Italian Metrology

TWO SPREADSHEETS WHICH DEAL WITH HISTORICAL

ITALIAN METROLOGY COMPILED BY GRANT O'BRIEN.

This web page contains a summary of the contents of two spreadsheets giving the lengths of the various units measurement used throughout the Italian peninsula during the historical period. This period lasts from about 1450 until 1800 and somewhat later. Each of these spreadsheets is a summary of a master spreadsheet compiled by the author with altogether 2,470 entries collated from a total of 19 different sources.

The two spreadsheets of historical metrology given here are:

Table 1. Units of length arranged in order according to the size of the unit of measurement.

Table 2. Units of length ordered according to the location of the centre where the unit was used.

These tables are intended to be used as an aid to determine the centre in which an historical keyboard instrument was made.

An excursion into the field of historical Italian metrology is not for the faint hearted! It is a Pandora’s box full of unexpected tricks waiting to cause grief to the the unwary. As the whole of the Italian peninsula gradually changed to the new metric system during the nineteenth century, numerous works were published during that period dealing with the conversion of the old units of measurement of length, area, volume and currency into the new metric system. The metric system had been imposed by law in Italy, first of all after the Napoleonic invasions of the North, and eventually, after the Unification of Italy as a whole. The measurements given by the authors of the works giving the conversions from the old to the new metric system are, however, not always the ones which were actually used in the Italian peninsula in the historical period of harpsichord building. In some areas the standards were changed in the period after that in which harpsichords were built but before the actual publication of the works on metrology. In Florence, for example, the unit of length was increased by a factor of 17/16 (6¼%) as a result of legislation passed on 2 July, 1782, and so well after the historical period of harpsichord building in Florence. In Piemonte there was an increase of only 0.1% in 1818, with an increase of 0.333% in Naples after 1841. It is therefore necessary to be sure that one is, in fact, applying the correct unit of measurement to an instrument in assigning to it its putative place of origin because the authors of the works on metrology seem to have been unaware (or simply ignored) any intermediate standards of length.

The other problem faced by a modern worker in this field is that there were various subdivisions of the palmo, piede and braccio, the which were the most common 'large' units of measurement, although less common units which were even larger were also in use. These were variously divided into 10, 12, 16, 20, etc. units, and so it is clearly essential to understand how each of the larger units, whether the palmo, piede, braccio, etc., were subdivided. Although these were usually divided into 12 units, a division into 10 units was common in many of the towns in the Province of Emilia-Romagna. The latter division is not to be confused with the decimalization of the larger historical units introduced in some parts of Italy, for example in Sicily, during the nineteenth century. The division of the braccio was usually divided into 20 units, but divisions into 12, 16, 22, etc. were also known. When used for measuring cloth, the braccio was often divided in halves, quarters, eighths and sixteenths reflecting the way cloth could be folded and cut.

The units and sub-division of the units of measurement used in the design of early keyboard instruments in a number of important centres are those given below.

Some unusual local divisions of the units of measurement

Cagliari and Sardinia:

1 canna = 10 palmi; 1 piede = 2 palmi = 12 once; 1 palmo = 6 once; 1 oncia = 12 punti (Dou, Eu).

Florence:

A law was passed in Florence on 2 July, 1782 (and so essentially after the historical period of stringed-keyboard instrument making there) which changed the length standard in Tuscany, as noted above, so that the value of the soldo = 29.18mm used from then until 1 July, 1861 is not valid for the earlier historical period during the time of the construction of the type of musical instruments of interest here. In Florence and much of Tuscany in both the historical and later periods the units were: 1 braccio = 2 palmi = 20 soldi = 12 crazie = 60 quattrini = 240 denari, so 1 palmo = 6 crazie = 10 soldi = 30 quattrini = 120 denari, and 1 soldo = 3 quattrini = 12 denari and 1 crazia = soldi = 5 quattrini = 20 denari and 1 quattrino = 4 denari.

Milan:

1 braccio = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi = 20736 momenti (Cr, page 38).

Naples:

A law was passed on 6 April, 1840 which increased the length of the palmo and other units of measurement in Naples and the surrounding area which came under the influence of the Kingdom of Naples by about 0.3338%, a small amount (see Ga, 1864). Any sources such as Mal 1875 give the later value of the length without taking into consideration the value before 1840. In Naples 1 canna = 8 palmi = 96 once = 480 minuti, so 1 palmo = 12 once = 60 minuti = 600 punti, and 1 oncia = 5 minuti = 50 punti, hence the oncia is divided in 5 parts and not in 12!

Piacenza:

1 piede da legno = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi = 20736 minuti = 248,832 momenti = 2,985,985 scrupoli (Source: Cr page 39).

