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Borgomezzavalle: 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 Borgomezzavalle

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 Seppiana 2, Borgomezzavalle.

Borgomezzavalle, Seppiana and Viganella in the Antrona valley

Borgomezzavalle was formed by merging two municipalities in the Valle Antrona, Seppiana and Viganella, and its name (roughly "mid-valley village") says where it is: halfway up the valley along the Ovesca stream, between Villadossola at the valley mouth and the higher villages towards the Swiss border. Viganella is known well beyond the Ossola area for the mirror set up on the mountainside that reflects winter sunlight onto the village, which the valley walls keep in shadow for weeks.

That detail matters to buyers too. In such a narrow valley, sunlight changes from hamlet to hamlet and from house to house, so it is worth visiting in winter. Houses are mostly stone, with slab roofs, and many are second homes. The roof, damp and access in snow are the first things to check. For work and services, people go down to Villadossola and Domodossola.

There were 290 residents in 2023, 45 fewer than the two former municipalities had together in 2011 (335), a fall of 13.4%. The estimated average age is 54.6 against 49.0 in the province, and over-65s make up 35.9%. Foreign residents account for 12.8%. Declared incomes are in line with the provincial average.

The municipality is in seismic zone 3, like 28 of the 74 municipalities of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.077 g. In the mountains it also pays to look at slopes and the stream, which the report checks on the official maps for the address.

Revenue Agency cadastral maps are published for the new municipality as well.

Key points

  • Formed from Seppiana and Viganella, in the Antrona valley.
  • 290 residents, down 13.4% since 2011.
  • Winter sunlight varies a lot between houses: visit in winter.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.077 g.

Overview

Borgomezzavalle is a municipality in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 290 residents, ranked 62 of 74 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Borgomezzavalle 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 0.077 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 13.4%. The estimated average age is 55 years, higher than the province average (49). 36% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 12.8% of the population. On average, a household has 1.7 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Borgomezzavalle declared an average taxable income of 23,752 euros, in line with the province (23,146 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Borgomezzavalle is in climate zone F, with 3,061 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 582 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Borgomezzavalle has 1 school.

The data shows no pharmacies within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.5 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 1.1% of the land in Borgomezzavalle, 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

Borgomezzavalle is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Piemonte 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 no contaminated sites in Borgomezzavalle.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Borgomezzavalle: 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 Borgomezzavalle 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 11 inhabited census areas in Borgomezzavalle. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 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 103078. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.