Aosta Valley
Regions of Italy
Italy is administratively divided into 20 regions. Five of them (Val d'Aosta, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, and Sicily) are autonomous regions, with the last two being islands. Each region has a capital and is divided into several subdivisions called provinces. In addition, two small independent states are located within Italy's territory: Vatican City and San Marino.
The largest region in Italy is Sicily, with an area of over 25,000 km², while the smallest is Valle d'Aosta, with only 3,261 km².
Some regions (such as Tuscany or Veneto) are more touristy, while others (such as Marche and Molise) are less well known. Some (Piedmont or Lombardy) are wealthier, while others (Calabria or Campania) fare worse in this respect. However, all of them have distinctive characteristics, beautiful places and cities to visit, and their own gastronomy, offering different experiences to travelers in love with Italy.
Map of the Regions of Italy
Areas of Italy
From a historical point of view, Italy can be divided into three major areas: Northern Italy, Central Italy, and Southern Italy (which usually also includes the islands of Sicily and Sardinia).
Northern Italy
Northern Italy consists of the regions of Val d’Aosta (with the capital Aosta), Piedmont (with the capital Turin), Liguria (with the capital Genoa), Lombardy (with the capital Milan), Friuli-Venezia Giulia (with the capital Trieste), Trentino-Alto Adige (with the capital Trento), Veneto (with the capital Venice), and Emilia-Romagna (with the capital Bologna).
Central Italy
Southern Italy
Southern Italy comprises the regions of Abruzzo (with the capital Aquila), Molise (with the capital Campobasso), Campania (with the capital Naples), Apulia (with the capital Bari), Basilicata (with the capital Potenza), Calabria (with the capital Campobasso), Sicily (with the capital Palermo), and Sardinia (with the capital Cagliari).