Piemonte (especially Turin, but valid throughout all of the smaller and larger centres in Piemonte):

14 once = 1 raso (braccio da panno); 8 once = 1 piede manuale. According to Mar, p.783, to Eu, p. 46, and others, the value of the piede was changed from 513.766mm to 514.403mm in 1818. Before 1818 (except for the period in which Napoleon dominated Savoy from 1798 to 1816 and therefore outwith the historical period of stringed keyboard instrument making) all of the other measurements were based on the piede legale, piede liprando or the raso with an oncia = 42.814mm.

Rome:

There were three, probably four, basic sizes for the oncia in Rome according to the period of Roman history involved. One, equal to about 18.617mm, was used for almost all of the normal measurements of objects, buildings, wood, etc. and was the basis of the palmo romano, piede romano, braccio romano, passetto, passo, and canna architettonica used during the classical period as well as later. Cloth appears to have been measured in units of two different once, equal to about 17.67mm and 20.75mm, and were the basis of the palmo mercantile, palmo da tela, braccio mercantile, braccio da tela, braccio da tessitore, canna mercantile, etc. The piede (close to 297.9mm) was normally divided into 16 units of the 18.617mm oncia, but it also appears that it was divided into 12 once giving another oncia of length near 24.82mm (used, for example, by Francesco Fabbri and Giambattista Boni both of whom worked in Rome). Dou says that the piede antico (the old historical foot) = 294.5mm was still in use in Rome in 1840. In Rome 1 piede = palmi = 16 once. 1 palmo = 12 once. 1 oncia = 5 minuti = 10 decimi, hence the oncia is divided in 5 or 10 parts but not in 12!

Tables 1 and 2 below give the sizes of the units of measurement current in all of the centres in which harpsichord, virginal, spinet and clavichord makers were active in the historical period, as well as a few additional centres which were important culturally and commercially. These are arranged both according to the centre and according to the size of the oncia, soldo or pollice. These tables are no long listed on the Russell Collection Website. Also listed on this site for downloading are the complete databases from which these two tables were extracted. Text versions of these databases are also arranged according to the centre and according to the size of the unit of measurement. The tables below do not include any measurements given by the nineteenth-century sources for the period outwith the historical era of harpsichord building.

Equivalent Measurements

In many of the regions of Italy, the units of measurement used in minor towns or centres were, for obvious reasons, equivalent to those of the particular region where they were located, or to those of the nearby major centre. Historically, in some cases, one centre dominated a large region, but with smaller centres in that region still having their own established unit of measurement. This has given rise to some confusion, with some centres seeming to have several different units of measurement if the tables are followed literally. So it is necessary, once a unit seems to pertain to a particular centre, to establish the history of the region involved and the exact time that the length standard for that are was measured and established.

The reader should note that the towns given below used measurements which were the same as those of the region in which they were located or under whose domination they found themselves:

Ferrara Argenta, Cento, Comacchio, Codigoro and Pieve di Cento.

Florence Arezzo, Empoli , Livorno, Montepulciano, Pisa, Pistoia, Porto Ferraio, Prato and Sienna.

Genoa Chiavari, La Spezia, Novi Ligure, Oneglia, Porto Plata, Savona and San Remo.

Milan Lodi, Monza, Pallanza and Treviglio.

Naples Acconza, Aci Reale, Aquila, Avellino, Bari, Barletta, Benevento, Brindisi, Caggiano, Cagniolo, Calabria, Campobasso, Caserta, Catanzaro, Cava, Cava, Chieti, Cosenza, Eboli, Fiano, Foggia, Gallipoli, Ischia, Isani, Lecce, Lucera, Mazzarà, Nocera, Nota, Potenza, Puglia, Reggio di Calabria, Rocca, Salerno, Taranto and Teramo.

Palermo Caltanissetta, Campobasso, Catania, Catanzarro, Girgenti, Lipari, Marsala, Messina, Ragusa, Siracus aand Trapani.

Perugia Foligno, Gubbio, Narni, Spoleto and Terni.

Piacenza Bardi, Bobbio, Carpaneto, Fiorenzuola and Pellegrino.

Reggio Coreggio, Gualtieri, Luzzara, Reggio nell’Emilia, Reggiolo and Scandiano.

Rome Civitavecchia, Frosinone, Orvieto, Rieti and Viterbo.

Trento Riva di Garda and Tiarno.

Turin Alba, Asti, Biella, Cuneo, Ivrea, Mondovì, Pinarolo, Saluzzo, Susa and Vercelli.

Urbino Castel Durante (modern Urbania), Fossombrone, Gubbio, Fermignano, Mondavio - and probably in a number of the other small centres that were a part of the Ducy of Urbino during the fifteenth century.

