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Gaiola: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Gaiola

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 Barale 1, Gaiola.

Gaiola, at the mouth of the Stura valley near Cuneo

Gaiola lies in the lower part of the Valle Stura, the valley that climbs from Cuneo towards the Colle della Maddalena pass and France. The Stura di Demonte river runs along the valley floor; the village and its hamlets are spread between the meadows near the river and the first wooded slopes.

For anyone working in Cuneo or the villages at the start of the valley, Gaiola is a practical choice: you live in the mountains with the city within a reasonable drive. The market offers stone houses in the hamlets, villas and a few rural buildings to renovate. The climate is in zone F, with cold, snowy winters, so look carefully at the energy rating, windows and type of heating.

In 2023 there were 582 residents, 3.0% fewer than in 2011, so the population is almost stable. The average age, 45.5, is just below the province's (46.3), and over-65s make up 25.4%, in line with the provincial 25.1%. Foreign residents are few, at 1.9%. Declared incomes are slightly below the average for the province of Cuneo.

Gaiola is in seismic zone 3, like 140 other municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.148 g. Anyone buying a stone building should ask whether work has been done on the walls, floors and roof.

The land registry poses no obstacle, as the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the municipality's maps and the report finds the parcel from the address. Near the Stura the concern is flooding, on the slopes it is landslides: the official maps are read for the exact position of the house.

Key points

  • Lower Stura valley, on the road from Cuneo to the Maddalena pass.
  • 582 residents in 2023, almost stable since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.148 g.
  • Climate zone F: insulation and heating need checking.

Overview

Gaiola is a municipality in the province of Cuneo, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 582 residents, ranked 143 of 247 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Gaiola is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. The region uses a finer breakdown: here the classification is 3S. Most municipalities in the province (141 of 247) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.148 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 3.0%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 1.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Gaiola declared an average taxable income of 24,008 euros, in line with the province (24,913 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Gaiola is in climate zone F, with 3,508 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 962 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Gaiola has 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop.

The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.1 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 6.8% of the land in Gaiola, compared with 5.3% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Gaiola is one of the municipalities designated as a radon priority area by the Regione Piemonte 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 Gaiola.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Gaiola: 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 Gaiola 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 14 inhabited census areas in Gaiola. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 68 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 33.6%
  • good 66.4%

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 004093. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.