Bolsena: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Viterbo, Lazio. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Bolsena
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 Cassia Nord 1, Bolsena.
Bolsena, a medieval town on the lakeshore
Lake Bolsena, the largest volcanic lake in Europe, gives its name to the town on its north-eastern shore. The medieval centre climbs up below the Monaldeschi della Cervara fortress, while down by the lake stands the basilica of Santa Cristina, linked to the Eucharistic miracle from which the feast of Corpus Domini originated. The town is also a stop on the Via Francigena pilgrim route.
Tourism counts for a lot: bars and restaurants are almost three times as common as the provincial average, and some homes are second homes or holiday lets. Buyers will find stone houses in the historic centre, often on several levels with steep stairs, newer houses and flats towards the lakefront, and country houses among the olive groves and vineyards on the surrounding hills.
The population is one of the oldest in the area: the average age is 51.6 against 47.5 for the province of Viterbo, over-65s make up 33.2% and households are small, with 1.97 people on average. In 2023 there were 3,671 residents, down 11.3% on 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. Foreign residents account for 8.4% and declared incomes are below the provincial average.
For earthquakes, Bolsena is in zone 2 of the Civil Protection classification (the national emergency agency), like 39 other municipalities in the province, with an expected acceleration of about 0.142 g in the built-up area. For a house in the old town, check the masonry, floors and roof and any work done over the years. Near the shore the lake level matters too: the report checks the official flood maps for the address and, on the slopes of the historic centre, the landslide maps.
Key points
- Medieval town on Lake Bolsena, a stop on the Via Francigena.
- Average age 51.6, over-65s at 33.2%.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.142 g.
- Many second homes and holiday lets alongside year-round homes.
Overview
Bolsena is a municipality in the province of Viterbo, in Lazio. At the end of 2023 it had 3,671 residents, ranked 24 of 60 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Bolsena is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. The region uses a finer breakdown: here the classification is 2B. Most municipalities in the province (40 of 60) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.142 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Bolsena, the building matters a great deal: ask for the design year, whether it met the 2008 seismic standards, and whether any seismic retrofit has been carried out.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 11.3%. The estimated average age is 52 years, higher than the province average (48). 33% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 8.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Bolsena declared an average taxable income of 19,159 euros, below the provincial average (22,031 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Bolsena is in climate zone D, with 1,932 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 350 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Bolsena has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop, 2 healthcare facilities, 5 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.
There are 0.3 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.8).
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 3.3% of the land in Bolsena, compared with 4.7% in the province and 8.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
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 2 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Bolsena. 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 Bolsena: 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 Bolsena 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 31 inhabited census areas in Bolsena. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 69 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 42.5%
- good 57.4%
- very good 0.1%
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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 056008. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.