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Gallicano: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Gallicano

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 Roma 1, Gallicano.

Gallicano, on the Serchio between Garfagnana and the Apuan Alps

Gallicano lies in the Serchio valley, where the middle valley gives way to the Garfagnana, with the town on the valley floor opposite Barga and its territory rising westwards towards the Apuan Alps. On the Apuan side, built against the rock face, is the hermitage of Calomini. Lucca, downstream, is the city people rely on for work and services.

The Lucca to Aulla railway runs along the valley floor with the Barga-Gallicano station, and the road beside the Serchio leads to Lucca and to Castelnuovo di Garfagnana. The market mixes houses in the centre, newer homes on the flat ground and stone houses in the mountain hamlets, where narrow roads, steep ground and colder winters make a big difference to daily life. Average declared incomes are below the provincial average.

In 2023 there were 3,608 residents, down 7.1% on 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age of 48.5 is in line with the province of Lucca (48.1), and over-65s make up 27.5%. Foreign residents account for 8.6%.

The Garfagnana has a significant history of earthquakes. In the province of Lucca 22 municipalities are in seismic zone 2 and 11 in zone 3 on the Civil Protection Department's scale; Gallicano is in zone 2, with an expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.192 g. For stone houses in the hamlets, the checks concern the walls, their connection to the floors, and the roof.

Between the Serchio, its tributary streams and steep slopes, the area has both flood-prone land on the valley floor and slopes prone to landslides: the report checks both at the exact address. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, and the report reaches the land parcel.

Key points

  • Serchio valley opposite Barga, below the Apuan Alps.
  • Barga-Gallicano station on the Lucca to Aulla railway.
  • 3,608 residents in 2023, down 7.1% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.192 g.

Overview

Gallicano is a municipality in the province of Lucca, in Toscana. At the end of 2023 it had 3,608 residents, ranked 17 of 33 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Gallicano is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (22 of 33) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.192 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Gallicano, 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 7.1%. The estimated average age is 49 years, in line with the province. 28% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 8.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Gallicano declared an average taxable income of 22,087 euros, below the provincial average (24,903 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Gallicano is in climate zone E, with 2,183 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 186 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Gallicano has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 5 sports facilities 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 6.2% of the land in Gallicano, compared with 9.2% in the province and 6.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Gallicano is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Toscana in 2025. 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 Gallicano.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Gallicano: 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 Gallicano 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 31 inhabited census areas in Gallicano. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 58 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 3.0%
  • fair 81.3%
  • good 15.7%

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 046015. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.