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Fonteno: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Bergamo, Lombardia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Fonteno

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 Campello 1, Fonteno.

Fonteno, a mid-mountain village above Lake Iseo

Fonteno is one of the upper villages on the Bergamo shore of Lake Iseo: its houses sit halfway up the mountain, with the lake below and woods behind. It is reached by a road climbing from the shore, and for work, secondary schools and hospitals people go down to the lake, the Val Cavallina or the Bergamo plain.

In 2023, 565 people lived in Fonteno, 120 fewer than in 2011, a fall of 17.5% according to Istat, the national statistics office. The estimated average age is 48.6, against 45.2 in the province of Bergamo, and over-65s make up 27.1%. Foreign residents account for 5.1% and households average 1.97 people. Average declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Anyone buying here should think carefully about daily life on a hill road: every shopping trip and school run goes along the mountain road, and in winter, in climate zone E, ice and snow can slow the journey. In return there is quiet, greenery and, from many spots, a view of the lake. Houses are mostly village homes in stone or masonry, with a few newer detached houses; before buying, look at the roof, damp and the state of the services.

All 243 municipalities in the province of Bergamo are in seismic zone 3 of the Civil Protection classification. In Fonteno the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.120 g, so for a masonry building it is worth asking whether floors and roof have been redone.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps and the report works back from the address to the land parcel. On a slope dropping towards the lake, gradient and landslides are read for the exact position on the official maps.

Key points

  • Mid-mountain village on the Bergamo shore of Lake Iseo.
  • Residents down 17.5% since 2011.
  • Hill road: winter access to plan for.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.120 g.

Overview

Fonteno is a municipality in the province of Bergamo, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 565 residents, ranked 213 of 243 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Fonteno is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. All 243 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.120 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 17.5%. The estimated average age is 49 years, higher than the province average (45). 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 5.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Fonteno declared an average taxable income of 23,964 euros, below the provincial average (26,939 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Fonteno is in climate zone E, with 2,930 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 606 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Fonteno has 1 pharmacy.

The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.9 per 1,000 residents.

Public transport

The open timetables available for the area do not list any stops within the territory of Fonteno.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 3.1% of the land in Fonteno, compared with 12.0% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Fonteno is one of the municipalities designated as a radon priority area by the Regione Lombardia in 2023. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is medium. 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 Fonteno.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Fonteno: 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 Fonteno 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 8 inhabited census areas in Fonteno. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 65 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 12.2%
  • good 87.8%

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 016102. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.