Foiano della Chiana: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Arezzo, Toscana. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
Land sheet 6 free checks
Search for an address in Foiano della Chiana
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 Duca 1, Foiano della Chiana.
Foiano della Chiana, carnival town above the Valdichiana
Within Tuscany, Foiano della Chiana is best known for its carnival, when huge allegorical floats parade through the old streets; it is considered one of the oldest carnivals in Italy. The town sits on a low rise, around three hundred metres up, above the Valdichiana, the broad valley between Arezzo, Cortona and the Siena area that was drained and reclaimed for farming. A large outlet shopping village has grown up on the edge of the municipality in recent years, bringing visitors and jobs, and the A1 motorway runs a few kilometres away.
Down on the plain the land is flat and crossed by drainage channels carrying water towards the Chiana. For country houses and the newer areas lower down, look carefully at the flood maps, which the report reads at the exact address. In the old town the issues are different: ancient walls, stairs, parking, and in scattered farmhouses the condition of roofs and services.
There were 9,043 residents at the end of 2023, down 3.3% on 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. Even so, Foiano is younger than the Arezzo average: an average age of 45.9 against 47.6, with 23.9% over 65 compared with 26.6% in the province. Foreign residents make up 12.6%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average, as in much of the Valdichiana.
In the province of Arezzo, 24 municipalities are in seismic zone 2 of the Civil Protection classification and 12 in zone 3. Foiano is in zone 2, with expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.150 g. If you are buying a stone farmhouse, ask when it was restored and whether the structure was reinforced.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for Foiano, so the report works back from the address to the plot and also measures the distance to schools, pharmacies and shops.
Key points
- Carnival town on a rise above the Valdichiana plain.
- Younger than the province: 23.9% over 65.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.150 g.
- Drainage channels on the plain: check flooding per address.
Overview
Foiano della Chiana is a municipality in the province of Arezzo, in Toscana. At the end of 2023 it had 9,043 residents, ranked 12 of 36 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Foiano della Chiana is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (24 of 36) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.150 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Foiano della Chiana, 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 3.3%. The estimated average age is 46 years, lower than the province average (48). 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 12.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Foiano della Chiana declared an average taxable income of 21,777 euros, below the provincial average (24,383 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Foiano della Chiana is in climate zone E, with 2,121 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 318 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Foiano della Chiana has 9 schools and 4 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 4 healthcare facilities and 2 sports facilities.
There are 0.3 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, fewer 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 9.8% of the land in Foiano della Chiana, compared with 5.4% in the province and 6.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.0 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Foiano della Chiana is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Toscana in 2025. 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 Foiano della Chiana; 2 have been cleaned up or closed.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Foiano della Chiana: 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 Foiano della Chiana 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 36 inhabited census areas in Foiano della Chiana. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 63.7%
- good 32.7%
- very good 3.6%
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
- 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 Toscana, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2025.
- 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 051018. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.