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Castana: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Castana

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 Roma 1, Castana.

Castana, vineyard hills in the Oltrepò Pavese

The hills of the Oltrepò Pavese, south of the Po, are one of Lombardy's main wine areas, and Castana sits among their vineyards, with the town hall at about 290 metres. It is a small village, with a compact centre and houses and farmsteads scattered along the ridges. For secondary schools, shops and work people drive down to the towns on the plain, and from there to Pavia or Milan.

Buyers mainly find village houses, villas with gardens and rural buildings in the hills, some needing renovation. On the slopes, look carefully for cracks in walls, uneven floors and the state of retaining walls: the report reads the official landslide hazard maps for the exact address and measures elevation and slope.

The population is old. At the end of 2023 there were 717 residents, down 3.6% on 2011, with an average age of 52.4 against 47.1 in the province and over-65s at 34.2% (25.2% in the province). Foreign residents make up 8.6%. Average declared income is below the provincial level. The climate zone is E.

Castana is in seismic zone 3, like 156 other municipalities in the province of Pavia, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.094 g: a moderate hazard to bear in mind especially in old masonry houses.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, so the report traces an address to its land parcel and building.

Key points

  • Hill village among the vineyards of the Oltrepò Pavese.
  • Average age 52.4, against 47.1 in the province.
  • Slopes: landslide hazard to check at the exact address.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.094 g.

Overview

Castana is a municipality in the province of Pavia, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 717 residents, ranked 126 of 184 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Castana is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (157 of 184) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.094 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 3.6%. The estimated average age is 52 years, higher than the province average (47). 34% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 8.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Castana declared an average taxable income of 22,956 euros, below the provincial average (26,290 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Castana is in climate zone E, with 2,968 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 290 metres above sea level.

Services

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

The data shows no pharmacies within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.4 per 1,000 residents.

Public transport

The open timetables available for the area do not list any stops within the territory of Castana.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 8.7% of the land in Castana, compared with 9.6% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Castana is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Lombardia in 2023. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is low. 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 Castana.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Castana: 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 Castana 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 19 inhabited census areas in Castana. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 56 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 018036. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.