La Spezia: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of La Spezia, Liguria. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
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Search for an address in La Spezia
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: Viale San Bartolomeo 1, La Spezia.
La Spezia, at the head of the Gulf of Poets
La Spezia sits at the head of the gulf that bears its name, also known as the Gulf of Poets, at the eastern end of Liguria, close to the border with Tuscany. The modern city grew up around the Italian Navy's arsenal and the commercial port. Portovenere and the Cinque Terre are close by, and the pull of the coast shows in the 565 bars and restaurants recorded in the services data.
The population has stood still: 92,696 residents at the end of 2023, virtually the same as in 2011. In a province of just 32 municipalities, La Spezia holds 43.1% of the inhabitants. By Ligurian standards it is a fairly young capital, with an estimated average age of 47.3 against 48.6 for the province, and 26.3% of residents over 65, below the regional 29%. Foreign nationals make up 14.1%, and households average about 2.1 people.
Italy's seismic classification puts the municipality in zone 3, the second-lowest of four classes, together with 25 municipalities in the province, while 7 others are in zone 2. The expected ground acceleration in the built-up area tells a fuller story, though: about 0.122 g, towards the upper end of the usual zone 3 range. When choosing a building, it is worth asking when it was designed and what structural work has been carried out.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps, and the report starts from the address to find the sheet and parcel numbers. Between the coastal flats, the hills that ring the gulf and the streams running down to the sea, landslide and flood hazard cannot be summed up for the whole municipality: the report checks it at the exact point and gives prices as a range for the zone.
Key points
- 92,696 residents, the same as in 2011.
- 43.1% of the province's population lives here.
- Seismic zone 3, but expected acceleration of about 0.122 g.
- Cadastral maps available, plot found from the address.
Overview
La Spezia is the capital of the province of La Spezia, in Liguria. At the end of 2023 it had 92,696 residents, the most populous municipality in the province. 43% of the province's residents live here.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, La Spezia is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (25 of 32) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.122 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 29%). Foreign residents make up 14.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in La Spezia declared an average taxable income of 25,933 euros, in line with the province (25,530 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
La Spezia is in climate zone D, with 1,413 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 3 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, La Spezia has 69 schools and 31 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 44 grocery shops and supermarkets, 81 healthcare facilities, 93 sports facilities and 21 parks and green areas.
There are 0.9 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more 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 28.9% of the land in La Spezia, compared with 8.0% in the province and 7.3% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 3.1 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
La Spezia is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Liguria in 2026. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.
Official databases list 30 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in La Spezia, and 28 more have been cleaned up or closed. 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 La Spezia: 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 La Spezia 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 1,094 inhabited census areas in La Spezia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 73 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 0.2%
- fair 24.8%
- good 56.4%
- very good 18.7%
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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Regione Liguria, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2026.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 011015. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.