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Besozzo: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Varese, Lombardia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Besozzo

The report looks at the exact point: landslide and flood risk, seismic zone, price per square metre for the area, services and nearby stops.

For example: Via Lago 1, Besozzo.

Besozzo, on the Bardello between Lake Varese and Lake Maggiore

Besozzo lies in the wooded hills between Lake Varese and the Lombard shore of Lake Maggiore. The Bardello river runs through it, carrying the water of Lake Varese down to Lake Maggiore, and the town grew on both banks, with the oldest part higher up and newer houses on the terraces and along the provincial roads. Varese is about twenty minutes away by car, and the lake is closer still.

Besozzo has something many towns around here lack: a railway. The open data list 1 stop served by 2 train lines and 1 bus line, useful for anyone working towards Gallarate and Milan. Buyers often choose between a house in the centre, near the station, and a detached home in the outlying hamlets or on the hill, quieter but car dependent.

The population is edging down: 8,758 residents in 2023 according to Istat, the national statistics institute, 2.6% fewer than in 2011. The mean age is 47.0, slightly above the province (46.5), and 25.2% are over 65. Foreign residents are 9.5%. Declared incomes are a little below the Varese average, which is high by Italian standards.

Earthquakes are a minor concern. All 136 municipalities in the province of Varese are in seismic zone 4, the lowest in the Civil Protection classification, and the expected ground acceleration in the town is about 0.039 g. In houses from the 1960s and 1970s, insulation, windows and the heating system matter more, given the long winters (climate zone E).

Where the town drops towards the Bardello and on the wooded slopes, the flood and landslide maps deserve a close look. The report reads them at the address and, using the cadastral maps published by the Revenue Agency, traces the building's land parcel.

Key points

  • On the Bardello river, between Lake Varese and Lake Maggiore.
  • 1 stop with 2 train lines and 1 bus line.
  • Population down 2.6% since 2011.
  • The whole province is in seismic zone 4.

Overview

Besozzo is a municipality in the province of Varese, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 8,758 residents, ranked 24 of 136 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Besozzo is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 136 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.039 g, a low value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 2.6%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 9.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Besozzo declared an average taxable income of 26,060 euros, in line with the province (27,186 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Besozzo is in climate zone E, with 2,506 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 October to 15 April, for up to 14 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 258 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Besozzo has 8 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets, 5 healthcare facilities, 6 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 0.2 pharmacies per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.3).

Public transport

Within the municipality there are 1 public transport stops, served by 2 train lines, 1 bus line. That is about 0.1 stops per 1,000 residents.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 20.1% of the land in Besozzo, compared with 21.1% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Besozzo is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Lombardia in 2023. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Besozzo, and 3 more have been cleaned up or closed. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Besozzo: the report checks the address against the ISPRA maps.

House prices

The Revenue Agency's price ranges per square metre (OMI) apply to zones, not to whole municipalities: the report gives the range for the address's zone.

Land registry

The cadastral maps for Besozzo are public: from the address the report finds the sheet and parcel number.

Liveability area by area

The Vicinalia liveability index runs from 0 to 100 and looks at the place, not the people who live there: services within walking distance, transport, green space, natural hazards, air, quiet, buildings and connection. Here it is worked out at the centre of each of the 42 inhabited census areas in Besozzo. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 69 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.3%
  • fair 14.1%
  • good 76.2%
  • very good 9.4%

Vicinalia index by census area, licence CC BY-SA 4.0. Data: IdroGEO ISPRA (2026), Istat, INGV, EEA, AGCOM, Overture Maps and OpenStreetMap.

The colour is the value at the centre of the area. For an exact address, search for it above: the free check looks at that exact point. How the index is worked out

Data sources

ISTAT code 012013. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.