Castelnuovo Magra: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of La Spezia, Liguria. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Castelnuovo Magra
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 Salicello 1, Castelnuovo Magra.
Castelnuovo Magra, the hilltop village and the plain towards Luni
Behind Sarzana, in the lower Magra valley, Castelnuovo Magra runs right up to the border with Tuscany. The old village runs along a hilltop ridge, with a tower and the remains of the castle of the bishops of Luni, and looks down over the plain that stretches towards the sea and Carrara. Olive groves and the vineyards of the Colli di Luni Vermentino cover the slopes.
The municipality has two very different sides. Up on the hill is the old village, with stone houses built against each other, narrow lanes and little parking; down below are Molicciara and the areas along the Via Aurelia coast road, where detached houses, small blocks of flats and shops have grown up. People working in La Spezia or Carrara usually choose the plain, which is handier for the motorway and Sarzana, while those after views and quiet look at the hill, accepting steps, dry-stone walls and roof repairs.
In 2023 there were 8,253 residents, virtually the same as in 2011 (down 0.2%). The population is on the older side: an estimated average age of 49.0, with over-65s at 28.5% against 27.8% in the province of La Spezia. Foreign residents make up 4.4%, fewer than in much of eastern Liguria, and households are small. Average incomes are below the provincial figure.
The town is in seismic zone 3, like 25 of the 32 municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.134 g. In the hilltop houses, built in masonry and leaning on one another, the condition of the floors and any work done on neighbouring buildings are what count.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are published, so the report finds the plot from the address. On the hill the check is for landslides on the slopes, on the plain for flooding from the streams heading to the sea, depending on where the house stands.
Key points
- Hilltop village with its tower, newer districts on the plain along the Aurelia.
- Population stable since 2011; over-65s at 28.5%.
- Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.134 g.
- Landslides on the slopes, flooding on the plain.
Overview
Castelnuovo Magra is a municipality in the province of La Spezia, in Liguria. At the end of 2023 it had 8,253 residents, ranked 6 of 32 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Castelnuovo Magra is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (25 of 32) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.134 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 49 years, in line with the province. 28% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 29%). Foreign residents make up 4.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Castelnuovo Magra declared an average taxable income of 23,585 euros, below the provincial average (25,530 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Castelnuovo Magra is in climate zone D, with 1,755 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 190 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Castelnuovo Magra has 5 schools and 4 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 5 grocery shops and supermarkets, 3 healthcare facilities, 7 sports facilities and 1 green area.
There are 0.4 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).
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 17.4% of the land in Castelnuovo Magra, compared with 8.0% in the province and 7.3% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
Castelnuovo Magra is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Liguria in 2026. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is medium. 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 Castelnuovo Magra.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Castelnuovo Magra: 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 Castelnuovo Magra 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 48 inhabited census areas in Castelnuovo Magra. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 52 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 9.2%
- fair 90.8%
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 Liguria, 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 011011. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.