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Castiglione Olona: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Castiglione Olona

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 Cesare Battisti 1, Castiglione Olona.

Castiglione Olona, Masolino's village above the Olona valley

In the fifteenth century Cardinal Branda Castiglioni turned his family's village into a small town with a Tuscan feel, bringing in painters such as Masolino da Panicale. The Collegiate Church, the frescoed Baptistery and Palazzo Branda are still the heart of Castiglione Olona, on the hill above the Olona valley just south of Varese.

Below the old village the landscape changes. The valley floor along the river is lined with old mills and industrial sites that shaped the history of the valley, while newer housing climbs onto the flatter ground on either side. So buyers find very different situations: old houses in the historic centre, with the planning restrictions that come with them, detached houses on the higher ground, and homes near the river where flood hazard should be checked for the exact address. There is no station in the village itself; the railway lines to Varese and Milan run through the neighbouring municipalities, and most people get around by car.

In 2023 there were 7,463 residents according to Istat, the national statistics institute, down 4.8% since the 2011 census. The population is a little older than the average for the province of Varese, with an estimated average age of 47.4 against 46.5 and over-65s at 25.9%. Foreign residents make up 5.1%, a modest share for the area, and average incomes are below the provincial figure.

Earthquakes are a minor concern. All 136 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4, the lowest class, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.038 g. In old buildings, damp, roofs and wiring and plumbing matter more, as do the permits needed to work on historic houses.

The cadastral maps are published by the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate): from the address the report finds the plot and checks the official landslide and flood maps, most useful on the steep slopes running down to the Olona.

Key points

  • Fifteenth-century village with frescoes by Masolino.
  • Population down 4.8% since 2011; over-65s at 25.9%.
  • Seismic zone 4, like the whole province of Varese.
  • Industrial valley floor on the Olona, housing on the higher ground.

Overview

Castiglione Olona is a municipality in the province of Varese, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 7,463 residents, ranked 31 of 136 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Castiglione Olona is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 136 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.038 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 resident population has fallen by 4.8%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 5.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Castiglione Olona declared an average taxable income of 25,820 euros, below the provincial average (27,186 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Castiglione Olona is in climate zone E, with 2,568 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 307 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Castiglione Olona has 5 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop, 3 healthcare facilities, 7 sports facilities and 3 parks and green areas.

There are 0.1 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.4).

Public transport

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

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 31.2% of the land in Castiglione Olona, compared with 21.1% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Castiglione Olona is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Lombardia in 2023. 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 Castiglione Olona; 2 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Castiglione Olona: 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 Castiglione Olona 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 35 inhabited census areas in Castiglione Olona. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 63 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 72.4%
  • good 27.6%

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

ISTAT code 012046. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.