Frazione

A frazione (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a "comune" (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most "frazioni" were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territorial subdivisions in the country.
In the autonomous region of the Aosta Valley, a "frazione" is officially called an "hameau" in French.
Description.
Typically the term "frazioni" applies to the villages surrounding the main town ("capoluogo") of a "comune". Subdivision of a "comune" is optional; some "comuni" have no "frazioni", but others have several dozen. The "comune" usually has the same name of the "capoluogo", but not always.
In practice, most "frazioni" are small villages or hamlets, occasionally just a clump of houses. Not every hamlet is classified as a "frazione"; those that are not are often referred to as "località", for example, in the telephone book. In some cases, "frazioni" are more populous than the "capoluogo" of the "comune". Due to unusual circumstances or to the depopulation of the "capoluogo", the town hall and its administrative functions can move to one of the "frazioni": the "comune" still retains the name of the "capoluogo".
History.
Historically, many "frazioni" came into being during the Fascist era, when a major effort was made to consolidate and rationalize the territorial subdivisions of the country. Sometimes, a "frazione" represents a former "comune" that was believed to be no longer viable.
Until 2000, the central government established the frazioni and defined their borders, except in the case of the five autonomous regions (see Regions of Italy), where this was controlled at the regional level. By the Legislative Decree 267/2000 to implement amendments to Title V of the Italian Constitution, the individual "comuni" now define the "frazioni" within their borders.
Officers.
Under the former legislation, a "frazione" had the option of having a "prosindaco" (submayor), who was appointed by the mayor ("il sindaco") of the "comune", often on the recommendation of deliberative bodies such as the communal council ("consiglio") or the "giunta", or as a result of a petition by enough residents of the "frazione" involved; although there was no official provision for "frazioni" to group together with the appointment of a single "prosindaco", this did happen quite often. Under current law, however, Article 54 of the d.lgs. 267/2000 provides that a mayor may delegate mayoral functions at the "frazione" level to a councillor of the "comune".
In many "comuni", in addition to their advisory function, the "frazioni" have their own clerks and recorders of deeds, but they do not maintain their own civil records.