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Leggiuno: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Leggiuno

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 Piave 1, Leggiuno.

Leggiuno, Santa Caterina del Sasso on Lake Maggiore

The hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso, built into the sheer rock above Lake Maggiore, lies within Leggiuno and is why many people know the village's name. Leggiuno is on the Lombard shore of the lake, in the province of Varese, south of Laveno, with its centre set a little inland and hamlets such as Arolo right on the water.

For house hunters the difference between lakeside and village is clear. Near the shore there are villas, holiday homes and houses with views; on the hills behind, detached houses and village homes in quieter surroundings. Public transport is thin: the data show 1 stop served by 1 bus line, so a car is needed for Varese or the motorway. Basic services amount to 3 school sites, 1 pharmacy and 1 supermarket.

Istat, the national statistics office, counted 3,562 residents in 2023, 0.3% fewer than in 2011, so the population has barely moved. The average age is 47.6, a little above the provincial 46.5, with over-65s at 24.3% and foreign residents at 7.5%. Average declared incomes are just below the provincial level.

Earthquake risk is minimal: the whole province of Varese, 136 municipalities, is in seismic zone 4 on the Civil Protection Department scale (the national emergency agency), and the expected acceleration is about 0.041 g. For houses near the lake, damp, aspect and the state of the services count for more.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps and the report reaches the plot from the address. Along the shore the lake rises when it floods, and some rock faces carry a risk of falling stones: these are facts to read for the exact spot, not for the whole municipality.

Key points

  • Lombard shore of Lake Maggiore, home of Santa Caterina del Sasso.
  • 1 stop and 1 bus line: a car is needed.
  • 3,562 residents in 2023, almost unchanged since 2011.
  • All 136 municipalities in the province in seismic zone 4.

Overview

Leggiuno is a municipality in the province of Varese, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 3,562 residents, ranked 69 of 136 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Leggiuno is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 136 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.041 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 7.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Leggiuno declared an average taxable income of 25,702 euros, below the provincial average (27,186 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Leggiuno is in climate zone E, with 2,482 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 240 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Leggiuno has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop, 1 healthcare facility and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 0.3 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).

Public transport

Within the municipality there are 1 public transport stops, served by 1 bus line. That is about 0.3 stops per 1,000 residents.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 10.8% of the land in Leggiuno, compared with 21.1% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.7 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Leggiuno is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Lombardia 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 no contaminated sites in Leggiuno.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Leggiuno: 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 Leggiuno 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 38 inhabited census areas in Leggiuno. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 69 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 33.8%
  • good 66.2%

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 012088. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.