Castel Guelfo di Bologna: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Castel Guelfo di Bologna
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 San Carlo 1, Castel Guelfo di Bologna.
Castel Guelfo di Bologna, flat country between Imola and Medicina
Many people know Castel Guelfo for its designer outlet, which draws shoppers from across Emilia-Romagna, but the village itself is a small lowland centre between Imola and Medicina, about thirty kilometres from Bologna. Around it are fields, orchards and business parks, and the Castel San Pietro Terme junction on the A14 motorway is a few minutes away.
That location explains why the population is growing. In 2023 there were 4,506 residents, up 5.4% on 2011, and they are younger than the provincial average: an average age of 45.1 against 46.6, over-65s at 21.7% against 24.8%. Foreign residents make up 8.0%, in line with the Bologna plain. Declared incomes are below the provincial average, though that average is among the highest in Italy.
Buyers will mostly find detached houses and small blocks of flats built in the last thirty years, plus a few restored farmhouses in the countryside. For many everyday errands people go to Imola or Medicina; still, the village has 7.10 places to eat per 1,000 residents, more than the provincial 4.85, partly thanks to the outlet.
Earthquakes deserve attention here. Castel Guelfo is in seismic zone 2 of the Civil Protection classification, one of only 12 municipalities in the province of Bologna in that class, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.197 g. Recent houses are usually designed to seismic standards; for older ones, ask about the year of construction and any work done.
The plain between the Sillaro stream and the drainage channels is low-lying, so water has to be considered. The report checks the official flood maps for the address, and these can change a lot from one street to the next.
Key points
- Between Imola and Medicina, near the Castel San Pietro A14 junction.
- 4,506 residents, up 5.4% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration of about 0.197 g.
- Low-lying plain: check flooding street by street.
Overview
Castel Guelfo di Bologna is a municipality in the province of Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 4,506 residents, ranked 44 of 55 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Castel Guelfo di Bologna is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Only 12 of 55 municipalities in the province are in zone 2.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.197 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Castel Guelfo di Bologna, 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 grown by 5.4%. The estimated average age is 45 years, lower than the province average (47). 22% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 8.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Castel Guelfo di Bologna declared an average taxable income of 26,371 euros, below the provincial average (29,157 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Castel Guelfo di Bologna is in climate zone E, with 2,271 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 32 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Castel Guelfo di Bologna has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 healthcare facilities and 4 sports facilities.
The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.4 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 10.4% of the land in Castel Guelfo di Bologna, compared with 9.0% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 28.3 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Castel Guelfo di Bologna 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 Castel Guelfo di Bologna.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Castel Guelfo di Bologna: 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 Castel Guelfo di Bologna 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 63 inhabited census areas in Castel Guelfo di Bologna. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 4.2%
- fair 71.3%
- good 24.6%
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.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Regione Emilia-Romagna, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2026.
- 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 037016. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.