ABSTRACT
Italy first tested a model of asymmetric regionalism after this had been sketched by the Spanish Republican Constitution of 1931, but never implemented there because of the Franco Revolution. The Italian Constitution of 1948 had to address a particularly complex situation in terms of regional diversities. The development of regionalism in Italy may be roughly divided into three stages: the early period, the implementation of regional autonomy and the new constitutional framework. The principle of joint cooperation forms the essential and mandatory core of the principle of specialty, which in the case of the legal system of the Province of Bolzano/Bozen must also be preordained to ensure protection of linguistic minorities. The democratic Constitution of 1948 established 20 regions, of which five enjoy a higher degree of autonomy. These so-called special' or autonomous' regions have their own basic law, each approved as a constitutional law, and have greater legislative, administrative and financial autonomy compared to the other regions.