Venice Asolo, Bassano, Belluno, Ceneda, Chioggia, Chions, Conegliano, Cristoglia, Gaiarine, Istria, Lugo, Mestre, Muggia, Portobuffolè, Portole, Prata, Ravenna, Rovigo, San Leonardo, Treviso, Trieste and Vicenza.

Verona San Giorgio di Livenza and Portoguarro.

Authors Consulted:

Ca Hercule Cavalli, Tableaux comparatifs des mesures, poids et monnaies modernes et anciens…, (Paul Dupont, Paris, 2/1874).

Cha Chambers, Ephraim, ‘Measures’, Ciclopædia: or An Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, Vol. 2 (London, 1728; 4/1741; 5/1743).

Co Colonel Cotty, Aide-mémoire a l’usage des officiers d’artillerie de France, 2 (Paris, 1819) 896-7.

Cr Giovanni Croci, Dizionario universale dei pesi e delle misure in uso presso gli antichi e moderni con ragguaglio ai pesi e misure del sistema metrico, (The Author, Milan, 1860).

Did Denis Diderot and Jean Henri le Rond d'Alembert, ‘Pied’, Encyclopédie ou dictionnaire raisonnée des arts, sciences et métiers, 7 (Paris, 1751-65) 562-563. Diderot gives his measurements as 1440-th parts of the Paris pouce, and Colonel Cotty’s military manual was used for the length of the pouce.

Dou Horace Doursther, Dictionnaire universel des poids et mesures anciens et modernes, (M Hayer, Brussels, 1840).

EI Anon., ‘Piede’, Enciclopedia italiana di scienze, lettere ed arti, 27 (Rome, 1935-1943) 168.

Esp Anon., Esposizione popolare del nuovo sistema metrico dell'impero francese comparativamente alle misure, pesi e monete toscane…, (Guglielmo Piatti, Florence, 1811) 11.

Eu Ludovico Eusebio, Compendio di Metrologia Universale e Vocabolario Metrologico, (Unione Tipografico Editrice Torinese, Turin, 1899; reprint by Forni Editore, Bologna, 1967).

Fr Luciana Frangioni, Milano e le sue misure. Appunti di metrologia Lombarda fra Tre e Quattrocento, (Edizioni Scientifiche Italiani, Naples, 1992).

Ga Giovanni Gandolfo, Tavole di ragguaglio ovvero prontuario di computi fatti di pesi, misure e monete legali italiane, (Naples, 1860).

GDE Anon., ‘Misure’, Grande dizionario enciclopedico, 12 (Unione Tipografico-Editrice Torinese, Turin, 1970) 626.

Kr Johann Georg Krünitz, , Öconomische Encyklopädie oder allgemeines System der Staats-, Stadt-, und Landwirtschaft, in alphabetischer Ordnung, 15 (Jospeh Georg Traßler, Brünn, 1788) 519-22. Given as 1440-th parts of the Paris pouce; Co used for pouce. See Did.

Mal L. Malvasi, La metrologia italiana ne' suoi cambievoli rapporti desunti dal confronto col sistema metrico-decimale, (Fratelli Malvasi, Modena, 1842-44).

Mar Angelo Martini, Manuale di metrologia, (E. Loescher, Turin, 1883; reprint Editrice Edizioni Romane d’Arte, Rome, 1976).

Or Barnaba Oriani, Istruzione su le misure e su i pesi che si usano nella Repubblica Cisalpina, (Milano, 1891).

Pa Luigi Pancaldi, Raccolta ridotta a dizionario di varie misure antiche e moderne coi loro rapporti alle misure metriche…, (Sassi, Bologna, 1847).

Ta1 Anon., Tavole di ragguaglio fra le nuove e le antiche misure….del Regno d'Italia publicate per ordine del Governo, 1 (Stamperia Reale, Milan, 1803).

Ta2 Anon., Tavole di ragguaglio fra le nuove e le antiche misure….del Regno d'Italia publicate per ordine del Governo, 2 (Stamperia Reale, Milan, 1809

Table 1 - The length of the oncia, soldo or pollice used in the Italian peninsula in the historical period arranged according to the length of the unit

