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A '''frazione''', in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a ''comune''; for other subdivisions, see ''municipio'', ''circoscrizione'', ''quartiere''. The word is cognate to English ''fraction.'' Most ''comuni'' have several ''frazioni'', occasionally several dozens, while some have none. The subdivision is optional. In practice, most ''frazioni'' are small villages or hamlets, occasionally a mere clump of houses, although being such a place is not requisite, nor is every hamlet a ''frazione'' by any means: those that are not are often referred to as ''località'', as for example in the telephone book. In some occasions ''frazioni'' can be more populated than the principal town of the ''comune'' (the ''capoluogo''). Very occasionally, 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'', however, still retains the name of the ''capoluogo''.
Historically, many ''frazioni'' came into being during the Fascist period, when a major effort was made to consolidate and rationalize the territorial subdivisions of the country. Sometimes, a ''frazione'' represents a former ''comune'' felt at some point to be no longer viable.
Formerly, they were established, and their borders defined, by the central government, except in the case of the five autonomous regions (see Regions of Italy), where this was done at the regional level. Under the terms, however, of Legislative Decree 267/2000 in implementation of amendments to Title V of the Italian Constitution, the ''frazioni'' are now defined at the ''comune'' level.
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 groups of ''frazioni'' joining forces with the appointment of a single ''prosindaco'', the case was frequent enough. Under current law, however, Article 54 of the Constitution 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'' are endowed with their own clerks and recorders of deeds, but do not maintain their own civil records.