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Fosdinovo: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Massa-Carrara, Toscana. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Fosdinovo

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 Isolone 1, Fosdinovo.

Fosdinovo, a Malaspina castle above the Gulf of La Spezia

The view from the Malaspina castle at the top of the village reaches the Gulf of La Spezia and the plain of Luni. Fosdinovo sits on a ridge at around five hundred metres, at the southern tip of Lunigiana, right on the border with Liguria. Sarzana is just below, a few kilometres away, and Carrara a little further south.

The municipality is split between the hilltop village, made of stone houses along narrow lanes, and lower hamlets such as Caniparola, on the road to Sarzana, where you find newer homes, services and easier connections. People working on the coast usually choose the lower part, while the old village appeals to those who want a view and can live with steps, scarce parking and regular upkeep.

In 2023 there were 4,601 residents, 370 fewer than in 2011 (down 7.4%). The average age is 50.2, a little higher than in the province of Massa-Carrara, over-65s make up 29.4% and foreign residents 5.2%. Declared incomes are in line with the provincial average.

Lunigiana is one of the most seismically active parts of Tuscany. Fosdinovo is in seismic zone 2 in the Civil Protection classification, like 13 other municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.149 g. In the village houses, often multi-storey stone buildings, check how walls and floors are tied together and the condition of the roof. The ridge has steep slopes, prone to landslides in places. The report checks the official maps for the address, including the gullies that run down to the plain.

Key points

  • Ridge-top village above Sarzana, looking over the Gulf of La Spezia.
  • 4,601 residents, down 7.4% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.149 g.
  • Stone village up top, lower hamlets handier for the coast.

Overview

Fosdinovo is a municipality in the province of Massa-Carrara, in Toscana. At the end of 2023 it had 4,601 residents, ranked 9 of 17 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Fosdinovo is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (14 of 17) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.149 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Fosdinovo, 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 7.4%. The estimated average age is 50 years, in line with the province. 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 5.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Fosdinovo declared an average taxable income of 24,264 euros, in line with the province (23,864 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Fosdinovo is in climate zone E, with 2,687 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 500 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Fosdinovo has 6 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 6 grocery shops and supermarkets, 4 healthcare facilities and 5 sports facilities.

There are 1.3 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 5.0% of the land in Fosdinovo, compared with 7.3% in the province and 6.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Fosdinovo 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 contaminated sites in Fosdinovo.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Fosdinovo: 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 Fosdinovo 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 41 inhabited census areas in Fosdinovo. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 57 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 6.2%
  • fair 93.8%

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 045008. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.