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Gavi: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Gavi

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 Goffredo Mameli 1, Gavi.

Gavi, the fortress and Cortese vineyards in the Lemme valley

The fortress on the hill and the white wine named after the town, made from the Cortese grape, are Gavi's calling cards. The town lies in the Lemme valley, in the province of Alessandria on the border with Liguria, in the band of hills between Novi Ligure and the Apennines that for centuries looked to Genoa more than to Piedmont.

Buyers will find a compact old centre at the foot of the fortress, detached houses on the edge of town and farmhouses among the vineyards, some turned into country homes or wine estates with rooms. Genoa is reached via the motorway in the nearby Scrivia valley, and Novi Ligure and Serravalle Scrivia are close too, which is why Gavi appeals to people working in Liguria who want more space. The data lists 52 services.

The population is old and shrinking. There are 4,389 residents, 6.8% fewer than in 2011; the average age is 49.9 against 48.9 for the province of Alessandria, over-65s make up 29.3% and households have 2.09 members on average. Foreign residents account for 6.7%. Declared incomes are above the provincial average.

The province is split between seismic zones 3 and 4: Gavi is in zone 3, like 126 other municipalities, while 60 are in zone 4, the lowest. The expected ground acceleration is about 0.089 g. In farmhouses and old masonry homes, have the floors and roof checked before a restoration.

Landslides are common on the hills and floods matter along the Lemme: the report reads the official maps and measures the slope for the exact address. The Revenue Agency's cadastral maps are published.

Key points

  • Hilltop fortress and Cortese vineyards, between Novi Ligure and Liguria.
  • 4,389 residents, down 6.8% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.089 g.
  • Hills and Lemme valley: landslides and floods to check by address.

Overview

Gavi is a municipality in the province of Alessandria, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 4,389 residents, among the most populous in the province (13 of 187).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Gavi is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (127 of 187) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.089 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 6.8%. The estimated average age is 50 years, in line with the province. 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 6.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Gavi declared an average taxable income of 26,400 euros, in line with the province (25,143 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Gavi is in climate zone E, with 2,678 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 233 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Gavi has 3 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility and 7 sports facilities.

There are 0.2 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).

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 6.3% of the land in Gavi, compared with 7.2% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Gavi is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Piemonte in 2023. 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 Gavi. 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 Gavi: 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 Gavi 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 86 inhabited census areas in Gavi. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 65 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 47.1%
  • good 52.9%

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 006081. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.