Location	Unit	mm	Sub-unit	Length in mm	Division	Source	Notes
Rome	Piede antico	294.50	oncia	18.406	16	Did,Kr,Dou	Dou says that this piede was still in use in 1840.
Rome	Piede romano	297.00	oncia	18.563	16	Ca,Eu	1 piede romano = 16 once
The Marche[1]	Piede	335.10	oncia	18.617	18	Cr,EI,Dou,Pa,Ta2,Mal,	1 piede da legname = 18 once
Rome	Palmo (architettonico)	223.42	oncia	18.619	12	Cha,Did,Co,Or,Mal,Mar,Dou,Eu	1 palmo = 12 once = 120 decimi = 60 minuti
Rome	Piede	297.90	oncia	18.619	16	Dou,Cr,Mal,Mar,Cr,Pa,Kr,	1 piede = 1 1/3 palmi = 16 once
The Marche[2]	Palmo	223.42	oncia	18.619	12	Mar	1 palmo Romano = 12 once
Sienna	Braccio	378.52	oncia	18.926	20	Cha
Palermo	Piede	227.84	oncia	18.987	12	Did
Naples	Piede	232.35	oncia	19.363	12	Did
Palermo	Palmo	242.05	oncia	20.171	12	Ca,Did,Kr,Cr	1 palmo = 12 once
Palermo	Palmo	242.78	oncia	20.232	12	Dou
Genoa	Palmo	248.08	oncia	20.674	12	Ca,Did,GDE,Mal,Mar,Kr,Cha	1 palmo = 12 once = 144 linee = 1728 punti
Rome	Palmo mercantile	248.99	oncia	20.749	12	Eu,Mar,Mal,Dou,Pa,Co	1 palmo = 12 once
Sicily and Palermo	Palmo	257.80	oncia	21.483	12	Mal,Eu,Mar	1 palmo = 12 once = 144 linee = 1728 punti
Naples	Braccio	698.00	oncia	21.813	32	Ca	1 braccio = 2 2/3 palmi = 32 once
Naples	Canna	2096.10	oncia	21.834	96	Ca,Dou,Pa,Or,Cha	1 canna = 8 palmi = 96 once = 480 minuti
Naples	Palmo	262.01	oncia	21.835	12	Dou,Cr	1 palmo = 12 once = 60 minuti
Naples	Canna	2109.36	oncia	21.973	96	Ga,Mal,Mar	1 canna = 8 palmi
Naples	Palmo	263.67	oncia	21.973	12	Did,Ga,Mal,Mar	1 palmo = 12 once = 4 quarti = 60 minuti
Genoa	Piede	263.93	oncia	21.994	12	Did
Savoia	Braccio	270.70	oncia	22.558	12	Kr	1 piede = 12 once
Verona	Piede	270.90	oncia	22.575	12	Co
Rimini	Piede	271.83	oncia	22.653	12	Kr	1 braccio = 12 once
Aosta	Pied	312.00	pollice	26.000	12	Mar,Cr	1 pied = 12 pouce = 144 lignes
Trentino and Trieste	Piede (Viennese Fuss)	316.08	pollice	26.340	12	Mal,Mar	1 piede = 12 pollici = 144 linee
Fossombrone	Piede	316.5	oncia	26.38	12	Pa	1 piede = 12 once
Urbania (Castel Durante)	Piede	316.5	oncia	26.38	12	Pa	1 piede = 12 once
Fossombrone	Piede	322.257	oncia	26.85	12	Mal,Ta2,Pa,Cr	1 piede di Campidoglio = 12 once
Venice	Piede	322.58	oncia	26.882	12	Did
Turin	Piede	323.03	oncia	26.919	12	Pa,Kr	1 piede = 12 once
Fossombrone	Piede	325.795	oncia	27.15	12	Mal,Dou,Cr
Urbania (Castel Durante)	Braccio mercantile (da panno)	651.5	oncia	27.15	24	Mal,Pa	1 braccio da panno = 24 once
Fossombrone	Braccio mercantile	655.8	oncia	27.33	24	Mal,Dou,Cr	1 braccio mercantile = 24 once
Florence	Bavelle	273.41	soldo	27.341	10	Kr	1 bavelle = 1 palmo
Florence	Braccio di terra	548.17	soldo	27.409	20	Did	1 braccio = 20 soldi = 240 denari, etc.
Florence	Braccio a terra	551.20	soldo	27.560	20	Co,Mar	1 braccio = 20 soldi = 240 denari, etc.
Trento	Piede da fabbrica	331.91	oncia	27.659	12	Mar
Tirol and Bolzano	Piede	334.30	oncia	27.858	12	Mar,Dou
Fossombrone	Piede da legname	335.1	oncia	27.93	12	Mal,Cr	1 piede da legname = 12 once
Udine	Piede	340.49	oncia	28.374	12	EI,Dou,Mar,Ta2,Mal,Cr	1 piede = 12 once = 144 linee
Verona	Piede	342.90	oncia	28.575	12	Cr,Did,Dou,Pa,Or,Mal,Ta2,Mar	1 piede = 12 once = 144 linee
Aquila	Piede	343.80	oncia	28.650	12	Dou
Udine	Piede	345.14	oncia	28.762	12	Co	1 piede = 12 once
Urbania (Castel Durante)	Piede da fabbrica e da legname	346.85	oncia	28.9	12	Mal,Ta2,Pa	1 piede da fabbrica = 12 once
Venice	Piede	347.74	oncia	28.978	12	Did,Kr,Cr,Dou,Mal,Mar,Ta2	1 piede = 12 once = 144 linee = 1440 decimi
Pesaro	Piede da fabbrica	348.14	oncia	29.011	12	EI,Pa,Dou,Cr,Ta2,Mar,Mal	1 piede = 12 once = 60 minuti
Urbino	Piede da fabbrica	353.72	oncia	29.477	12	EI,Cr,Pa,Ta2,Mar,Mal,Pa,Kr	1 piede = 12 once
Padua	Palmo	354.17	oncia	29.514	12	Did,Kr	1 palmo = 12 once
