Località

{{Short description|Types of minor population areas in Italy}}

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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 ({{literally|inhabited locality}}) as an "area of more or less size, normally known by its own name, in which are situated either grouped or scattered houses".{{Citation needed|date=April 2015}}

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{{cite web |url= http://timeseries.istat.it/fileadmin/allegati/Popolazione/testi_inglese/2_Territory_and_urbanisation_process.pdf |title=Population: Territory and urbanisation process}} {{cite web |url= http://seriestoriche.istat.it/fileadmin/allegati/Popolazione/testi/2_Territorio_e_processi_di_inurbamento.pdf |title=Popolazione: Territorio e processi di inurbamento |publisher=L'archivio della statistica italiana |access-date=26 April 2015}}

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.