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Follo: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of La Spezia, Liguria. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Follo

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 Brigate Partigiane 1, Follo.

Follo, the lower Vara valley on the edge of La Spezia

Follo stretches along the lower Val di Vara, north-east of La Spezia, from the river's valley floor up the hills towards the old villages. The historic village, Follo Alto, sits on the hilltop, while most newer homes, shops and businesses have moved down to the lowland hamlets such as Piana Battolla and Pian di Follo. La Spezia and Sarzana are a short drive away and many residents work there.

For a buyer, the difference between valley and hillside is sharp. On the valley floor there are small blocks of flats and villas, convenient for services and the roads into town; on the hills, stone houses, terraces and views, but also narrow lanes and steep gradients. Declared incomes are a little below the La Spezia average.

The first thing to check is water. After heavy autumn rain the Vara can rise very quickly, and low areas near the river and its side streams need checking against the flood hazard maps. The report does this for each address, along with landslide hazard on the slopes, where abandoned terraces can give way.

Istat, the national statistics institute, counted 6,099 residents in 2023, down 3.8% since 2011. In Liguria, Italy's oldest region with over-65s at 29.0%, Follo is relatively young: an average age of 47.0 against 48.6 for the province, with over-65s at 23.0%. Foreign residents make up 9.1%.

In the province, 7 municipalities are in seismic zone 2 and 25 in zone 3, Follo among them, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.138 g. For stone houses in the hills, have the walls and roof checked; in the valley, ask for the year of construction and structural documents. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, and the report traces the plot from the address.

Key points

  • Follo Alto on the hill, newer hamlets on the Vara valley floor.
  • Near the river, flood hazard is read address by address.
  • Over-65s at 23.0%, against 29.0% for Liguria.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.138 g.

Overview

Follo is a municipality in the province of La Spezia, in Liguria. At the end of 2023 it had 6,099 residents, ranked 10 of 32 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Follo is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (25 of 32) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.138 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 3.8%. The estimated average age is 47 years, lower than the province average (49). 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 29%). Foreign residents make up 9.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Follo declared an average taxable income of 23,957 euros, below the provincial average (25,530 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Follo is in climate zone D, with 1,433 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 30 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Follo has 5 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 2 healthcare facilities, 3 sports facilities and 3 parks and green areas.

There are 0.3 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).

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 8.6% of the land in Follo, compared with 8.0% in the province and 7.3% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.8 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Follo is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Liguria 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 2 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Follo, and 3 more have been cleaned up or closed. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Follo: 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 Follo 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 33 inhabited census areas in Follo. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 62 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.3%
  • fair 64.4%
  • good 35.4%

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 011013. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.