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Bognanco: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piemonte. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Bognanco

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: Localita' Graniga 1, Bognanco.

Bognanco, the spa valley above Domodossola

From Domodossola a narrow road climbs into the Bognanco valley, one of the side valleys of the Ossola in northern Piedmont, and the municipality stretches along the stream with hamlets at different heights; the town hall stands at around 1,000 metres. Its name is tied to its mineral water springs and spa, which turned the valley into a summer retreat.

For a buyer, the first thing to understand is the hamlet. Houses near the main road are easier in winter; those higher up or set apart have steep access and need attention to snow and upkeep. Traditional buildings are stone with roofs of piode, the stone slabs typical of the Ossola, which are expensive to redo. Climate zone F means long winters. Schools, healthcare and bigger shops are in Domodossola, down in the main valley.

In 2023 there were 191 residents, down 17.0% since 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics office. The estimated average age is 54.4, against 49.0 in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, over-65s make up 35.6% and households average 1.59 people. The land is almost all woods and mountains, with very little covered by buildings and roads.

Bognanco is in seismic zone 3 under the Civil Protection classification, like 28 of the 74 municipalities in the province, while the rest are in zone 4. Expected ground acceleration is about 0.088 g: for a stone house, the useful checks are the roof, the floors and how the walls are tied together.

In a narrow valley, landslides, avalanches and floods from the stream depend on the exact spot. The report checks the official maps for the address and finds the land parcel on the Revenue Agency's cadastral maps.

Key points

  • Side valley of the Ossola, with a spa and mineral water.
  • 191 residents in 2023, down 17.0% since 2011.
  • Over-65s at 35.6%, households of 1.59 people.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.088 g.

Overview

Bognanco is a municipality in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 191 residents, among the smallest in the province (67 of 74).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Bognanco is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Only 28 of 74 municipalities in the province are in zone 3.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.088 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

Even in zone 3, seismic standards apply to new buildings: for an older building, ask about the design year and any structural work.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 17.0%. The estimated average age is 54 years, higher than the province average (49). 36% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 4.7% of the population. On average, a household has 1.6 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Bognanco declared an average taxable income of 21,073 euros, below the provincial average (23,146 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Bognanco is in climate zone F, with 3,578 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 980 metres above sea level.

Services

In the Overture Maps data, Bognanco has 1 grocery shop.

The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.3 per 1,000 residents.

Public transport

We do not yet have open public transport timetables for this municipality: the report says so explicitly, without inventing distances.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 0.7% of the land in Bognanco, compared with 2.8% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Bognanco is one of the municipalities designated as a radon priority area by the Regione Piemonte in 2023. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is medium. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list no contaminated sites in Bognanco.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Bognanco: 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 Bognanco 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 24 inhabited census areas in Bognanco. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 59 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 100.0%

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 103012. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.