Castelbello-Ciardes: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Bolzano/Bozen, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Castelbello-Ciardes
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 Statale 1, Castelbello-Ciardes.
Castelbello-Ciardes, orchards and a castle in lower Val Venosta
In lower Val Venosta (Vinschgau), west of Merano, the Adige valley floor is a sea of apple orchards, and Castelbello-Ciardes (Kastelbell-Tschars) covers a stretch of it with villages on both sides. Castelbello castle stands on a rocky spur above the Adige; Ciardes is surrounded by orchards and vineyards on sunny slopes. Like almost the whole valley, the municipality is mostly German-speaking.
The Val Venosta railway, which links Merano with Malles, runs through the municipality, and public transport data counts 19 stops, served by 1 rail line and 5 bus lines. Merano can be reached without a car, which is unusual for a village this size. The property market is small and many homes are tied to farms. South Tyrol also has provincial rules on residence and on how homes may be used, which are worth checking before completion.
Istat, the national statistics office, counts 2,382 residents in 2023, up 0.2% since 2011, so broadly stable. The average age is 43.8, close to the provincial 43.4, and foreign residents make up 7.8%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.
All 116 municipalities of South Tyrol are in seismic zone 4, with an expected ground acceleration here of 0.049 g.
In South Tyrol ownership is recorded in the land register (Grundbuch, the tavolare system) run by the Province, and the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) does not publish cadastral maps. The report says so and works from the address, with landslide and flood maps for the foot of the slopes.
Key points
- Orchards and vines in lower Val Venosta, west of Merano.
- 19 stops, a train to Merano and 5 bus lines.
- Stable population, up 0.2% since 2011.
- Land register system: Revenue Agency maps not published.
Overview
Castelbello-Ciardes is a municipality in the province of Bolzano/Bozen, in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. At the end of 2023 it had 2,382 residents, ranked 63 of 116 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Castelbello-Ciardes is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 116 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.049 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 44 years, in line with the province. 21% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 22%). Foreign residents make up 7.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Castelbello-Ciardes declared an average taxable income of 19,048 euros, below the provincial average (28,222 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Castelbello-Ciardes is in climate zone F, with 3,267 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 600 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Health lists, Castelbello-Ciardes has 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 school, 3 grocery shops and supermarkets and 1 green area.
The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
Public transport
Within the municipality there are 19 public transport stops, served by 5 bus lines, 1 train line. That is about 8.0 stops per 1,000 residents.
How built-up it is
Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 3.2% of the land in Castelbello-Ciardes, compared with 2.7% in the province and 2.9% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
Castelbello-Ciardes is one of the municipalities designated as a radon priority area by the Provincia autonoma di Bolzano in 2026. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is very high. 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 open contaminated sites in Castelbello-Ciardes; 2 have been cleaned up or closed.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Castelbello-Ciardes: 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
For Castelbello-Ciardes the Revenue Agency does not publish cadastral maps: the land registry here uses the tavolare (land book) system. The report cannot give a parcel reference, but it still checks risks, services and transport at the address and states this clearly.
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 55 inhabited census areas in Castelbello-Ciardes. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 68 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 14.7%
- good 85.3%
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.
- Public transport timetables (GTFS): STA Alto Adige, STA - Strutture Trasporto Alto Adige, Open Data Hub Alto Adige (GTFS). Licence CC0 1.0, version 20261111.
- 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), Provincia autonoma di Bolzano, 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 021018. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.