Ferriere: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
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Search for an address in Ferriere
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: Localita' Selva 1, Ferriere.
Ferriere, the upper Nure valley up to the Ligurian ridge
Ferriere covers the upper Nure valley, in the Apennines of the province of Piacenza, and stretches up to the ridge between Emilia and Liguria. Its territory is very large, with many hamlets scattered among woods, pasture and side valleys, and a compact main village along the Nure river. The name recalls the valley's old ironworks.
Age is what sets Ferriere apart. Over-65s make up 45.3% of residents, against 25.3% across the province, the estimated average age is 57.8 against 46.7, and households have 1.44 members on average. Istat, the national statistics office, counted 1,115 residents in 2023, 21.8% fewer than in 2011. Summer brings holidaymakers and second-home owners, and there are 17 bars and restaurants on record.
Buyers here usually want a stone house in a hamlet or a holiday flat in the main village. The checks are practical: the access road and snow clearing, the distance to the pharmacy and shops (measured by the report from the house), and the state of the roof and walls. The climate is zone F, the coldest, so heating costs weigh. In a mountain valley the slopes need attention, and the report reads the official landslide and flood maps for the address.
All 46 municipalities in the province of Piacenza are in seismic zone 3, according to the Civil Protection Department; in Ferriere expected ground acceleration is about 0.125 g. With stone houses, ask whether walls and floors have been strengthened. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps, and the report traces the address back to its plot.
Key points
- Upper Nure valley, up to the ridge with Liguria.
- Over-65s at 45.3%, against 25.3% in the province.
- All 46 municipalities in the province in seismic zone 3.
- Mountain hamlets: check winter access and slopes.
Overview
Ferriere is a municipality in the province of Piacenza, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 1,115 residents, ranked 36 of 46 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Ferriere is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. All 46 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.125 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 fallen by 21.8%. The estimated average age is 58 years, higher than the province average (47). 45% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 5.1% of the population. On average, a household has 1.4 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Ferriere declared an average taxable income of 22,436 euros, below the provincial average (26,934 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Ferriere is in climate zone F, with 3,258 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 626 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Ferriere has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets and 2 sports facilities.
The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 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 2.2% of the land in Ferriere, compared with 7.7% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
Ferriere is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Emilia-Romagna in 2026. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is low. 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 Ferriere.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Ferriere: 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 Ferriere 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 83 inhabited census areas in Ferriere. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 59 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 1.0%
- fair 97.0%
- good 2.0%
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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Regione Emilia-Romagna, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2026.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 033020. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.