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Fontanellato: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Fontanellato

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' Casalbarbato 1, Fontanellato.

Fontanellato, the Rocca Sanvitale and the plain near Parma

At the heart of Fontanellato is a castle ringed by a water-filled moat, the Rocca Sanvitale, which holds a small room frescoed by Parmigianino with the myth of Diana and Actaeon. The town lies on the plain between Parma and Fidenza, north of the Via Emilia, and is also known for the sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary, a pilgrimage site, and for the Labirinto della Masone, the large bamboo maze created by the publisher Franco Maria Ricci.

Beyond its monuments, Fontanellato is a farming and manufacturing municipality of the lower Parma plain, right in Parmigiano Reggiano country, with food and craft businesses. The A1 motorway passes a few kilometres away and Parma is a short drive. The market offers houses in the old centre around the castle, detached homes in newer estates and farmhouses in the hamlets and countryside. There are 8 supermarkets recorded, more per head than the provincial average.

At the end of 2023 there were 7,097 residents according to Istat, the national statistics office, up 1.9% since 2011. The average age is 46.0, close to the provincial figure, and over-65s make up 24.2%. Foreign residents account for 13.4%, and households average 2.34 people. Declared incomes are below the Parma average, which is one of the highest in Italy.

Fontanellato is in seismic zone 3 on the Civil Protection scale, like 37 of the 44 municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.140 g. In masonry houses in the centre and in farmhouses, check the condition of walls and floors and ask whether strengthening work has been done; it can often be combined with a renovation.

The plain is crossed by canals and a network of drainage ditches, and the river Taro is not far away, so flood hazard is checked by address on the official maps. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps here, and the report finds the plot from the address.

Key points

  • Rocca Sanvitale, with its Parmigianino room.
  • Plain between Parma and Fidenza, Parmigiano Reggiano country.
  • Population up 1.9% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.140 g.

Overview

Fontanellato is a municipality in the province of Parma, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 7,097 residents, ranked 15 of 44 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Fontanellato is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (37 of 44) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.140 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 grown by 1.9%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 13.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Fontanellato declared an average taxable income of 26,560 euros, below the provincial average (28,491 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Fontanellato is in climate zone E, with 2,488 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 45 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Fontanellato has 3 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 8 grocery shops and supermarkets, 4 healthcare facilities, 5 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 1.1 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.6).

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 12.5% of the land in Fontanellato, compared with 7.6% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.7 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Fontanellato is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Emilia-Romagna in 2026. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Fontanellato, and 2 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 Fontanellato: 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 Fontanellato 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 90 inhabited census areas in Fontanellato. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 17.9%
  • fair 42.1%
  • good 40.0%

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 034015. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.