Skip to content
Vicinalia
Italiano Sign up

Cotignola: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Cotignola

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 Dante Alighieri 1, Cotignola.

Cotignola, home of the Sforza family on the river Senio

The Sforza family came from Cotignola: Muzio Attendolo, the mercenary captain whose descendants became dukes of Milan, was born here. The town sits in the Bassa Romagna, the low plain of Romagna, next to Lugo on the bank of the river Senio, among orchards and vineyards. The centre is small and largely rebuilt after the Second World War, when the front line stalled on the Senio for months and the town was badly damaged.

The location is practical. Lugo is right next door, Faenza and Ravenna are close, and the motorway to Ravenna passes nearby. Homes are mostly detached houses or small blocks of flats with gardens and garages; in the countryside there are many restored farmhouses, often with some land.

The population is almost unchanged: 7,367 residents in 2023 according to Istat, the national statistics institute, a change of -0.2% on 2011. The estimated average age (47.3) is close to that of the province of Ravenna (47.4), over-65s make up 27.2% and foreign residents 8.4%. Average incomes are in line with the province.

Romagna has stronger earthquakes than many people think. The Civil Protection Department (Protezione Civile) places Cotignola in seismic zone 2, like nearly the whole province (17 of 18 municipalities), with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.187 g. For a house built before the 1980s, ask whether any structural work has been done and, if you renovate, consider strengthening.

Water is the other thing to look at carefully. On the plain the Senio runs between high embankments, like the other rivers of Romagna, and much of the land lies below its bed. Flood hazard should be checked for the individual address, and it is worth asking the seller whether the house has ever had water in the cellar or on the ground floor, and what work was done afterwards. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps and the report goes from the address to the plot.

Key points

  • Birthplace of the Sforza dynasty, on the Senio next to Lugo.
  • 7,367 residents in 2023, almost unchanged since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.187 g.
  • The Senio runs between high banks: check flood hazard house by house.

Overview

Cotignola is a municipality in the province of Ravenna, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 7,367 residents, ranked 12 of 18 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Cotignola is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (17 of 18) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.187 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Cotignola, 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 8.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Cotignola declared an average taxable income of 25,394 euros, in line with the province (25,184 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Cotignola is in climate zone E, with 2,476 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 19 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Cotignola has 6 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 11 healthcare facilities, 2 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 1.5 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.5).

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 14.3% of the land in Cotignola, compared with 10.5% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Cotignola 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 open contaminated sites in Cotignola; 3 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Cotignola: 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 Cotignola 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 59 inhabited census areas in Cotignola. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 59 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 3.3%
  • fair 81.1%
  • good 15.6%

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 039009. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.