# Bee > Italian comune **Wikidata**: [Q23243](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23243) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee,_Piedmont) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/bee-q23243 ## Summary Bee is an Italian comune (municipality) located in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Situated at coordinates 45.966666666667° N, 8.5833333333333° E, it is a small administrative division that includes the settlements of Pian Nava and Albagnano within its territory. The comune operates under the Italian municipal system and falls within the broader administrative structure of Italy, a sovereign parliamentary republic and founding member of the European Union. ## Key Facts - **Entity Type**: Italian comune (municipal division of Italy) - **Country**: Italy - **Region**: Piedmont - **Province**: Verbano-Cusio-Ossola - **Coordinates**: 45.966666666667° N, 8.5833333333333° E - **Population**: 741 (most recent recorded figure) - **Previous Population Figures**: 756, 789 - **Settlements Within Municipal Boundaries**: Pian Nava, Albagnano - **Official Website**: http://www.comune.bee.vb.it - **Wikipedia Title**: Bee, Piedmont - **Wikidata Description**: Italian comune - **Sitelink Count**: 50 - **Administrative Classification**: Comune of Italy (municipal divisions of Italy) ## FAQs **What region and province is Bee located in?** Bee is located in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, specifically within the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. This province is one of the administrative divisions in the Piedmont (Piemonte) region, which is situated in the northwestern part of Italy bordering France and Switzerland. **What are the settlements within Bee's municipal boundaries?** Bee contains two named human settlements within its territory: Pian Nava and Albagnano. These are smaller localities or frazioni (fractions) that fall under the administrative jurisdiction of the comune of Bee. **What is the population of Bee?** The most recent recorded population of Bee is 741 residents. Historical population figures show 756 and 789 residents in earlier counts, indicating a slight decline in population over time. **What type of administrative entity is Bee?** Bee is classified as an "Italian comune," which is the fundamental administrative unit in Italy similar to a municipality or town. Comuni are the lowest level of administrative division in Italy and are responsible for local governance, including civil registration, local planning, and municipal services. **How can I find more information about Bee?** The official website of the comune of Bee is http://www.comune.bee.vb.it. Additional information can be found on Wikipedia under the article titled "Bee, Piedmont" and through Wikidata (Q...). ## Why It Matters Bee represents a fundamental unit of local governance in the Italian administrative system. As an Italian comune, it serves as the primary interface between citizens and local government, managing essential services such as civil records, local taxation, urban planning, and community facilities. The comune system in Italy dates back to the unification of Italy in 1861 and remains a cornerstone of Italian civic organization, with over 7,900 comuni operating throughout the country. The Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in which Bee is located, is a relatively young Italian province created in 1992 through the splitting of the Province of Novara. This region is known for its mountainous terrain, lakes (including Lake Maggiore partially), and proximity to Switzerland. Comuni like Bee contribute to the demographic and administrative fabric of this area, preserving local identity and governance while operating within the broader regional and national framework. For those researching Italian geography, local administration, or the Piedmont region, Bee serves as an example of how Italy's granular administrative system operates at the community level. The comune structure allows for localized governance while maintaining integration with provincial, regional, and national administrative hierarchies. ## Notable For - **Administrative Function**: Serves as a functioning comune within the Italian municipal system, demonstrating the decentralized governance model of Italy - **Location in Verbano-Cusio-Ossola**: Part of a province known for its alpine and prealpine geography, lakes, and strategic position near the Swiss border - **Historical Settlements**: Contains the traditional settlements of Pian Nava and Albagnano, representing the frazioni system common in Italian comuni - **Digital Presence**: Maintains an official municipal website (http://www.comune.bee.vb.it), indicating modern local governance practices ## Body ### Geography and Location Bee is situated in the northwestern part of Italy within the Piedmont region. The comune is located at geographic coordinates of 45.966666666667° north latitude and 8.5833333333333° east longitude. This places it in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, an area characterized by mountainous and hilly terrain typical of the southern foothills of the Alps. The Piedmont region (Piemonte) is one of Italy's 20 regions and is bordered by France to the west, Switzerland to the north, the region of Lombardy to the east, and the region of Liguria to the