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Desana: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Desana

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 Giuseppe Garibaldi 1, Desana.

Desana, a castle among the rice fields near Vercelli

Desana is a lowland village in the Vercelli rice country, a short way from the city of Vercelli. The centre is gathered around the castle and a few historic farmsteads; all around it the land is flat, laid out in rice paddies and crossed by canals and irrigation ditches that are flooded in spring.

For daily life the reference point is Vercelli, with the hospital, secondary schools and the railway station. Homes are mostly detached houses and old farmsteads (cascine), some already split into several units, others in need of work. In a farmhouse it is worth checking damp in the walls, the roof and the systems, as the water table in this irrigated plain lies close to the surface. The climate zone is E, with cold, foggy winters, so heating is a real cost. Declared incomes are in line with the provincial average.

Unlike many nearby villages, Desana has gained residents: 1,096 in 2023, 3.9% more than at the 2011 census (Istat, the national statistics office). The average age is 46.2, below the provincial 48.4, and 24.5% of residents are over 65, against 28.0% across the province. Foreign nationals make up 4.8%.

Earthquake risk is low. Desana is in seismic zone 4, the least hazardous, along with 80 other municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration is 0.037 g. On the plain the thing to watch is water: the official flood maps are read for the exact address in the report.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps for Desana, so the report goes from the address to the land parcel and shows its boundaries and area.

Key points

  • Rice-growing village with a castle, close to Vercelli.
  • Population up 3.9% since 2011.
  • Average age 46.2, against 48.4 in the province.
  • Seismic zone 4, expected acceleration 0.037 g.

Overview

Desana is a municipality in the province of Vercelli, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 1,096 residents, ranked 26 of 82 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Desana is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Most municipalities in the province (81 of 82) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.037 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 grown by 3.9%. The estimated average age is 46 years, lower than the province average (48). 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 4.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Desana declared an average taxable income of 24,840 euros, in line with the province (24,991 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Desana is in climate zone E, with 2,753 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 131 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Desana has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.7 per 1,000 residents.

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 6.3% of the land in Desana, compared with 5.0% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Desana is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Piemonte 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 Desana; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Desana: 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 Desana 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 11 inhabited census areas in Desana. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 64 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 100.0%

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 002054. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.