Regioni
Italy is divided into 20 regioni, each containing multiple province, which group individual comuni. Your ancestor's vital records are held by the comune where they were born, married, or died, but the regione they came from shaped the timing and character of their emigration.
South
The heart of the Grande Emigrazione. Campania, Calabria, Puglia, Basilicata, Molise, and Abruzzo sent millions to the Americas between 1880 and 1920. Most Italian-Americans trace their ancestry to this part of the country.
Northeast
Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia were major sources of emigration, particularly to South America. Trentino-Alto Adige was part of Austria-Hungary until 1919.
Central
Toscana, Lazio, Umbria, and Marche. Lower emigration rates than the south overall, with Roma as the national capital since 1871.
Northwest
Northern industrial regions. Piemonte and Liguria saw heavy early emigration, while Lombardia became a major destination for internal migration from the south.
Islands
Sicilia was the single largest source of emigrants to the United States. Sardegna had comparatively low emigration.