# Prelà > Italian comune **Wikidata**: [Q269688](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q269688) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prelà) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/prel ## Summary Prelà is an Italian comune (municipality) located in the Province of Imperia, in the Liguria region of northern Italy. Situated in the western part of the Italian peninsula near the French border, this small mountain community encompasses several settlements including Valloria, Tavole, and Molini di Prelà. The comune serves as a local administrative unit within Italy's system of municipal divisions and maintains a website at http://www.comune.prela.im.it/. ## Key Facts - **Classification:** Italian comune (municipal division of Italy) - **Location:** Province of Imperia, Liguria region, Italy - **Country:** Italy - **Coordinates:** Latitude 43.923816666667°, Longitude 7.9092972222222° - **Settelments within jurisdiction:** Valloria, Tavole, Molini di Prelà (frazione) - **Administrative status:** Part of the Province of Imperia - **Regional context:** Located in Liguria, a coastal region in northwestern Italy - **Population:** 494, 498, and 471 (three recorded figures) - **Alias:** Prela - **Wikipedia title:** Prelà - **Wikidata description:** Italian comune - **Sitelink count:** 44 - **Official website:** http://www.comune.prela.im.it/ - **Parent administrative entity:** Province of Imperia (sitelink_count: 78) - **Country membership:** Part of Italy (sitelink_count: 404) ## FAQs **What type of administrative area is Prelà?** Prelà is an Italian comune, which is the smallest administrative division in Italy, similar to a municipality or town. Comuni serve as the basic unit of local government and are responsible for local services, planning, and administration. **Which province and region is Prelà located in?** Prelà is located in the Province of Imperia, which is part of the Liguria region in northwestern Italy. The Province of Imperia is one of two provinces in the Liguria region, with the other being the Province of La Spezia. **What settlements are part of Prelà?** The comune of Prelà includes several settlements: Valloria (a human settlement), Tavole (a human settlement), and Molini di Prelà (a frazione, which is a smaller administrative division or hamlet). **What are the geographical coordinates of Prelà?** Prelà is located at latitude 43.923816666667° and longitude 7.9092972222222°, placing it in the mountainous interior of Liguria near the border with France. **How can I find more information about Prelà's local government?** The official website of the Comune di Prelà is http://www.comune.prela.im.it/, where local government information, services, and community details can be accessed. ## Why It Matters Prelà represents the foundational unit of local governance in Italy, embodying the country's decentralized administrative structure. As an Italian comune, it serves as the primary point of contact between citizens and local government, providing essential services such as public records, local planning, and community maintenance. The comune system is central to Italian civic organization, with over 7,900 comuni distributed throughout the country, each serving as a distinct administrative entity with its own local government and characteristics. The presence of multiple settlements within Prelà—Valloria, Tavole, and Molini di Prelà—demonstrates how Italian comuni often encompass smaller communities, providing a framework for organizing rural and mountainous areas. This is particularly relevant in Liguria, a region known for its rugged terrain and scattered hilltop villages. The Province of Imperia, within which Prelà is located, represents one of Italy's provincial administrative divisions, helping to coordinate regional development and services across multiple comuni. For those studying Italian geography, administration, or regional development, Prelà exemplifies the structure and function of small Italian comuni, particularly in the border regions of northwestern Italy near France. ## Notable For - **Mountain location:** Situated in the Ligurian Alps, demonstrating Italy's diverse alpine geography - **Multi-settlement jurisdiction:** Encompasses Valloria, Tavole, and Molini di Prelà within a single administrative unit - **Border proximity:** Located in western Liguria near the French-Italian border - **Part of historic region:** Situated in Liguria, a region with distinct cultural and geographical identity dating back to the Ligurian people - **Local government unit:** Represents the smallest and most numerous type of administrative division in Italy ## Body ### Geography and Location Prelà is situated in the Province of Imperia, one of two provinces in the Liguria region of northwestern Italy. The comune occupies a geographical position at coordinates 43.923816666667° latitude and 7.9092972222222° longitude, placing it in the mountainous interior of Liguria. This region is characterized by its rugged terrain, part of the Ligurian Alps, which separate the coastal areas of the Italian Riviera from the French border region beyond. The location near the France-Italy border places Prelà in an area of historical and cultural significance, where Italian and French influences have intersected over centuries. The region's geography has historically shaped local economies, with mountain agriculture, transhumance, and trade routes connecting the Mediterranean coast with the Alpine interior. ### Administrative Structure As an Italian comune, Prelà functions as a municipal division and the basic unit of local government in Italy. The comune system in Italy dates back to the unification of the country in the 19th century and serves as the primary administrative tier below the provincial and regional levels. Each comune has its own local government, typically headed by a mayor (sindaco) and a council (consiglio comunale). Prelà is part of the Province of Imperia, which encompasses the western portion of Liguria. The Province of Imperia was created in 1860 as one of the original provinces of the Kingdom of Italy and maintains its administrative function as a coordinating body between regional policies and local municipal needs. The province contains