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Cervo: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Cervo

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 Aurelia 1, Cervo.

Cervo, the seaside hill village on the Gulf of Diano

The Baroque façade of the church of San Giovanni Battista, known as the Corallini church, dominates the skyline of Cervo, a village built on a hill rising straight from the sea at the eastern end of the Gulf of Diano. In summer the square in front of the church hosts an international chamber music festival, and the old centre is all alleys and steps.

The property market is closely tied to second homes. Many flats in the old village and in the newer areas towards the beach are used for holidays, and the resident population is old: households average 1.77 people. In the old centre you buy the view, but also stairs, pedestrian-only access and work that needs experienced builders; lower down, near the Via Aurelia coast road, noise and parking matter. The climate is mild, zone C, and declared incomes are a little above the provincial average.

There were 1,076 residents in 2023, 4.6% fewer than in 2011. The average age is 52.4, against 48.7 in the province, and 36.2% of residents are over 65. Overture Maps counts 20 cafés, restaurants and bars.

For earthquakes Cervo is in seismic zone 2, like 29 other municipalities in the province of Imperia, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.142 g. In the old village buildings, joined to one another, structural work is often decided together with the other owners.

Between the hill, the streams running to the sea and the shoreline, the report checks the official landslide and flood maps for every address. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are available.

Key points

  • Seaside village with the Corallini church, on the Gulf of Diano.
  • Many second homes, households of 1.77 on average.
  • Average age 52.4, over-65s at 36.2%.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.142 g.

Overview

Cervo is a municipality in the province of Imperia, in Liguria. At the end of 2023 it had 1,076 residents, ranked 25 of 66 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Cervo is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Only 30 of 66 municipalities in the province are in zone 2.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.142 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Cervo, 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 fallen by 4.6%. The estimated average age is 52 years, higher than the province average (49). 36% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 29%). Foreign residents make up 9.9% of the population. On average, a household has 1.8 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Cervo declared an average taxable income of 22,589 euros, above the provincial average (21,487 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Cervo is in climate zone C, with 1,340 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 66 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Cervo has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop, 1 healthcare facility and 1 sports facility.

There are 0.9 pharmacies per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.4).

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 19.2% of the land in Cervo, compared with 6.4% in the province and 7.3% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Cervo is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Liguria 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 Cervo.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Cervo: 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 Cervo 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 21 inhabited census areas in Cervo. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 65 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 1.0%
  • fair 36.0%
  • good 63.0%

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 008017. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.