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Gignese: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piemonte. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Gignese

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 al Panorama 1, Gignese.

Gignese, on the Mottarone above Stresa and Lake Maggiore

From the slopes of the Mottarone, above Stresa, Gignese looks down on Lake Maggiore from a height where the air already feels like the mountains. It is a village of detached houses, period villas and stone houses among woods and meadows, known for its Umbrella and Parasol Museum, which recalls the umbrella makers who left these valleys to work elsewhere.

The market is split between residents and second homes. Those who live here all year go down to Stresa and the lake for services, the station and work; holiday buyers want cool summers and a lake view. The climate zone is F: cold winters, sometimes with snow, uphill roads and heating costs to consider, especially in larger, poorly insulated villas. Declared incomes are above the provincial average.

The population has grown: 1,063 residents in 2023, 12.7% more than in 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age, 49.1, is in line with the provincial 49.0, and over-65s are 28.6%. Foreign nationals make up 11.4% and households are small, averaging 1.93 people.

Earthquake hazard is low: Gignese is in zone 4, like 45 other municipalities in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, while 28 are in zone 3. The expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is 0.043 g. In a period villa, the things to check are the roof, heating and electrics, insulation and the state of the grounds.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps, and the report works back from the address to the plot. On the slopes of the Mottarone, among streams and woods, gradient and the official landslide maps are read for the exact address.

Key points

  • Mottarone village above Stresa, with views over Lake Maggiore.
  • Residents up 12.7% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 4, expected acceleration 0.043 g.
  • Cold winters: budget for insulation and heating.

Overview

Gignese is a municipality in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 1,063 residents, ranked 32 of 74 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Gignese is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Most municipalities in the province (46 of 74) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.043 g, a low 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 grown by 12.7%. 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 11.4% of the population. On average, a household has 1.9 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Gignese declared an average taxable income of 27,662 euros, above the provincial average (23,146 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Gignese is in climate zone F, with 3,224 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 707 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Gignese has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop, 1 sports facility and 1 green area.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.7 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 5.4% of the land in Gignese, compared with 2.8% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Gignese is not among the radon priority areas designated 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 Gignese.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Gignese: 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 Gignese 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 25 inhabited census areas in Gignese. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 61 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 55.8%
  • good 44.2%

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 103034. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.