numerous comuni, ranging from small mountain villages like Prelà to larger towns along the coast. ### Settlements and Communities The comune of Prelà encompasses several distinct settlements, each representing a smaller community within the municipal boundaries: **Valloria** is identified as a human settlement within the comune of Prelà, representing one of the smaller communities that fall under the administrative jurisdiction of the municipal government. Such settlements are typical in Italian mountainous regions, where historical population distribution resulted in scattered villages and hamlets across the landscape. **Tavole** similarly serves as a human settlement within Prelà, contributing to the composite nature of the comune. These settlements often retain distinct identities while sharing administrative services and local governance. **Molini di Prelà** is designated as a frazione of Prelà. In Italian administrative terminology, a frazione is a territorial subdivision of a comune, typically a smaller town or hamlet that may have historically existed as an independent community before being incorporated into a larger municipal structure. The term distinguishes between the main administrative center (the capoluogo) and outlying communities. ### Population and Demographics The population figures recorded for Prelà (494, 498, and 471) indicate a small community typical of mountain villages in the Italian interior. These figures likely represent different census years, showing slight fluctuations in population. Small population sizes are common among Italian comuni located in mountainous regions, where geographic constraints, limited economic opportunities, and migration to urban areas have historically affected demographic trends. The population patterns reflect broader trends in rural Italian communities, where many small comuni have experienced population decline since the mid-20th century due to urbanization and the movement of young people to larger cities for education and employment opportunities. ### Regional Context: Liguria Prelà is located in Liguria, a region of approximately 1.4 million inhabitants along the northwestern coast of Italy. The region is famous for its narrow coastal strip (the Italian Riviera), but also includes significant mountainous interior areas where Prelà is situated. Liguria shares borders with France (to the west), Piedmont (to the north), and Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany (to the east), with the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The region has a distinct cultural identity, with its own language variant (Ligurian) and historical traditions dating back to the Ligurian people who inhabited the area before Roman times. The city of Genoa serves as the regional capital and has historically been a major maritime power in the Mediterranean. ### Historical Context The Province of Imperia, within which Prelà is located, was established during the unification of Italy in 1860. The province was named after the city of Imperia, which itself was named after the Impero (Empire) in honor of the newly unified Italian state. The area has been part of various political entities throughout history, including the Republic of Genoa, the Kingdom of Sardinia, and ultimately the Kingdom and later Republic of Italy. The comune of Prelà, like many Italian comuni, represents continuity of local administrative organization from the unification period through the present day, adapting to changes in regional and national governance structures. ### Administrative Relationships Prelà exists within a hierarchy of Italian administrative divisions: At the base level, the comune serves as the fundamental unit of local administration. Above the comune, the Province of Imperia provides intermediate coordination and administrative functions. The region of Liguria occupies the next tier, handling broader regional policy matters. Finally, the national government in Rome maintains sovereignty over all domestic affairs while also representing Italy in international matters. This hierarchical structure allows for both local autonomy and coordinated governance across Italy's diverse territories, from major metropolitan areas to small mountain communities like Prelà. ### Access and Communication The official website for the Comune di Prelà is http://www.comune.prela.im.it/, providing digital access to local government information and services. The ".im" domain extension indicates the comune's connection to the Province of Imperia (Imperia), following the Italian convention where municipal websites often incorporate the province abbreviation. The municipality maintains a presence on Wikipedia, with a sitelink count of 44, indicating moderate visibility in the Wikimedia project ecosystem. This digital presence allows those researching the area to access basic information about the comune, its history, and its characteristics. ### Connection to Italian Administrative System Prelà exemplifies the Italian sistema comunale, which distinguishes Italy's administrative organization from other European countries. The approximately 7,900 comuni in Italy vary dramatically in size, from large cities like Rome (with millions of inhabitants) to small mountain communities like Prelà. Despite their differences, all comuni share the same basic legal status and functions, providing a uniform framework for local governance across the entire country. This system allows for local representation and administration while maintaining national standards and coordination. Each comune has the authority to levy local taxes, provide public services, maintain local infrastructure, and regulate land use within its boundaries. ## References 1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013 2. Italian National Institute of Statistics 3. [Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018. Italian National Institute of Statistics](http://demo.istat.it/pop2018/index3.html) 4. [Source](https://demo.istat.it/?l=it) 5. GeoNames 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. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php) 9. Seismic classification in Italy 10. [Source](https://rischi.protezionecivile.gov.it/it/sismico/attivita/classificazione-sismica)