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Lesa: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Lesa

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 Sempione 1, Lesa.

Lesa, the Piedmont shore of Lake Maggiore between Arona and Stresa

Lesa looks out over the Piedmont shore of Lake Maggiore, halfway between Arona and Stresa, with its lakefront, nineteenth-century villas set in parkland and, behind, the wooded Vergante hills. The municipality also takes in hill hamlets, quieter and with lake views. The Simplon road and the railway to Domodossola run along the shore; Novara and Milan are reached by car or train.

The village is both residential and a holiday place. There were 2,153 residents in 2023 according to Istat, the national statistics office, down 3.7% on 2011. The population is older: an average age of 50.3 against 46.7 for the province of Novara, with 30.3% over 65. Foreign nationals make up 9.8%. Declared incomes are above the provincial average.

The market is varied. On the lake there are flats in divided villas, houses with gardens and the occasional historic villa; in the hill hamlets houses are simpler but the roads are steep. With a period building, ask about the upkeep costs of the grounds and shared parts. Overture Maps data show 4 schools and 16 bars and restaurants.

Earthquakes are not a concern: all 87 municipalities in the province of Novara are in seismic zone 4, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.040 g. Along the shore and near the streams coming down from the Vergante the report checks the official flood maps for the address and finds the plot on the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps.

Key points

  • Piedmont shore of Lake Maggiore, between Arona and Stresa.
  • Lakeside villas with the Vergante hills behind.
  • Average age 50.3, with 30.3% over 65.
  • Seismic zone 4, like the whole province of Novara.

Overview

Lesa is a municipality in the province of Novara, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 2,153 residents, ranked 31 of 87 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Lesa is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 87 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.040 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 fallen by 3.7%. The estimated average age is 50 years, higher than the province average (47). 30% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 9.8% of the population. On average, a household has 1.9 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Lesa declared an average taxable income of 29,967 euros, above the provincial average (26,949 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Lesa is in climate zone E, with 2,562 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 198 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Lesa has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 healthcare facilities and 5 sports facilities.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.5 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 7.7% of the land in Lesa, compared with 11.2% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.0 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Lesa 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 no contaminated sites in Lesa.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Lesa: 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 Lesa 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 18 inhabited census areas in Lesa. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 56 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 19.7%
  • fair 80.3%

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 003084. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.