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Gavoi: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Gavoi

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, Gavoi.

Gavoi, a stone village of Barbagia above Lake Gusana

Gavoi is a village in the Barbagia, the mountainous heart of Sardinia, built of stone on slopes running down to Lake Gusana, a reservoir surrounded by woodland. The town hall stands at around 780 metres. The name is known beyond the island thanks to the summer literary festival "L'isola delle storie" and to fiore sardo, the sheep's cheese made by local shepherds.

The old centre has narrow houses on several floors, with stone walls, outside staircases and steep lanes; newer homes sit in the outer areas. If you are buying an old house, weigh up the state of the roof and floors, damp and heating: winters are cold by Sardinian standards and snow is not unusual. Nuoro is the reference town for hospital, offices and secondary schools, reached by car along inland roads.

Istat, the national statistics office, counts 2,451 residents in 2023, down 12.2% since 2011. The average age of 49.2 is a little above that of the province of Nuoro (48.3), and over-65s make up 29.4%. Foreign residents are very few, at 1.6%. Declared incomes are slightly below the provincial average.

The village has 4 school-related places, 1 pharmacy and 14 cafés and restaurants, some catering for visitors to the lake.

Earthquakes are not a significant risk: all 53 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4, the lowest in the Civil Protection classification, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.050 g. On the slopes and along the streams feeding the lake the report checks the official landslide and flood maps for the address. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are available.

Key points

  • Barbagia, stone houses above Lake Gusana.
  • Summer literary festival and fiore sardo, the local sheep cheese.
  • Population down 12.2% since 2011, over-65s at 29.4%.
  • Seismic zone 4, like the whole province of Nuoro.

Overview

Gavoi is a municipality in the province of Nuoro, in Sardegna. At the end of 2023 it had 2,451 residents, ranked 13 of 53 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Gavoi is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 53 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.050 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 12.2%. The estimated average age is 49 years, in line with the province. 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 1.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Gavoi declared an average taxable income of 18,504 euros, below the provincial average (19,512 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Gavoi is in climate zone D, with 2,022 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 777 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Gavoi has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop and 1 sports facility.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 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 3.2% of the land in Gavoi, compared with 3.4% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Gavoi is one of the municipalities designated as a radon priority area by the Regione Sardegna in 2022. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is high. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Gavoi: 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 Gavoi 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 12 inhabited census areas in Gavoi. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 75 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 0.3%
  • good 99.7%

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 114016. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.