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Caprile: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Biella, Piemonte. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Caprile

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 Uccelli 1, Caprile.

Caprile, a pre-Alpine village in the Biella area

The province of Biella, in northern Piedmont, rises quickly from the plain to the mountains, and Caprile sits in the middle band, on pre-Alpine slopes at around 550 metres. The municipality is a small centre plus hamlets scattered through the woods, linked by narrow, sloping roads. Biella is the reference for schools, the hospital and work.

In 2023 there were 187 residents, against 206 in 2011: a fall of 9.2%, according to Istat, the national statistics office. The estimated average age is 53.2, against 49.7 in a province that is already old, and over-65s make up 33.2% against 30.1%. Foreign residents account for 3.2%, and households average 1.93 people.

Houses are stone and masonry, many built on sloping ground with retaining walls and uphill access. Before buying, have the roof, damp in walls set against the earth and the condition of retaining walls checked. Climate zone F, the band for the coldest places, means long winters: insulation and the boiler weigh on costs, and in winter it matters how quickly the road is cleared.

Municipalities in the Biella area are split between seismic zones 3 and 4 in the Civil Protection classification. Caprile is in zone 4, the lower of the two, together with 49 others, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.043 g.

On the slopes the report checks the official landslide and flood maps for the individual address and finds the land parcel on the Revenue Agency's cadastral maps.

Key points

  • Pre-Alpine slopes in the province of Biella, at around 550 metres.
  • 187 residents in 2023, down 9.2% since 2011.
  • Over-65s at 33.2%, against 30.1% in the province.
  • Seismic zone 4, expected acceleration about 0.043 g.

Overview

Caprile is a municipality in the province of Biella, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 187 residents, among the smallest in the province (69 of 74).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Caprile is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Most municipalities in the province (50 of 74) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.043 g, a low value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 9.2%. The estimated average age is 53 years, higher than the province average (50). 33% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 3.2% of the population. On average, a household has 1.9 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Caprile declared an average taxable income of 23,815 euros, below the provincial average (25,111 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Caprile is in climate zone F, with 3,031 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 559 metres above sea level.

Services

The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.2 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 1.6% of the land in Caprile, compared with 8.0% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Caprile 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 Caprile.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Caprile: 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 Caprile 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 12 inhabited census areas in Caprile. 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 096013. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.