Senigallia	Piede da fabbrica	354.70	oncia	29.558	12	Pa,Mal,Ce,Ta2,Mar	1 piede da fabbrica = 12 once
Vicenza	Piede	356.42	oncia	29.702	12	Kr,Did,Co
Padua	Piede	357.39	oncia	29.783	12	Co,Mar,Ta2	1 piede = 12 once = 144 linee
Perugia	Piede	363.50	oncia	30.292	12	Mar,Pa	1 piede = 12 once = 60 minuti
Trento	Piede	365.90	oncia	30.492	12	Mar,Dou
Bologna	Piede or Braccio	378.98	oncia	31.582	12	Did
Bologna	Piede	379.43	oncia	31.619	12	Did,Kr,Co	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Bologna	Piede agrimensorio	380.10	oncia	31.675	12	Ca,Did,GDE,Eu,Mar,Ta1,Cr,Pa,Or,Mal,Dou	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Urbino	Piede	383.50	oncia	31.958	12	Pa,Cr,Mar	1 piede = 12 once
Senigallia	Piede da legname	392.60	oncia	32.717	12	Pa,Mal,Ta2	1 piede da legname = 12 once
Milan	Piede	397.03	oncia	33.085	12	Kr	1 piede = 12 once
Ferrara	Piede	401.31	oncia	33.443	12	Co	1 piede = 12 once
Ferrara	Piede	403.85	oncia	33.655	12	EI,Eu,Dou,Mar,Ta1,Mal,Cr,Or,Pa	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Turin	Piede	433.12	oncia	36.093	12	Did
Milan	Piede	435.19	oncia	36.265	12	Ca,Eu,Cr,Fr,Mal,Or,Pa,Dou,Mar	1 braccio = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Bergamo	Piede	437.77	oncia	36.481	12	Dou,Fr,Or,Mar,Mal,Pa	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Sondrio	Piede	446.20	oncia	37.184	12	Dou,Cr,Fr,Mar,Mal,Or,	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Como	Piede	451.22	oncia	37.602	12	Dou,Pa,Cr,Fr,Mar,Or,Mal	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Pavia	Piede	457.93	oncia	38.161	12	Kr	1 piede = 12 once
Mantua	Piede	466.86	oncia	38.905	12	Did,Kr,Or,Mal,Cr,Dou,Fr,Pa,Mar	1 piede = 12 once
Brescia	Braccio	468.08	oncia	39.007	12	Did,Kr
Mantua	Piede	469.21	oncia	39.101	12	Did
Piacenza	Piede	469.57	oncia	39.130	12	Fr,Mal,Cr,Dou,Mar	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Brescia	Piede	470.99	oncia	39.249	12	Cr,Or,Mal,Dou,	1 piede = 12 once
Pavia	Piede agrimensorio	471.95	oncia	39.330	12	EI,Dou,Cr,Fr,Mar,Or,Mal,Pa	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Brescia	Piede	472.22	oncia	39.352	12	Did
Brescia	Piede	475.47	oncia	39.622	12	Fr,Mar,Dou,Mal,Ta1,Mal,Pa,	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Brescia	Piede	477.11	oncia	39.759	12	Did
Cremona	Piede	483.54	oncia	40.295	12	Dou,Pa,Or,Mal,Fr,Mar	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Sardinia	Palmo	251.07	oncia	41.845	6	Kr	1 piede = 2 palmi = 12 once
Genoa	Piede liprando	513.77	oncia	42.814	12	Dou
Genoa	Piede manuale	342.51	oncia	42.814	8	Dou
Turin	Piede (piede liprando)	513.77	oncia	42.814	12	Ca,Or,Mal,Eu,Cr,Mar,Dou,	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Turin	Piede legale	342.51	oncia	42.814	8	Cr,Dou,Eu,Mar,Mal	1 piede legale = 8 once
Modena	Piede	523.05	oncia	43.587	12	Pa,Eu,Ta1,Cr,Dou,Mal,Mar,Or	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Cagliari	Piede	524.70	oncia	43.725	12	Mar,GDE,Eu,Ca, Dou	1 piede = 2 palmi = 12 once = 144 punti
Imola	Piede agrimensorio	439.66	oncia	43.966	10	Cr,Dou,Or,Mal,Mar,Ta1,Pa	1 piede = 10 once = 100 punti
Reggio	Piede	530.90	oncia	44.242	12	Ta1,Or,Cr,Dou,Mar,Pa,Or,Mal	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti
Parma	Braccio o piede	545.17	oncia	45.431	12	Did,Kr,Mar,Mal,Pa,Or,Dou,Eu,Ca	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Piacenza	Braccio	546.59	oncia	45.549	12	Did,Kr
Parma	Piede	550.42	oncia	45.868	12	Did
Macerata	Piede agrimensorio	558.51	oncia	46.542	12	Dou,Pa,Cr,Mal
Senigallia	Piede	558.50	oncia	46.542	12	Dou,Pa,Cr,Mal	1 piede = 12 once
Faenza	Piede	479.77	oncia	47.977	10	Dou,Mar,Or,Mal,Ta1,Pa,Cr	1 piede = 10 once
Forlì	Piede	488.21	oncia	48.821	10	Cr,Dou,Pa,Or,Mal,Mar,Ta1	1 piede = 10 once
Ravenna	Piede agrimensorio	584.61	oncia	58.461	10	Pa,Or,Mal,Mar,Cr	1 piede = 10 once = 100 punti

