Following a review of related work on intonation, both phonetic and phonemic descriptions of intonation in Italian are presented. Using recordings of radio broadcasts as data, a system of assigning pitch levels to syllables was devised, based on four pitches. The close relationship between stress placement and pitch level was considered. In order to test the hypothesis that the phonemic function of intonation was in some ways predictable, the phonetic description was related to sentence structure. A basic inventory of phonemic intonation contours was defined, including: (1) declarative sentences: small and large non-final syntactic groups, both types having rising and falling contours, and final groups, with falling contours; (2) yes-no questions, with both rising and falling contours; (3) information questions, with both rising and falling contours; (4) commands, with one falling contour; and (5) exclamations, with one falling contour. A phonetic inventory of rising and falling intonation contours in Italian concludes the text. (CLK)