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Colorno: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Parma, Emilia-Romagna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Colorno

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: Frazione Sacca 1, Colorno.

Colorno, a ducal palace on the plain by the Po

Colorno grew up around its Reggia, the country palace of the Dukes of Parma, which still fills one whole side of the main square. Today the palace also houses ALMA, the international school of Italian cooking, which brings students from many countries to this small town in the Bassa, the low-lying farmland of the Parma area. Parma itself is about fifteen kilometres to the south and the river Po a short way to the north.

The land is flat and only a few dozen metres above sea level, crossed by the Parma torrent just before it joins the Po. Water is the first thing a buyer should think about here. Embankments, drainage channels and small differences in ground level change from street to street, so the report reads the official flood maps at the exact address instead of giving an average for the town. It is also worth asking the seller whether the cellar has ever flooded.

At the end of 2023 Colorno had 9,080 residents, up 1.8% on 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The population is younger than the provincial average: an estimated average age of 44.0 against 45.8, with 20.4% aged over 65 compared with 23.4% across the province. Foreign residents make up 17.1%, above the Emilia-Romagna average. Declared incomes are slightly below the provincial figure.

Earthquake hazard is lower than in the hills. Colorno is in seismic zone 3 of the Civil Protection classification, like 37 municipalities in the province, while the other 7 are in zone 2. Expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.092 g. In a restored farmhouse or barn conversion, ask how the walls and floors were strengthened.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps for Colorno, so the report can go from the address to the plot the building stands on.

Key points

  • Ducal palace and the ALMA cooking school, between Parma and the Po.
  • Up 1.8% since 2011; foreign residents 17.1%.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.092 g.
  • Low plain near the Po and the Parma torrent: check flood maps.

Overview

Colorno is a municipality in the province of Parma, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 9,080 residents, ranked 12 of 44 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Colorno is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (37 of 44) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.092 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 resident population has grown by 1.8%. The estimated average age is 44 years, lower than the province average (46). 20% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 17.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Colorno declared an average taxable income of 27,588 euros, in line with the province (28,491 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Colorno is in climate zone E, with 2,494 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 29 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Colorno has 3 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 9 grocery shops and supermarkets, 3 healthcare facilities, 8 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 0.3 schools 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 11.1% of the land in Colorno, compared with 7.6% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.9 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Colorno 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 no contaminated sites in Colorno.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Colorno: 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 Colorno 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 63 inhabited census areas in Colorno. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 73 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 31.0%
  • good 68.2%
  • very good 0.8%

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

ISTAT code 034010. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.