Catasto (Cadastre/Land Registry)

The official registry of all real estate properties in Italy, recording their characteristics and ownership for tax purposes. The Catasto is divided into the Catasto Terreni (land cadastre for land parcels) and Catasto Fabbricati (building cadastre for structures) . Each property is identified by a unique combination of comune, foglio (map sheet), particella or mappale (parcel number), and subalterno (unit number if divided). The cadastre assigns properties a categoria catastale (category) and rendita catastale (rateable value) used to calculate taxes. Importantly, the Catasto is not legally probative of title – it shows who is registered as holder for taxation, but true ownership is confirmed by recorded deeds in the Conservatoria. However, by law since 2010, the cadastral records (e.g. floor plan) must match the real state of the property at the time of sale.