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Busseto: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Busseto

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: Frazione Roncole Verdi 1, Busseto.

Busseto, Verdi country in the lowlands of Parma

Giuseppe Verdi was born in the hamlet of Roncole, now called Roncole Verdi, and Busseto has the theatre named after him and Casa Barezzi, where the young composer found his first patron. The municipality lies in the Bassa Parmense, the flat lowland running down to the river Po, on the border with the province of Piacenza, at around 40 metres above sea level.

Fidenza and Parma are the towns people rely on for work and services, and Cremona lies across the Po. The market includes houses in the historic centre, often small two- or three-storey buildings, detached houses in the newer areas, and farmhouses in the countryside, many of them in need of restoration. For those, factor in the cost of roofs and services and the distance to amenities, which the report measures from the address. Fog and damp winters (climate zone E) make insulation and heating important.

There were 6,821 residents in 2023, down 3.2% since 2011. The population is slightly older than the provincial average, with 25.1% aged over 65 against 23.4%. Foreign residents make up 15.0%, and average declared incomes are below those of the province of Parma.

In the province, 7 municipalities, mostly towards the Apennines, are in seismic zone 2 of the national classification; Busseto is in zone 3, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.118 g. The loose soils of the Po plain can amplify shaking, though, so for old brick houses ask whether roofs and floors have been strengthened.

The Po and the drainage canals shape the land, so flood hazard must be read for the exact address: conditions change between the lowest farmland and the town itself.

Key points

  • Lowlands of Parma, birthplace of Giuseppe Verdi.
  • Population down 3.2% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration 0.118 g.
  • Po plain: flood hazard to check by address.

Overview

Busseto is a municipality in the province of Parma, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 6,821 residents, ranked 16 of 44 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Busseto is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (37 of 44) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.118 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 3.2%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 15.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Busseto declared an average taxable income of 26,262 euros, below the provincial average (28,491 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Busseto is in climate zone E, with 2,508 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 40 metres above sea level.

Services

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

There are 0.9 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.6).

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 8.3% of the land in Busseto, compared with 7.6% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 9.4 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Busseto is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Emilia-Romagna in 2026. 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 Busseto.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Busseto: 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 Busseto 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 80 inhabited census areas in Busseto. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 71 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 1.1%
  • fair 31.7%
  • good 59.1%
  • very good 8.1%

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

ISTAT code 034007. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.