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Lessona: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Lessona

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 Iv Novembre 1, Lessona.

Lessona, wine hills between Biella and Cossato

Lessona's name is tied to wine: on the sandy hills of the municipality they make Lessona, a nebbiolo-based red with its own designation and one of the best known of the Biella area in Piedmont. The village lies between Biella and Cossato, on gentle slopes covered with vineyards and woods, at around 360 metres. In 2016 it merged with the neighbouring municipality of Crosa.

For house hunters, Lessona is a quiet choice a few minutes from the services of Biella and Cossato. Homes are mostly detached houses and villas, with some farmhouses and older hillside houses. The Biella area has a long textile history and many families worked in the local wool mills; today most jobs are still in the nearby towns, reached by car.

The population is 2,600 (2023 figure from Istat, the national statistics office), down 8.3% since 2011. Over-65s make up 28.7%, a high figure though slightly below the province of Biella at 30.1%. Foreign residents account for 4.2%. Average incomes are above the provincial figure.

The seismic picture is reassuring: Lessona is in zone 4, the lowest hazard level set by the Civil Protection Department, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.040 g. In older houses the priorities are insulation, roof and heating, since winters are cold (climate zone E).

On the hills, look at the slope of the plot and how water drains away, especially near the streams running down between the vineyards. For each address the report gives elevation, gradient and the official landslide and flood maps.

Key points

  • Lessona wine hills, between Biella and Cossato.
  • Merged with Crosa in 2016; 2,600 residents.
  • Seismic zone 4, the lowest hazard level.
  • Over-65s at 28.7%, province at 30.1%.

Overview

Lessona is a municipality in the province of Biella, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 2,600 residents, ranked 13 of 74 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Lessona is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Most municipalities in the province (50 of 74) 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 8.3%. The estimated average age is 50 years, in line with the province. 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 4.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Lessona declared an average taxable income of 26,115 euros, in line with the province (25,111 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Lessona is in climate zone E, with 2,772 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 360 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Lessona has 3 schools. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 healthcare facilities and 2 sports facilities.

The data shows no pharmacies within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.4 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 9.9% of the land in Lessona, compared with 8.0% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Lessona 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 Lessona.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Lessona: 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 Lessona 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 35 inhabited census areas in Lessona. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 62 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 75.5%
  • good 24.5%

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 096085. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.