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Fontanelice: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Fontanelice

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: Corso Europa 1, Fontanelice.

Fontanelice, in the Santerno valley above Imola

Fontanelice is in the valley of the Santerno, a river running down from the Apennines between Tuscany and Romagna towards Imola. Although it belongs to the province of Bologna, the village looks to Romagna in dialect, habits and services, and Imola is the main town along the valley road that climbs towards Tuscany. The village sits by the river, surrounded by farmed hills and clay badlands.

Housing is split between the centre along the road, with masonry buildings and small blocks of flats, and scattered houses on the hills, often former smallholdings with land. If you work in Imola or Bologna, driving time along the valley is what counts. Near the Santerno the official flood maps, and on the slopes the landslide maps, are checked address by address in the report.

Earthquakes deserve the closest look. Fontanelice is in seismic zone 2 on the Civil Protection scale, like 11 other municipalities in the Bologna area, with an expected acceleration of 0.206 g. For a house built before recent seismic codes, ask for the year of construction, any structural work and the related planning paperwork.

In 2023 there were 1,912 residents, according to Istat, the national statistics office, almost unchanged since 2011 (down 0.8%). The average age is 46.9, close to the provincial 46.6, and over-65s are 25.7%. Foreign residents are 10.5%. Declared incomes are well below the provincial average.

The Revenue Agency publishes cadastral maps, so the report reaches the land parcel from the address. Climate zone E: cold winters and heating on for much of the year.

Key points

  • Santerno valley, on the road from Imola towards Tuscany.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.206 g.
  • Population almost steady since 2011; average age 46.9.
  • Scattered hill houses and a centre along the river.

Overview

Fontanelice is a municipality in the province of Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 1,912 residents, among the smallest in the province (52 of 55).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Fontanelice is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Only 12 of 55 municipalities in the province are in zone 2.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.206 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Fontanelice, 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. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 10.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Fontanelice declared an average taxable income of 23,155 euros, below the provincial average (29,157 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Fontanelice is in climate zone E, with 2,423 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 165 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Fontanelice has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 5 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 sports facility and 1 green area.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.8 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 4.0% of the land in Fontanelice, compared with 9.0% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.7 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Fontanelice 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 Fontanelice.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Fontanelice: 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 Fontanelice 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 Fontanelice. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 61 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 5.8%
  • fair 56.2%
  • good 38.0%

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 037026. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.