south. The Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola was established in 1992 and encompasses territory formerly part of the Province of Novara. The province takes its name from the three main geographical features of the area: Lake Verbano (Lake Maggiore), the Cusio area (around Lake Orta), and the Ossola valley. ### Administrative Structure As an Italian comune, Bee operates as a municipality with its own local government administration. The comune is the basic administrative unit in Italy, responsible for a range of local functions including: - Civil registration (anagrafe) - Local urban planning and building permits - Municipal police and traffic regulation - Local taxation and revenue collection - Maintenance of public roads and municipal infrastructure - Administration of local services such as water, waste management, and public lighting Bee falls under the administrative hierarchy of Italy → Piedmont region → Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola → Comune of Bee. This tiered system of governance is standard throughout Italy, with comuni serving as the most local level of government representation. ### Settlements and Population Within the boundaries of Bee, there are two named human settlements: Pian Nava and Albagnano. These settlements represent the frazioni system common in Italian comuni, where smaller localities or villages fall under the administrative jurisdiction of a larger municipal center. The population of Bee has been recorded at 741 residents in the most recent census data, with historical figures showing populations of 756 and 789 in earlier counts. This population size is consistent with many small comuni in the mountainous regions of Piedmont, where dispersed settlement patterns and rural character are common. ### Regional Context The Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola is notable for its geographical diversity, which includes portions of Lake Maggiore (Verbano), Lake Orta (Cusio), and the Ossola Valley. The area is popular for tourism, particularly in the summer months for lake activities and in winter for alpine sports. The province's capital is the city of Verbania. Piemont (Piedmont) is the second-largest region in Italy by area after Sicily, covering approximately 25,400 square kilometers. The region is renowned for its wine production, including famous wines such as Barolo, Barbaresco, and Asti Spumante. The regional capital is Turin (Torino), which was also the first capital of unified Italy from 1861 to 1865. ### Historical Background The comune system in Italy was formalized following the unification of Italy in 1861. The Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed on March 17, 1861, and the new state inherited the administrative structures of the various pre-unification states, including the Kingdom of Sardinia, which had controlled Piedmont. These structures were reorganized into the modern comune system that persists today. The Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola was created more recently, in 1992, reflecting the need for administrative decentralization and local governance optimization in certain areas of Italy. This makes Bee part of a relatively young provincial structure within the older regional framework. ### Connectivity and Services Bee maintains a digital presence through its official municipal website at http://www.comune.bee.vb.it. This website follows the standard naming convention for Italian comuni, incorporating the comune name followed by the provincial abbreviation (.vb. for Verbano-Cusio-Ossola) and the .it country code for Italy. The comune is connected to the broader Italian infrastructure network, including road systems, utilities, and communication services. As part of Italy, Bee operates under Italian electrical standards (230V at 50Hz), uses the Euro as currency, and follows Central European Time (UTC+01:00, with daylight saving time adjustments). ### Relationship to Other Entities Bee is connected to several related entities in the Italian administrative and geographical hierarchy: - **Italy**: The sovereign nation and parliamentary republic of which Bee is a part - **Piedmont**: The region in which Bee is located - **Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola**: The specific province governing Bee - **Comune of Italy**: The category of municipal division to which Bee belongs - **Pian Nava**: A human settlement within Bee's municipal boundaries - **Albagnano**: A human settlement within Bee's municipal boundaries This hierarchical relationship demonstrates how Italian administrative divisions are organized from the national level down to individual municipalities, with each level having specific governance responsibilities and administrative functions. ## References 1. Virtual International Authority File 2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013 3. Italian National Institute of Statistics 4. [Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018. Italian National Institute of Statistics](http://demo.istat.it/pop2018/index3.html) 5. [Source](https://demo.istat.it/?l=it) 6. GeoNames 7. [Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011. Italian National Institute of Statistics](https://www.istat.it/it/archivio/156224) 8. Wiki Loves Monuments Italia 9. Seismic classification in Italy 10. [Source](https://rischi.protezionecivile.gov.it/it/sismico/attivita/classificazione-sismica)