Italy is to all intents and purposes a NATO country and, as such, hosts several military bases of the Atlantic Alliance and the United States. At the end of the Second World War, in full post-war reconstruction, our country granted the USA the use of portions of its territory for the construction of military infrastructures for defensive purposes, also given its geographical proximity to the Soviet Union.
Today, the exact number of American bases in Italy, however, is not certain, given that some of these are secret: there is talk of around 120 military bases, including NATO ones and those managed only by the USA. Among the most famous are those of Sigonella, Aviano and Camp Darby, which attracted attention again after the United States and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February 2026, starting a war that is involving other Gulf countries and which now risks going beyond the borders of the Middle East.
Where the bases are located and how many there are: the map
Before explaining the reasons why Italy hosts so many NATO bases and American bases, let’s quickly see how many there are and where they are located.
In reality, it is very complex to precisely define the number of NATO bases located in Italy, because from many points of view they are integrated with the American bases present in our territory. Certainly, however, 4 main installations can be identified. Proceeding from the north it is:
- The NATO research center located in La Spezia.
- The Defense College of Rome.
- The Naples NATO Command.
- The NATO naval base of Taranto.
As is evident, not all of these bases are strictly operational and military in nature. This is due to the fact that, at the same time, in Italy there is a high number of American military bases, distributed more or less throughout the national territory.
In fact, between the army, navy and air force, there are more than 120 American bases in Italy, but the location of some of these is secret; here we limit ourselves to pointing out the most important ones, indicating what type of forces they host:
- Aviano Base (Friuli-Venezia Giulia): US Air Force, with presence of atomic weapons.
- Ghedi base (Lombardy): technically Italian, but with a strong American presence as it hosts atomic weapons.
- Camp Ederle base (Veneto): US army.
- Camp Darby base (Tuscany): US army (although technically Italian).
- Gaeta Base (Lazio): US Navy.
- Base in Naples (Campania): US army and NATO command.
- Sigonella Base (Sicily): US Air Force and Navy.
Also worth mentioning are the bases of Solbiate Olona, in Varese, that of Camp Ederle and Caserma Del Din, in Vicenza, and that of Motta di Livenza, in Treviso, in Veneto.
Furthermore, in addition to the bases, there are more than 12,000 American soldiers in Italy, and it must be remembered that – in the Mediterranean – the American VI fleet is roaming around. But why is the American military presence on our peninsula so high?
Who is in charge of the bases and how do you decide whether to use them?
Faced with so many American and NATO bases, the question arises spontaneously: what laws apply inside them? Who decides, for example, whether to use an atomic bomb? In bases, as a rule, Italian laws apply, even if it is very complex to state this, because normally, in military areas, civil laws can be legally ignored if national security is at stake.
However, as regards the use of atomic weapons present in Italy, it must be remembered that – since Italy is in NATO and NATO is a defensive alliance – they can only be used if a NATO country were to be attacked. A NATO country, however, not necessarily Italy.
If, for example, NATO were to decide to use the atomic bomb located in Aviano to defend, for example, Poland, it would not have to ask permission to do so from the Italian government, but from the Council of the Atlantic Alliance. If this were to give a favorable opinion, then nothing could prevent the use of that weapon.
Why are there so many American bases in Italy?
There are so many American military bases in Italy for two reasons. First, although it is often forgotten, Italy was a defeated country during World War II. It should also be added that the Italian Republic born from the Resistance, although it presented itself in antithesis to the twenty years of fascism, simultaneously hosted the largest Communist Party in Europe and the USA feared that the Bel Paese could end up in Soviet orbit.
Secondly, during the Cold War Italy was particularly close to the Iron Curtain which, in Churchill’s expression, ran “from Stettin (Poland) to Trieste”. Therefore, for NATO, it was essential that Italy was well armed and ready to respond in case of “overheating” of the Cold War.
What are these bases for today?
The American bases and the NATO bases scattered across our country today have a dual value: on the one hand defensive, on the other offensive. From a defensive point of view, the bases are protection and security safeguards for our country. Furthermore, being part of NATO allows Italy to keep military expenses lower than they would be if we could not count on American and Atlantic Alliance protection.
From an offensive point of view, however, American bases continue to have a certain importance for the USA. In fact, from our territory, missions can be launched throughout Europe and in the Mediterranean basin and surrounding areas.