Table 2 - The length of the oncia, soldo or pollice used in the historical period on the Italian peninsula arranged according to location

Location	Unit	mm	Sub-unit	Length in mm	Division	Source	Notes
Aosta	Pied	312.00	pollice	26.000	12	Mar,Cr	1 pied = 12 pouce = 144 lignes
Aquila	Piede	343.80	oncia	28.650	12	Dou
Bergamo	Piede	437.77	oncia	36.481	12	Dou,Fr,Or,Mar,Mal,Pa	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Bologna	Piede or Braccio	378.98	oncia	31.582	12	Did
Bologna	Piede	379.43	oncia	31.619	12	Did,Kr,Co	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Bologna	Piede agrimensorio	380.10	oncia	31.675	12	Ca,Did,GDE,Eu,Mar,Ta1,Cr,Pa,Or,Mal,Dou	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Brescia	Braccio	468.08	oncia	39.007	12	Did,Kr
Brescia	Piede	470.99	oncia	39.249	12	Cr,Or,Mal,Dou,	1 piede = 12 once
Brescia	Piede	472.22	oncia	39.352	12	Did
Brescia	Piede	475.47	oncia	39.622	12	Fr,Mar,Dou,Mal,Ta1,Mal,Pa,	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Brescia	Piede	477.11	oncia	39.759	12	Did
Cagliari	Piede	524.70	oncia	43.725	12	Mar,GDE,Eu,Ca, Dou	1 piede = 2 palmi = 12 once = 144 punti
Como	Piede	451.22	oncia	37.602	12	Dou,Pa,Cr,Fr,Mar,Or,Mal	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Cremona	Piede	483.54	oncia	40.295	12	Dou,Pa,Or,Mal,Fr,Mar	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Faenza	Piede	479.77	oncia	47.977	10	Dou,Mar,Or,Mal,Ta1,Pa,Cr	1 piede = 10 once
Ferrara	Piede	401.31	oncia	33.443	12	Co	1 piede = 12 once
Ferrara	Piede	403.85	oncia	33.655	12	EI,Eu,Dou,Mar,Ta1,Mal,Cr,Or,Pa	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Florence	Bavelle	273.41	soldo	27.341	10	Kr	1 bavelle = 1 palmo
Florence	Braccio di terra	548.17	soldo	27.409	20	Did	1 braccio = 20 soldi = 240 denari, etc.
Florence	Braccio a terra	551.20	soldo	27.560	20	Co,Mar	1 braccio = 20 soldi = 240 denari, etc.
Forlì	Piede	488.21	oncia	48.821	10	Cr,Dou,Pa,Or,Mal,Mar,Ta1	1 piede = 10 once
Fossombrone	Piede	316.5	oncia	26.38	12	Pa	1 piede = 12 once
Fossombrone	Piede	322.257	oncia	26.85	12	Mal,Ta2,Pa,Cr	1 piede di Campidoglio = 12 once
Fossombrone	Piede	325.795	oncia	27.15	12	Mal,Dou,Cr
Fossombrone	Braccio mercantile	655.8	oncia	27.33	24	Mal,Dou,Cr	1 braccio mercantile = 24 once
Fossombrone	Piede da legname	335.1	oncia	27.93	12	Mal,Cr	1 piede da legname = 12 once
Genoa	Palmo	248.08	oncia	20.674	12	Ca,Did,GDE,Mal,Mar,Kr,Cha	1 palmo = 12 once = 144 linee = 1728 punti
Genoa	Piede	263.93	oncia	21.994	12	Did
Genoa	Piede liprando	513.77	oncia	42.814	12	Dou
Genoa	Piede manuale	342.51	oncia	42.814	8	Dou
Imola	Piede agrimensorio	439.66	oncia	43.966	10	Cr,Dou,Or,Mal,Mar,Ta1,Pa	1 piede = 10 once = 100 punti
Macerata	Piede agrimensorio	558.51	oncia	46.542	12	Dou,Pa,Cr,Mal
Mantua	Piede	466.86	oncia	38.905	12	Did,Kr,Or,Mal,Cr,Dou,Fr,Pa,Mar	1 piede = 12 once
Mantua	Piede	469.21	oncia	39.101	12	Did
Milan	Piede	397.03	oncia	33.085	12	Kr	1 piede = 12 once
