, Lat. Mediolanum, city (1991 pop. 1,369,231), capital of Lombardy and of Milan prov., N Italy, at the heart of the Po basin. Because of its strategic position in the Lombard plain, at the intersection of several...

• Milazzo town (1991 pop. 31,541), NE Sicily, Italy, on a peninsula in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the ancient Mylae. The town is a wine-trade and tuna-fishing center and is the gateway to the nearby Lipari Islands. Garibaldi completed his conquest of Sicily by defeating (June, 1860) the Bourbon troops there...

• Miseno, Cape S Italy, at the northwest end of the Bay of Naples. Augustus founded (1st cent. BC) a naval station ( Misenum ) there, which was destroyed by the Arabs (9th cent. AD). Remaining are ruins of the imperial...

• Modena city (1991 pop. 176,990), capital of Modena prov., Emilia-Romagna, N central Italy, on the Panaro River. It is an agricultural, commercial, and major industrial center. Manufactures include motor...

• Modica city (1991 pop. 50,529), SE Sicily, Italy. It is the center of an agricultural region where livestock is raised. Known in ancient times as Motyca, it was a feudal county in the 12th cent. and...

• Molfetta city (1991 pop. 66,839), in Apulia, S Italy, on the Adriatic Sea. It is a fishing port and light industrial center. Manufactures include cement, boats, and food products. There is an...

• Molise region (1991 pop. 330,900), 1,714 sq mi (4,439 sq km), S central Italy, bordering on the Adriatic Sea in the east. Campobasso is the capital of the region, which is divided into the provinces of Campobasso and Isérnia. Mostly mountainous, Molise is crossed by the Apennines; there is a narrow coastal strip. The main...

• Monfalcone city (1991 pop. 27,223), in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, extreme NE Italy, near the Adriatic Sea. Manufactures of this modern industrial center include ships, airplanes, textiles, chemicals, and refined...

• Monferrato see Montferrat , Italy.

• Monreale town (1991 pop. 26,256), NW Sicily, Italy, near Palermo. An agricultural market and tourist center, it commands a magnificent view of the fertile Conca d'Oro plain. A famous cathedral, one of the...

• Monte Cristo unpopulated, rocky island, 6 sq mi (15.5 sq km), belonging to Italy, in the Tyrrhenian Sea between Corsica and the Italian coast. It owes its fame to the novel by Alexandre Dumas père, The Count...

• Monteleone di Calabria see Vibo Valentia , Italy.

• Montferrat Ital. Monferrato, historic region of Piedmont, NW Italy, south of the Po River, now mostly in Alessandria prov. It is largely hilly, and wine, fruit, and cereals are produced. In the late 10th cent. Montferrat was...

• Monza city (1991 pop. 120,651), Lombardy, N Italy. Manufactures of this highly diversified industrial center include felt hats, carpets, textiles, glass, plastics, and machinery. The history of Monza is...

• Murano suburb of Venice, NE Italy, on five small islands in the Lagoon of Venice. From the late 13th cent. it was the center of the Venetian glass industry, which reached a peak in the 16th cent. and was...

• Naples Ital. Napoli, city (1991 pop. 1,067,365), capital of Campania and of Naples prov., S central Italy, on the Bay of Naples, an arm of the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is a major seaport, with shipyards, and a commercial,...

• Nettuno town (1991 pop. 33,827), in Latium, central Italy, on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is an agricultural center