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Bologna: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Search for an address in Bologna

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 Dante 7, Milan.

Bologna, the city of porticoes

Bologna is home to what is traditionally regarded as the oldest university in the Western world, founded in 1088, and to kilometres of porticoes that became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021. The Two Towers, Asinelli and Garisenda, are the emblem of the medieval centre. As the capital of Emilia-Romagna, the city is a major rail and motorway junction between northern and central Italy, with a busy trade fair and an economy ranging from engineering to food. To the south it rests against the first Apennine hills; to the north it opens onto the plain.

At the end of 2023 Bologna had 390,098 residents, 5.1% more than in 2011 and 38.3% of the population of its metropolitan area. The estimated average age is 46.4, and 24.4% of residents are over 65, in line with the region. Households are small, at 1.85 people on average, and foreign nationals make up 15.1%.

On earthquakes, Bologna is in seismic zone 3, the second-lowest of four classes, like 43 municipalities in its area; another 12 are in zone 2. Among the provincial capitals of Emilia proper, from Piacenza to Ferrara, it nonetheless has the highest expected ground acceleration, about 0.166 g, a value national criteria associate with zone 2. For a flat in a historic building under the porticoes or in a post-war block, ask how the structure was designed and strengthened.

Services are plentiful: 358 healthcare facilities, 277 schools, 127 pharmacies and 121 recorded green spaces, the last of these above the provincial rate per head. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastre covers the municipality, and the report derives the sheet and parcel numbers from the address. Landslide hazard in the hills and flood hazard near streams and canals on the plain both have to be checked for the individual address, as do local price ranges.

Key points

  • 390,098 residents, up 5.1% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 3, but expected acceleration about 0.166 g.
  • Small households: 1.85 people on average.
  • 358 healthcare facilities and 121 green spaces in the data.

Overview

Bologna is the capital of the province of Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 390,098 residents, the most populous municipality in the province. 38% of the province's residents live here.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Bologna is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (43 of 55) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.166 g, a medium-high 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.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood risk changes from one street to the next, even within the same municipality: for this reason we do not summarise it as a single figure for the whole of Bologna.

The report checks the exact address against the ISPRA national maps and tells you in plain words whether the building falls within an at-risk area. The official map is also available on IdroGEO.

House prices

We do not publish price tables by municipality. The report gives the minimum and maximum price per square metre for the address's zone, from the Revenue Agency's OMI valuations, with the reference half-year. It is a range for the zone, not the value of a specific home.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has grown by 5.1%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 15.1% of the population. On average, a household has 1.9 members.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Bologna has 277 schools and 127 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 137 grocery shops and supermarkets, 358 healthcare facilities, 358 sports facilities and 121 parks and green areas.

There are 0.9 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.6).

This data is gathered from several providers: services may be missing or closed businesses may still appear. The report counts services within 500 metres and 1 kilometre of the address.

Public transport

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

Land registry

The Revenue Agency publishes the cadastral maps for Bologna: the report finds the building's parcel, that is its sheet and parcel number, starting from the address.

Data sources

ISTAT code 037006. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.