Milan	Piede	435.19	oncia	36.265	12	Ca,Eu,Cr,Fr,Mal,Or,Pa,Dou,Mar	1 braccio = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Modena	Piede	523.05	oncia	43.587	12	Pa,Eu,Ta1,Cr,Dou,Mal,Mar,Or	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Naples	Piede	232.35	oncia	19.363	12	Did
Naples	Braccio	698.00	oncia	21.813	32	Ca	1 braccio = 2 2/3 palmi = 32 once
Naples	Canna	2096.10	oncia	21.834	96	Ca,Dou,Pa,Or,Cha	1 canna = 8 palmi = 96 once = 480 minuti
Naples	Palmo	262.01	oncia	21.835	12	Dou,Cr	1 palmo = 12 once = 60 minuti
Naples	Canna	2109.36	oncia	21.973	96	Ga,Mal,Mar	1 canna = 8 palmi
Naples	Palmo	263.67	oncia	21.973	12	Did,Ga,Mal,Mar	1 palmo = 12 once = 4 quarti = 60 minuti
Padua	Palmo	354.17	oncia	29.514	12	Did,Kr	1 palmo = 12 once
Padua	Piede	357.39	oncia	29.783	12	Co,Mar,Ta2	1 piede = 12 once = 144 linee
Palermo	Piede	227.84	oncia	18.987	12	Did
Palermo	Palmo	242.05	oncia	20.171	12	Ca,Did,Kr,Cr	1 palmo = 12 once
Palermo	Palmo	242.78	oncia	20.232	12	Dou
Parma	Braccio o piede	545.17	oncia	45.431	12	Did,Kr,Mar,Mal,Pa,Or,Dou,Eu,Ca	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Parma	Piede	550.42	oncia	45.868	12	Did
Pavia	Piede	457.93	oncia	38.161	12	Kr	1 piede = 12 once
Pavia	Piede agrimensorio	471.95	oncia	39.330	12	EI,Dou,Cr,Fr,Mar,Or,Mal,Pa	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Perugia	Piede	363.50	oncia	30.292	12	Mar,Pa	1 piede = 12 once = 60 minuti
Pesaro	Piede da fabbrica	348.14	oncia	29.011	12	EI,Pa,Dou,Cr,Ta2,Mar,Mal	1 piede = 12 once = 60 minuti
Piacenza	Piede	469.57	oncia	39.130	12	Fr,Mal,Cr,Dou,Mar	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Piacenza	Braccio	546.59	oncia	45.549	12	Did,Kr
Ravenna	Piede agrimensorio	584.61	oncia	58.461	10	Pa,Or,Mal,Mar,Cr	1 piede = 10 once = 100 punti
Reggio	Piede	530.90	oncia	44.242	12	Ta1,Or,Cr,Dou,Mar,Pa,Or,Mal	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti
Rimini	Piede	271.83	oncia	22.653	12	Kr	1 braccio = 12 once
Rome	Piede antico	294.50	oncia	18.406	16	Did,Kr,Dou	Dou ays that this piede was still in use in 1840.
Rome	Piede romano	297.00	oncia	18.563	16	Ca,Eu	1 piede romano = 16 once
Rome	Palmo (architettonico)	223.42	oncia	18.619	12	Cha,Did,Co,Or,Mal,Mar,Dou,Eu	1 palmo = 12 once = 120 decimi = 60 minuti
Rome	Piede	297.90	oncia	18.619	16	Dou,Cr,Mal,Mar,Cr,Pa,Kr,	1 piede = 1 1/3 palmi = 16 once
Rome	Palmo mercantile	248.99	oncia	20.749	12	Eu,Mar,Mal,Dou,Pa,Co	1 palmo = 12 once
Sardinia	Palmo	251.07	oncia	41.845	6	Kr	1 piede = 2 palmi = 12 once
Savoia	Braccio	270.70	oncia	22.558	12	Kr	1 piede = 12 once
Senigallia	Piede da fabbrica	354.70	oncia	29.558	12	Pa,Mal,Ce,Ta2,Mar	1 piede da fabbrica = 12 once
Senigallia	Piede da legname	392.60	oncia	32.717	12	Pa,Mal,Ta2	1 piede da legname = 12 once
Senigallia	Piede	558.50	oncia	46.542	12	Dou,Pa,Cr,Mal	1 piede = 12 once
Sicily and Palermo	Palmo	257.80	oncia	21.483	12	Mal,Eu,Mar	1 palmo = 12 once = 144 linee = 1728 punti
