Castello d'Argile: 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 Castello d'Argile
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 Giacomo Matteotti 1, Castello d'Argile.
Castello d'Argile, Bologna's plain towards Cento
Fields, drainage canals and a compact centre along the main street: Castello d'Argile lies on the plain north of Bologna, towards the border with the province of Ferrara, close to Pieve di Cento and Cento. Bologna is about twenty kilometres away, and most people who work outside the town head that way.
There is no railway station in the municipality, so getting to Bologna means driving, taking the bus or catching a train from a neighbouring town. What you get in return is detached and terraced houses, flats in low-rise blocks and, outside the centre, old brick farmhouses, some restored and some still waiting. Declared incomes are slightly below the average for the province of Bologna.
At the end of 2023 there were 6,626 residents, according to Istat, the national statistics office: 2.6% more than in 2011. The age profile stands out. The average age is 44.6 against 46.6 for the province, and over-65s make up 19.7% against 24.8%. Many towns on the plain around Bologna look like this, chosen by families who want more space for less money. Foreign residents are 10.5%.
The province of Bologna has 12 municipalities in seismic zone 2 and 43 in zone 3, Castello d'Argile among them, on the scale used by the Civil Protection Department. Here, though, the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.159 g, high for zone 3. The soils of the lower plain are sandy and waterlogged, so older masonry houses and farm buildings deserve a structural check: year of construction, ring beams, how walls and floors are tied together, any strengthening work.
The Reno river is not far off and canals cross the whole area, so flood hazard varies from one field to the next and the report measures it at the address. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for the town, and the report traces the address to its land parcel.
Key points
- On the plain north of Bologna, near Pieve di Cento and Cento.
- Average age 44.6, against 46.6 for the province.
- Seismic zone 3, but expected acceleration about 0.159 g.
- No station in town: drive, bus or train from a neighbouring town.
Overview
Castello d'Argile is a municipality in the province of Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 6,626 residents, ranked 34 of 55 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Castello d'Argile is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (43 of 55) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.159 g, a medium-high 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 grown by 2.6%. The estimated average age is 45 years, lower than the province average (47). 20% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 10.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Castello d'Argile declared an average taxable income of 26,504 euros, below the provincial average (29,157 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Castello d'Argile is in climate zone E, with 2,189 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 23 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Castello d'Argile has 5 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility and 4 sports facilities.
There are 0.2 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.8).
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 9.1% of the land in Castello d'Argile, compared with 9.0% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
Castello d'Argile 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Castello d'Argile. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Castello d'Argile: 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 Castello d'Argile 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 37 inhabited census areas in Castello d'Argile. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 65 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 11.0%
- fair 16.8%
- good 72.2%
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 037017. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.