In Italy, the
comune (plural
comuni) is the basic
administrative division of both provinces and regions, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word
township or
municipality.
The comune provides many of the basic civil functions registry of births and deaths, registry of deeds, contracting for local roads and public works,&_160;etc.
It is headed by a mayor (sindaco) assisted by a legislative body, the Consiglio Comunale, and an executive body, the Giunta Comunale. Mayor and members of Consiglio Comunale are elected together by resident citizens the coalition of the elected Mayor (who needs an absolute majority in the first or second round of voting) gains the three fifths of the Council's seats. The Giunta Comunale is chaired by mayor who appoint others members, called assessori. The offices of the comune are housed in a building usually called the Municipio, or Palazzo Comunale.
As of the 2007 census, there were 8,101 comuni in Italy; they vary considerably in area and population.