Sienna	Braccio	378.52	oncia	18.926	20	Cha
Sondrio	Piede	446.20	oncia	37.184	12	Dou,Cr,Fr,Mar,Mal,Or,	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
The Marche[3]	Piede	335.10	oncia	18.617	18	Cr,EI,Dou,Pa,Ta2,Mal,	1 piede da legname = 18 once
The Marche[4]	Palmo	223.42	oncia	18.619	12	Mar	1 palmo Romano = 12 once
Tirol and Bolzano,	Piede	334.30	oncia	27.858	12	Mar,Dou
Trentino and Trieste	Piede (Viennese Fuss)	316.08	pollice	26.340	12	Mal,Mar	1 piede = 12 pollici = 144 linee
Trento	Piede da fabbrica	331.91	oncia	27.659	12	Mar
Trento	Piede	365.90	oncia	30.492	12	Mar,Dou
Turin	Piede	323.03	oncia	26.919	12	Pa,Kr	1 piede = 12 once
Turin	Piede	433.12	oncia	36.093	12	Did
Turin	Piede (piede liprando)	513.77	oncia	42.814	12	Ca,Or,Mal,Eu,Cr,Mar,Dou,	1 piede = 12 once = 144 punti = 1728 atomi
Turin	Piede legale	342.51	oncia	42.814	8	Cr,Dou,Eu,Mar,Mal	1 piede legale = 8 once
Udine	Piede	340.49	oncia	28.374	12	EI,Dou,Mar,Ta2,Mal,Cr	1 piede = 12 once = 144 linee
Udine	Piede	345.14	oncia	28.762	12	Co	1 piede = 12 once
Urbania (Castel Durante)	Piede	316.5	oncia	26.38	12	Pa	1 piede = 12 once
Urbania (Castel Durante)	Piede da fabbrica e da legname	346.85	oncia	28.9	12	Mal,Ta2,Pa	1 piede da fabbrica = 12 once
Urbania (Castel Durante)	Braccio mercantile (da panno)	651.5	oncia	27.15	24	Mal,Pa	1 braccio da panno = 24 once
Urbino	Piede da fabbrica	353.72	oncia	29.477	12	EI,Cr,Pa,Ta2,Mar,Mal,Pa,Kr	1 piede = 12 once
Urbino	Piede	383.50	oncia	31.958	12	Pa,Cr,Mar	1 piede = 12 once
Venice	Piede	322.58	oncia	26.882	12	Did
Venice	Piede	347.74	oncia	28.978	12	Did,Kr,Cr,Dou,Mal,Mar,Ta2	1 piede = 12 once = 144 linee = 1440 decimi
Verona	Piede	270.90	oncia	22.575	12	Co
Verona	Piede	342.90	oncia	28.575	12	Cr,Did,Dou,Pa,Or,Mal,Ta2,Mar	1 piede = 12 once = 144 linee
Vicenza	Piede	356.42	oncia	29.702	12	Kr,Did,Co

[1] The Roman palmo and piede were used widely throughout parts of the Regions of Lazio and The Marche including: Ancona, Apiro, Ascoli Piceno, Belforte, Cagli, Camerino, Castelfidardo, Cingoli, Civitanova, Civitavecchia, Corinaldo, Fabriano, Fenigli, Fermo, Fossombrone, Frosinone, Loreto, Macerata, Matelica, Mondavio, Montalto, Montecassiano, Montecosaro, Montefano, Montegiorgio, Montelupone, Montenovo, Morovalle, Offida, Orvieto, Osimo, Pergola, Petriolo, Recanati, Rieti, Ripatransone, Roccacondrada, San Elpidio, San Ginesio, San Leo, Sanseverino, Sant’Agata Feltria, Sarnano, Sassoferato, Serra de’ Conti, Serra San Quirico, Staffolo, Tolentino, Treia, Urbino, and Viterbo.

[2] See footnote 1.

[3] See footnote 1.

[4] See footnote 1.

Also available here are two Microsoft Excel spreadsheets with all of the above information contained in them:

Table 1. Units of length arranged according to the size of the unit of measurement.

Table 2. Units of length arranged according to the location of the centre where the unit was used.