Map of Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna is a first-level division of Italy. Its largest mapped city is Bologna, with about 488,172 people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Emilia-Romagna, and the tables list its 5 mapped cities along with the lakes, ports, World Heritage Sites nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 5
- Largest City
- Bologna
- Country
- Italy
Interactive Map of Emilia-Romagna
About Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna (UK: , US: , both also , Italian: [eˈmiːlja roˈmaɲɲa]) is an administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has a population of over 4.4 million in an area of 22,509.67 km2 (8,691 sq mi).
Emilia-Romagna is one of the wealthiest and most developed regions in Europe, with the third highest gross domestic product per capita in Italy. It is also a cultural centre, being the home of the University of Bologna, the oldest university in the world. Some of its cities, such as Modena, Ferrara, and Ravenna, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is a centre for food and automobile production (such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati). It has coastal resorts such as Cervia, Cesenatico, and Rimini. In 2018, the Lonely Planet guide named Emilia-Romagna as the best place to see in Europe.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Emilia-Romagna (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Emilia-Romagna in Depth
History
Before the Romans took control of present-day Emilia-Romagna, it was part of the Etruscan world and later the Gauls. During the first thousand years of Christianity, trade flourished, as did culture and religion, thanks to the region's numerous monasteries.
The history of Emilia-Romagna dates back to Roman times, when imperial judges linked to the nearby regions of either Liguria or Tuscany ruled the region of Emilia. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, the Lombards, a Germanic tribe, founded the kingdom of Lombardy in northern and central Italy. This kingdom, which included the region known as Emilia, flourished until the Lombard dynasty was overthrown by the Frankish king Charlemagne in 774.
Geography
The region of Emilia-Romagna consists of nine provinces and covers an area of 22,446 km2 (8,666 sq mi), ranking sixth in Italy. Nearly half of the region (48%) consists of plains while 27% is hilly and 25% mountainous. The region's section of the Apennines is marked by areas of flysch, badland erosion (calanques) and caves. The mountains stretch for more than 300 km (186.41 mi) from the north to the south-east, with only three peaks above 2,000 m – Monte Cimone (2,165 m), Monte Cusna (2,121 m) and Alpe di Succiso (2,017 m).
The plain was formed by the gradual retreat of the sea from the Po basin and by the detritus deposited by the rivers.
Economy
Emilia-Romagna today is considered one of the richest European regions and the third wealthiest Italian region by gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. These results have been achieved by developing a balanced integration of agriculture and manufacturing and of different industries.
In spite of the depth and variety of industrial activities in the region, agriculture has not been eclipsed. Emilia-Romagna is among the leading regions in the country, with farming contributing 5.8% of the gross regional product. The agricultural sector has aimed for increased competitiveness by means of structural reorganisation and high-quality products, and this has led to the success of marketed brands.
Demographics
As of 2026, the population is 4,477,009, of which 49.2% are male, and 50.8% are female. Minors make up 14.4% of the population, and seniors make up 25.2%.
The population density of 198.9 inhabitants per km2 is slightly above the national average of 195.1. The population of this region is traditionally evenly distributed, with no dominant metropolis but rather a line of medium-sized cities along the Via Emilia, where two thirds of the population and the majority of the industrial production are concentrated. The coast of Romagna is also densely populated due to the booming seaside tourism in recent decades.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Emilia-Romagna (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Emilia-Romagna: Key Facts
| Population | 4,459,477 (2019) |
|---|---|
| Area | 22,123 km² |
| Capital | Bologna |
| Head of government | Michele De Pascale |
Facts from Wikidata Q1263 (CC0).
History of Emilia-Romagna: Empires and States
The atlas records 24 polities whose mapped territory included part of Emilia-Romagna, from Etruscans in 550 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| Etruscans | 550–384 BCE |
| Roman Republic | 223–32 BCE |
| Carthage | 216–207 BCE |
| The Roman Empire | 31 BCE – 475 CE |
| Western Roman Empire | 395–475 CE |
| Ostrogoths | 490–499 CE |
| Ostrogothic Kingdom | 500–539 CE |
| Eastern Roman Empire | 540–632 CE |
| The Byzantine Empire | 540–731 CE |
| Kingdom of Italy | 641–1945 CE |
| Papal States | 763–1859 CE |
| Kingdom of the Franks | 775–849 CE |
| Carolingian Empire | 775–935 CE |
| Middle Franks | 850–859 CE |
| West Franks | 860–886 CE |
| Kingdom of Lower Burgundy | 900–935 CE |
| The Holy Roman Empire | 961–1796 CE |
| Vassalage of Kingdom of Bohemia to Holy Roman Empire | 1202–1452 CE |
| Holy Roman Empire Minor States | 1260–1796 CE |
| Vassalage of Electorate of Brandenburg to Holy Roman Empire | 1422–1458 CE |
| Habsburg Monarchy | 1741–1747 CE |
| Italian Republic | 1803–1813 CE |
| Kingdom of Sardinia | 1848–1861 CE |
| Republic of Italy | 1946–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna is a region in Northern Italy that extends inland westward from the Adriatic coast. During the summer months the miles and miles of sandy beaches on the Adriatic coast are a drawcard for Italian tourists, and are also particularly popular with Northern and Eastern Europeans.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Emilia-Romagna (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Emilia-Romagna
5 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bologna | 488,172 | Emilia-Romagna | Admin-1 region capital |
| 2 | Modena | 175,502 | Emilia-Romagna | Populated place |
| 3 | Parma | 166,011 | Emilia-Romagna | Populated place |
| 4 | Ravenna | 134,631 | Emilia-Romagna | Populated place |
| 5 | Ferrara | 130,992 | Emilia-Romagna | Populated place |
Largest Lakes in Emilia-Romagna
1 lake mapped. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lago di Garda | 353 km² | Lake |
Ports in Emilia-Romagna
4 ports mapped. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Porto Di Corsini | 49.4 m | Minor | Adriatic & Ionian Seas | medium vessels |
| 2 | Porto Di Chioggia | 42.1 m | Very Small | Adriatic & Ionian Seas | large vessels |
| 3 | Porto Di Malamocco | 34.7 m | Very Small | Adriatic & Ionian Seas | medium vessels |
| 4 | Genova | 23.8 m | Major | Western Mediterranean | medium vessels |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Emilia-Romagna
16 World Heritage Sites mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
Emilia-Romagna: Quick Answers
- Where is Emilia-Romagna?
- Emilia-Romagna is a first-level division of Italy, in Europe. Its mapped cities centre on 44.6463° N, 11.2820° E.
- What is the largest city in Emilia-Romagna?
- Bologna is the largest city mapped in Emilia-Romagna, with a metropolitan population of about 488,172.
- How many cities are in Emilia-Romagna?
- YearMaps maps 5 cities and towns in Emilia-Romagna, with a combined metropolitan population of about 1.10 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
- What is the largest lake in Emilia-Romagna?
- The largest lake mapped in or beside Emilia-Romagna is Lago di Garda, at about 353 km².