# Loiano

> Italian comune

**Wikidata**: [Q94931](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q94931)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loiano)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/loiano

## Summary

Loiano is an Italian comune located in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, within the region of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy. Situated at coordinates 44.266666666667° N, 11.316666666667° E, the municipality serves as a administrative unit within the provincial system of Italy. The comune functions as one of the fundamental municipal divisions of Italy, representing the lowest level of local government in the Italian administrative structure.

## Key Facts

- **Location:** Metropolitan City of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
- **Country:** Italy
- **Administrative Status:** Comune of Italy (municipal division of Italy)
- **Former Province:** Province of Bologna (inception: 1859-11-30)
- **Current Province:** Metropolitan City of Bologna (inception: 2015-01-01)
- **Coordinates:** Latitude 44.266666666667° N, Longitude 11.316666666667° E
- **Population:** 4,315 (most recent); 4,288; 4,416 (historical figures)
- **Website:** http://www.comune.loiano.bologna.it/ and https://www.comune.loiano.bologna.it
- **Wikipedia Title:** Loiano
- **Wikidata Description:** Italian comune
- **Sitelink Count:** 50

## FAQs

**What type of administrative area is Loiano?**

Loiano is an Italian comune, which serves as the fundamental unit of local government in Italy. Comuni are the smallest administrative divisions in the country and are responsible for local governance, services, and administrative functions within their territories.

**Which province or metropolitan city does Loiano belong to?**

Loiano belongs to the Metropolitan City of Bologna, which replaced the former Province of Bologna in 2015. The Metropolitan City of Bologna is an administrative entity in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, with its headquarters located in the city of Bologna.

**What settlements are part of or related to Loiano?**

The territory of Loiano includes or is associated with several human settlements, including Guarda (located in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy), Bibulano (a human settlement in Italy), and Quinzano (a human settlement in the Metropolitan city of Bologna, Italy).

**What is the population of Loiano?**

According to the available data, Loiano has a population of approximately 4,315 residents, with historical figures showing populations of 4,288 and 4,416 in different reporting periods.

**Where is Loiano geographically located?**

Loiano is situated in northern Italy, specifically in the Emilia-Romagna region. Its precise geographic coordinates are 44.266666666667° north latitude and 11.316666666667° east longitude.

## Why It Matters

Loiano represents an important example of the Italian comune system, which forms the backbone of local governance throughout Italy. As part of the Metropolitan City of Bologna, Loiano contributes to the administrative organization of one of Italy's most economically productive and culturally significant regions. The comune system in Italy, to which Loiano belongs, is a distinctive feature of Italian administrative organization, having evolved since the unification of Italy in 1861. These municipal divisions serve as the primary point of contact between citizens and government, handling local services, urban planning, civil registration, and community affairs. The presence of settlements like Guarda, Bibulano, and Quinzano within or connected to Loiano's territory illustrates the network of human settlements that comprise the Italian administrative landscape. Understanding entities like Loiano provides insight into how Italy manages its local governance structure, balancing historical administrative traditions with modern regional reorganization that occurred in 2015 when provinces were restructured into metropolitan cities.

## Notable For

- Part of the historic Province of Bologna, one of Italy's oldest provincial divisions established in 1859
- Located in Emilia-Romagna, one of Italy's wealthiest and most productive regions
- Included in the Metropolitan City of Bologna administrative reorganization that began in 2015
- Representative of the comune system that forms the foundational administrative structure of Italy
- Contains or is associated with multiple smaller settlements including Guarda, Bibulano, and Quinzano

## Body

### Geography and Administrative Location

Loiano is positioned in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, specifically within the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan City of Bologna. The municipality's precise geographic coordinates are 44.266666666667° north latitude and 11.316666666667° east longitude. This location places Loiano in the hilly or mountainous terrain typical of the Apennine region extending through Emilia-Romagna. The comune occupies a position within the administrative framework that underwent significant restructuring in 2015 when Italy transformed many of its provinces into metropolitan cities, with the Metropolitan City of Bologna being established on January 1, 2015, replacing the historical Province of Bologna that had existed since November 30, 1859.

### Administrative Structure and History

Loiano functions as an Italian comune, which represents the fundamental unit of local government in Italy's administrative system. The comune structure dates back to the unification of Italy and serves as the primary organizational tier for municipal governance. Before 2015, Loiano fell under the administration of the Province of Bologna, which was established in 1859 following the incorporation of the region into the Kingdom of Italy. The transition to the Metropolitan City of Bologna in 2015 represented a major reform in Italian local government, aimed at improving administrative efficiency and coordination in urban areas. As a comune, Loiano maintains its own local administration, website (accessible at http://www.comune.loiano.bologna.it/ and https://www.comune.loiano.bologna.it), and serves as the basic unit for civic services and local governance.

### Population and Demographics

The population of Loiano stands at approximately 4,315 residents according to the most recent data available. Historical population figures indicate variations, with recorded populations of 4,288 and 4,416 in different reporting periods. These population numbers are consistent with the scale of many Italian comuni, which range from small villages to larger towns depending on their location and economic base. The population data reflects the demographic patterns common in the Emilian-Appennine area, where municipalities often maintain stable or slowly changing populations due to the rural character of many settlements.

### Related Settlements and Municipal Network

The territory of Loiano is connected to or includes several smaller human settlements that contribute to the broader municipal fabric of the area. Guarda is identified as a human settlement located within Loiano, specifically in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Bibulano represents another human settlement associated with the Italian administrative framework, while Quinzano is noted as a settlement in the Metropolitan city of Bologna, Italy. These settlements illustrate the pattern of clustered populations and historical villages that characterize the Italian peninsula, where smaller localities often fall under the administrative jurisdiction of a larger comune center.

### Regional Context: Emilia-Romagna and the Metropolitan City of Bologna

Loiano exists within the broader context of the Emilia-Romagna region, one of Italy's 20 regions and among the most economically developed areas in the country. The region is renowned for its agricultural productivity, industrial manufacturing, and cultural heritage. The Metropolitan City of Bologna serves as the administrative capital of the region, and the transformation from province to metropolitan city in 2015 reflects contemporary administrative reforms aimed at better managing urban and suburban development. Bologna itself is home to the oldest university in continuous operation in the world, the University of Bologna, established in 1088, making the entire metropolitan area a center of learning and culture. The comuni within this metropolitan area, including Loiano, benefit from proximity to these cultural and educational resources while maintaining their distinct local identities.

### Italian Administrative System: The Comune Structure

Loiano exemplifies the comune system that defines Italian local government. Comuni represent the lowest tier of administrative division in Italy and are responsible for a wide range of local functions including civil registration (anagrafe), urban planning, local police, waste management, and the maintenance of local roads and public spaces. Each comune is governed by a mayor (sindaco) and a council (consiglio comunale), with administrative functions carried out by municipal offices. The sistema comunale has been a feature of Italian governance since national unification, providing a decentralized approach to administration that allows for local autonomy while maintaining national coherence. The approximately 7,900 comuni in Italy vary greatly in size and population, from small mountain villages like Loiano to major cities like Rome, Milan, and Naples.

## 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. [Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011. Italian National Institute of Statistics](https://www.istat.it/it/archivio/156224)
7. Wiki Loves Monuments Italia
8. Seismic classification in Italy
9. [Source](https://rischi.protezionecivile.gov.it/it/sismico/attivita/classificazione-sismica)