Dividing a large parcel
Whether a big plot is one villa or five is not a decision the owner makes. It is set by the minimum lot size in that zone.
The rule that decides it
Every zone carries a minimum permitted lot size. A parcel can be divided only into plots at or above that minimum, each with proper access and each complying with the applicable coefficients and setbacks.
So a 9,000 square metre parcel in a zone with a 2,000 square metre minimum might yield four plots. The same parcel where the minimum is 4,000 yields two. That single number frequently accounts for more value than location does.
Access is the constraint people miss
Each resulting plot needs its own legal access. On a long, narrow parcel this often means giving up land to an internal road, which reduces the sellable area and can make a theoretically permitted division uneconomic.
Draw the road before you count the plots.
What the process involves
Subdivision is a formal procedure: a licensed surveyor prepares the plan, the municipality and relevant authorities review it, and the new parcels are registered separately at the Land Registry. It takes months rather than weeks and carries professional and registration costs.
It also cannot proceed where title is undivided among heirs, which is why so many large mountain parcels that could profitably be split never are.
For buyers and for owners
If you are buying a large parcel, establish the minimum lot size and the achievable plot count before you agree a price. If a seller is pricing on the assumption of five plots and the zone permits two, that is a conversation worth having early.
If you own one, the division study is often the single most valuable thing you can commission. Parcels sell considerably better when the buyer can see what is permitted rather than having to guess.